Manager of People and Culture Operations

Position Title: Manager of People and Culture Operations

Reports To: Vice President People and Culture

Department: People and Culture (HR)

FLSA Status: Exempt

Position Purpose and Objectives

This role serves as a critical member of the People & Culture leadership team, providing oversight and strategic direction for multistate payroll, benefits administration, leave management, P&C information systems, unemployment, and compensation. The position also manages departmental budgeting, annual audits, key workforce metrics, onboarding processes, and all state, federal, and internal compliance requirements.

The role collaborates with internal leaders on cross-functional initiatives such as employee engagement surveys and wellness programs and is responsible for planning, developing, implementing, and administering comprehensive human resource programs across employment, compensation, benefits, and associate relations.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Lead and coach direct reports, ensuring accurate daily operations and adherence to regulatory requirements and ensure plans are administered in full compliance with regulatory standards.
• Ensure all Benefit Plans are accurately configured in the HCM system and oversee the annual open enrollment process.
• Participate in benefit plan selection by collaborating with the healthcare broker and guiding the team member responsible for building benefit data in the HCM system.
• Maintain ongoing communication with the healthcare broker to troubleshoot issues and support continuous plan administration.
• Serve as the administrator for Ceridian/Dayforce HCM, including troubleshooting, system configuration updates, and managing tasks and workflows across modules.
• Lead the annual 401(k) audit process and ensure timely and accurate submissions.
• Proactively analyze and improve People & Culture operational processes, recommending optimizations, standardization, and tool enhancements.
• Develop, implement, roll out, and audit People & Culture Operations policies and procedures.
• Partner with key stakeholders, including P&C Business Partners, Payroll, Legal, Talent Acquisition, Compliance, management, external auditors, Planning & Analysis and Benefits to ensure accurate employee data management.
• Oversee the onboarding process for all new hires as well as processing status change requests.
• Act as a subject matter expert on Dayforce, specifically in template management and P&C-related modules.
• Review offer letters and offer packages to ensure accuracy and consistency across the organization.
• Monitor, analyze, and report key People & Culture metrics on a regular basis.
• Ensure company-wide compliance with all state, federal, and internal employment laws and requirements, including I-9 and E-Verify, labor law postings, child labor certificates, EEO-1 reporting, ACA, 1095-C, PCORI 720, Medicare Part D, COBRA, benefits documentation, adverse action processes, and W-2 reporting.
• Maintain and update organizational charts across all sites.
• Lead the development of departmental business plans and annual budget preparation for People & Culture Operations.
• Research, benchmark, and recommend competitive compensation and incentive programs to support talent attraction and retention.
• Monitor and maintain internal P&C systems, including shared inboxes and databases.
• Review, approve, and adjust departmental budgets as needed.
• Oversee the benefits invoice audit process throughout the fiscal year to ensure accuracy and reconciliation.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Skills and Qualifications

• Professional Human Resources certification (PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP) preferred.
• Ten (10) or more years of progressive Human Resources experience, including exposure to payroll, benefits, compensation, compliance, and HRIS.
• Proven ability to exercise sound judgment and assess organizational risk while aligning decisions with business priorities.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly to diverse audiences.
• Strong critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
• Demonstrated expertise in multistate employment laws, regulatory compliance, and HR best practices.
• Experience managing and developing high-performing HR teams.
• Advanced proficiency with HCM/HRIS platforms (Dayforce preferred), including system configuration, data integrity, and reporting.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to lead initiatives, meet deadlines, and manage competing priorities.
• High level of integrity, confidentiality, and professional discretion.
• Ability to build strong cross-functional partnerships and influence at all organizational levels.
• Demonstrated ability to drive process improvements and implement scalable HR solutions.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel for data analysis and reporting.
• Successful completion of background check, motor vehicle check, and drug screen.

Competencies

Never- 0%, Occasionally- 1-33%, Frequently- 34-66%, Continuously- 67-100%

Physical Demands:

• Frequently - Carrying up to 50 lbs., pushing and pulling up to 25 lbs., lifting up to 50 lbs., climbing up to 14-foot height, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, handling and smelling.
• Frequently - Walking on tile/concrete, bending, feeling, and reaching waist/overhead level.
• Continuously - Standing on tile/concrete, talking, seeing, and hearing.

Other:

• Mostly regular and weekend hours, occasionally working evenings and holiday hours as needed.
• The working environment encompasses the inside of buildings with semi-controlled temperatures and outside conditions with varying weather and temperatures.

Other duties as assigned: Please note that this job description may not cover every duty or responsibility that might arise in the course of employment. Employees are expected to perform other duties as assigned, which may not be explicitly stated in this document. This job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees in this position. The duties and responsibilities outlined here are intended to provide an overview of the primary functions of the role, but they may change as the needs of the organization evolve.