Senior Operations Manager

The Howard University; Ypsilanti (MI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental & vision insurance

Paid time off

Flexible work arrangements

403(b) with company match

Tuition reimbursement

Career advancement

Job summary

Howard University is hiring a Senior People Operations Officer to serve as the College’s principal operational administrator for HR-, payroll-, and hiring-related transactions. You will ensure accuracy, compliance, and timely processing for faculty, staff, adjuncts, student employees, wage workers, and stipends, coordinating between CEA leadership, HR, Payroll, Provost, and department admins.

This non-strategic, senior role focuses on end‑to‑end workflow execution, onboarding/offboarding,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in finance, business, or related field.
• Minimum of five years in higher-education operations.
• Workday HR and Workday Finance familiarity.
• Experience working with academic departments.
• Administrative operations experience.
• Proficiency in policy interpretation and cross‑functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the College's senior Workday transaction specialist for hires, job changes, faculty terminations, PAPs, compensation changes, funding changes, and academic appointments.
• Coordinate all job posting requests with HR Recruiting and ensure funding alignment prior to submission.
• Draft and monitor term sheets, offer letters (where applicable), hiring packets, and background check requirements.
• Manage onboarding workflows including I‑9, tax documentation, direct deposit, employee access, and new employee orientation tracking.
• Initiate and track offboarding workflows for employees, adjunct faculty, and student workers.
• Ensure accurate student hiring through FRFs, HAFs, wage-hire classifications, and Workday setup.
• Maintain weekly hiring and transaction status reports for CEA leadership.
• Conduct monthly HR and payroll compliance audits including cost allocations, active/inactive positions, and pending transactions.
• Provide training and guidance to department administrators, chairs, and coordinators on Workday processes and personnel workflows.
• Maintain and update SOPs for hiring, onboarding, terminations, PAPs, and Workday routing.
• Liaise with HR, Payroll, and the Office of the Provost to resolve transactional issues and ensure timely processing.
• Serve as topic‑expert for Workday HR and Workday Finance functionality relevant to personnel transactions.
• Provide people‑data inputs to the Assistant Dean for reporting and planning (not financial analysis).
• Manage confidential personnel information in accordance with University policies.

Skills

Leadership

Policy interpretation

Cross-functional collaboration

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in finance/Business Administration or related field

Tools

Workday Financials

Workday HR

HR/Payroll systems

Procurement systems

Job description

The Talent Acquisition department hires qualified candidates to fill positions which contribute to the overall strategic success of Howard University. Hiring staff "for fit" makes significant contributions to Howard University's overall mission.

At Howard University, we prioritize well-being and professional growth.

Here is what we offer:

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus mental health support
• Work-Life Balance: PTO, paid holidays, flexible work arrangements
• Financial Wellness: Competitive salary, 403(b) with company match
• Professional Development: Ongoing training, tuition reimbursement, and career advancement paths
• Additional Perks: Wellness programs, commuter benefits, and a vibrant company culture

Join Howard University and thrive with us! https://hr.howard.edu/benefits-wellness

JOB PURPOSE:

The Senior People Operations Officer serves as the College's principal operational administrator for all HR-, payroll-, and hiring-related transactions. This role ensures the accuracy, compliance, and timely processing of personnel actions for faculty, staff, adjuncts, student employees, wage workers, and stipend-supported personnel. The incumbent functions as the College's primary point of coordination between CEA leadership, HR, Payroll, the Office of the Provost, and departmental administrators. This is not an HR strategic role; instead, it is a senior-level operational and transactional position responsible for end‑to‑end workflow execution, Workday processing, onboarding, offboarding, and compliance.

SUPERVISORY AUTHORITY:

Responsible for supervising the Budget Coordinator, Administrative III. Formally plans, assigns, directs, and evaluates work performed. Makes merit and promotion recommendations to the Dean and ensures professional development alignment with institutional expectations.

NATURE AND SCOPE:

The Senior People Operations Officer interacts daily with academic departments, program directors, faculty, HR Business Partners, the Budget Office, Payroll, and the Office of the Provost. The incumbent must exercise a high degree of accuracy and judgment in handling sensitive personnel information, navigating complex approval processes, and ensuring compliance with University policy, hiring standards, and audit expectations.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Serve as the College's senior Workday transaction specialist for all hires, job changes, faculty terminations, PAPs, compensation changes, funding changes, and academic appointments.
• Coordinate all job posting requests with HR Recruiting and ensure funding alignment prior to submission.
• Draft and monitor term sheets, offer letters (where applicable), hiring packets, and background check requirements.
• Manage onboarding workflows including I‑9, tax documentation, direct deposit, employee access, and new employee orientation tracking.
• Initiate and track offboarding workflows for employees, adjunct faculty, and student workers.
• Ensure accurate student hiring through FRFs, HAFs, wage-hire classifications, and Workday setup.
• Maintain weekly hiring and transaction status reports for CEA leadership.
• Conduct monthly HR and payroll compliance audits including cost allocations, active/inactive positions, and pending transactions.
• Provide training and guidance to department administrators, chairs, and coordinators on Workday processes and personnel workflows.
• Maintain and update standard operating procedures (SOPs) for hiring, onboarding, terminations, PAPs, and Workday routing.
• Liaise with HR, Payroll, and the Office of the Provost to resolve transactional issues and ensure timely processing.
• Serve as subject‑matter expert for Workday HR and Workday Finance functionality relevant to personnel transactions.
• Provide people‑data inputs to the Assistant Dean for reporting and planning (not financial analysis).
• Manage confidential personnel information in accordance with University policies.

CORE COMPETENCIES:

• Demonstrated ability to provide executive-level financial and operational guidance in a complex academic environment.
• Deep knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, accounting controls, and resource stewardship.
• Ability to interpret policy, influence adoption, and lead change with diplomacy and clarity in evolving systems.
• Ability to supervise, develop, mentor, and evaluate staff performance and ensure accountability.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to present complex financial and operational issues clearly.
• Skilled in Workday Financials, procurement systems, and advanced spreadsheet and reporting tools.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor's degree in finance, Business Administration, or related field (required)
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience working in higher‑education operations.
• Workday HR and Workday Finance familiarity.
• Experience working with academic departments.
• Administrative operations experience
• Proficiency in