SENIOR HUMAN RESOURCES OPERATIONS MANAGER
Columbia Association
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Columbia Association in Columbia, MD seeks a Senior Human Resources Operations Manager to lead the HR Operations Team across HRIS, benefits, compensation, compliance, and employee relations. The role ensures compliant, service-focused HR practices aligned with organizational goals.
Responsibilities include guiding HRIS changes, managing HR ticketing, partnering with leadership, and driving cross-functional initiatives.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in HR or related field required.
- 10 years of HR experience, including senior-level management and HRIS oversight.
- Professional certification such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR preferred.
Responsibilities
- Lead and develop the HR Operations team and align service delivery with goals.
- Oversee Dayforce HRIS operations and related HR technologies.
- Provide operational leadership across benefits, leave, compensation, and lifecycle administration.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
Columbia, MD, USA
Posted Thursday, August 6, 2026 at 4:00 AM | Expires Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 3:59 AM
Columbia Association, headquartered in Howard County, Maryland, is known for engaging our diverse community, cultivating a unique sense of place, and enhancing the quality of life in Columbia, Maryland, all thanks to the efforts of our remarkable team members. If you share in our passion for teamwork and our vision, we want you to fast-forward your career with us at Columbia Association.
The Senior Human Resources Operations Manager provides operational leadership and management of the HR Operations Team across HRIS operations, benefits and leave administration, compensation and classification, compliance, audit readiness, workforce administration, recruiting administration, and employee relations support. The role guides HR operational and HRIS escalations and helps ensure consistent, compliant, service-focused HR practices that support team members, team leaders, and effective HR service delivery.
- In alignment with the Director of HR, Diversity & Inclusion, manage the HR Operations team and align service delivery, workforce priorities, team member support, and operational decisions with organizational goals.
- Lead, coach, and develop assigned HR team members while reinforcing accountability, execution, collaboration, cross-training, and operational reliability.
- Oversee HR ticketing and case management practices, including triage, escalation, resolution tracking, service expectations, communications, self-service resources, and reporting.
- Provide operational leadership to manage the execution of Dayforce HRIS operations to support HR operations and related HR technologies, including input on business rules, workflow governance, reporting priorities, data stewardship, configuration direction, testing strategy, and HR technology roadmap planning.
- Manage the HRIS Partner and HRIS Analyst as part of the HR Operations team to ensure technology solutions support HR Operations, Payroll, Benefits, Recruiting, Compliance, and workforce administration needs.
- Provide significant first-level approval for HRIS business process changes, compliance-related system decisions, reporting standards, and cross-functional HR technology initiatives.
- Provide operational leadership for HRIS Operations and related HR systems, including workflows, configuration priorities, reporting, testing, access recommendations, and HR business requirements.
- Use HR data, ticket trends, workforce analytics, audit findings, and stakeholder feedback to identify root causes, strengthen controls, and improve service delivery
- Provide operational leadership across the following HR administration areas, with responsibility focused on coordination, execution oversight, process consistency, and service delivery:
- Health and welfare benefits, leave, workers’ compensation, unemployment administration, accommodations, wellness, and related team member support programs.
- Job architecture, classification review, FLSA coordination, salary grade alignment, internal equity review, merit administration, personnel action controls, recruiting administration, onboarding, performance workflows, status changes, separations, communications, and lifecycle reporting.
- Maintain compliance and audit readiness through documentation controls, policy review, personnel record integrity, reporting support, audit response, quality checks, and follow-up on identified gaps.
- Lead employee relations support for complex or sensitive workplace matters, including accommodations under the ADAAA, investigations, separations, terminations, performance administration, documentation, and team leader coaching.
- Partner with HR leadership, Payroll, Finance, IT, HRIS, Legal, Learning and Organizational Development, senior leadership, and team leaders to coordinate implementation plans, clarify ownership, and support complex HR initiatives.
- Support the development, documentation, and tracking of HR department goals, initiatives, owners, timelines, and progress updates using designated enterprise tools.
- Lead HR business process documentation, SOPs, workflow standardization, communications, training materials, cross-training, and knowledge sharing to improve consistency and scalability.
- Monitor regulatory developments, HR trends, and emerging practices to support continuous improvement, compliance, and effective HR service delivery.
- Comprehensive understanding of HR operations, compliance, workforce management, benefits, team member support, and system-enabled service delivery.
- Ability to translate policies, compliance requirements, workforce needs, and business processes into practical workflows, communications, system requirements, and job aids.
- Sound judgment, discretion, and confidentiality when handling sensitive workforce, payroll, benefits, leave, medical, team member relations, compliance, compensation, and HRIS information.
- Strong communication, facilitation, relationship-building, coaching, analytical, problem-solving, and change management skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft 365, Dayforce or comparable HRIS, reporting and analytics tools, Smartsheet, workflow/project management technology, HR ticketing/case management tools, and digital HR service platforms.
Education: Bachelor's degree in human resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Public Administration, Labor/Employee Relations, or related field required. Master’s degree in a related field preferred.
Experience: 10 years of progressively responsible human resources experience required, including senior-level experience in HR management, compliance, HRIS functional oversight, benefits, leave, compensation and classification, team member relations, workforce administration, or HR service delivery. Minimum of five yearsof people leadership experience required.
Licenses/Certifications: Professional certification such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, or equivalent strongly preferred. Smartsheet certification or completion of required workflow/project management training may be required based on departmental standards.
This position primarily requires sitting, standing, walking, using a computer, reviewing information on screens and in documents, and communicating by phone, email, virtual meeting tools, and in person. The team member must be able to occasionally lift or move files, supplies, or equipment weighing up to 25 pounds.
Work is generally performed in an office or hybrid office environment with routine use of computers, phones, shared workspaces, and virtual meeting tools. The position may require local travel to Columbia Association worksites and properties, extended hours, and occasional evening or weekend work based on business needs, audit timelines, investigations, system implementations, or other operational priorities.
The salary range for this position is $145K to $155K. The actual salary offered will depend on the overall qualifications of the individual applicant for the position and the budgeted amount for the role. CA offers a positive, fun work environment and a generous benefits package. Full-time benefits include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401(k), a free Fit & Play membership, Wellness benefits w/ perks and paid leave.
Columbia Association is an equal employment opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals without regard to the following legally protected characteristics: race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, military/veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law. EOE/ADA. We encourage applications from candidates who can contribute to the diversity of our organization. Over and above non-discrimination, CA’s mission includes engaging our diverse community and meeting the evolving needs of a dynamic and inclusive community. That’s why we welcome folks of diverse or marginalized backgrounds and abilities to apply to become part of the CA team.
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