Senior Manager Human Resources Operations

About Our Organization

Youth Guidance creates and implements school-based programs that enable children to overcome obstacles, focus on their education, and ultimately, to succeed in school and in life. We believe that no matter what challenges a young person faces, they are more likely to succeed when they have caring adults in their lives. Our highly trained staff guides kids to overcome the life and academic challenges facing the youth. We meet kids where they are — physically and emotionally — to help them focus on their education, make positive choices, and remain on the right path toward life success.

Founded in 1924 and celebrating 100 years of impact this year, Youth Guidance is a leading provider of outcomes-driven programs serving more than 18,000 youth around the country. For more information, visit

Position Summary:
The Senior Manager of HR Operations role provides a blend of strategic leadership and hands-on management to ensure the alignment of key HR functions with business objectives. This role oversees payroll, benefits, employee relations/satisfaction, and HR risk/compliance. This role drives the resolution of complex employee issues, ensures compliance with employment laws, and aligns operations with organizational goals, consulting the Chief Risk Officer and General Counsel as needed. By leveraging data-driven insights, dashboards, and metrics, the Senior Manager of HR Operations drives proactive decision-making, risk mitigation, process improvements, and an enhanced employee experience.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership & Strategy

• Lead daily operations across payroll, benefits, and HR functions, ensuring accuracy, efficiency, and compliance.
• Develop, implement, document, and monitor policies, procedures, and systems that enhance operational effectiveness and workforce support.
• Design and execute strategic initiatives that drive organizational growth, employee engagement, and compliance.
• Design and operationalize the strategic approach, dashboard, and metrics for the HR Operations division.

Payroll & Benefits Administration

• Oversee payroll processing to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with all federal, state, and local requirements.
• Partner with Finance on reconciliations, audits, and reporting requirements,
• and
• maintaining strong internal controls.
• Direct the administration of employee benefits programs, optimizing offerings in collaboration with vendors and brokers while monitoring compliance with ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, and other regulations.

Employee Relations & Compliance

• Lead the design and execution of Employee Relations strategies, programs, and dashboards to track trends in grievances, investigations, turnover, and engagement.
• Manage investigations, disciplinary processes, and performance management in partnership with the Manager of Employee Experience, HR Business Partners, and leadership.
• Conduct Tier 3 investigations and support Tier 2 investigations with best practices and oversight.
• Initiates and coordinates processes to track and meet HR compliance requirements
• Submits timely reports on HR compliance to the appropriate party
• as appropriate.
• Oversee policy updates, and handbook revisions, ensuring compliance with employment laws and regulatory requirements.
• Stay current on employment law, HR trends, and best practices, providing training and guidance to leadership and staff on compliance, conflict resolution, and employee engagement.
• Partner with the Chief People Officer in leading the Council of Accreditation (COA) process adhering to all HR standards at the highest level.

Team Management & Development

• Supervise, coach, and develop staff, fostering growth, accountability, and high performance.
• Build a collaborative and service-focused culture that aligns with organizational values.
• Collaborate with the Training & Development team to design and deliver training programs for managers and leaders across HR Operations
• areas

Risk Management, Reporting & Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead audits and risk management initiatives related to payroll, benefits, and HR operations.
• Prepare and present reports to executive leadership, the board of directors, and external stakeholders as needed.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with legal, compliance, finance, and program leaders to ensure data accuracy, compliance, and operational excellence.
• Other duties as assigned

Education/Experience/Training

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources or related field. A Master's degree is preferred.
• HRCI or SHRM certified preferred
• Data-driven & analytical
• 8+ years of overall business experience including HR and operations management (minimum of 4 – 8 years HR experience required; experience overseeing payroll and benefits, non-profit experience preferred)
• Demonstrated experience in employee relations within an academic or unionized educational environment is preferred.
• Experience with BambooHR, Paycom, or similar HRIS operations
• Strong knowledge of payroll systems, HRIS platforms, and benefits administration.
• Proven track record of building and leading high-performing teams.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and organizational skills.
• Strong knowledge of compliance requirements (FLSA, ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, COBRA).

Skills/Abilities

• Proven ability to lead, motivate, and develop high-performing teams in multi-state operations; cultivates a team-oriented culture focused on accountability, results, and engagement.
• Experience in strategic planning, organizational design, and leading change initiatives to adapt to evolving economic, political, and cultural conditions.
• Skilled at implementing new business capabilities and guiding organizations through cultural and process changes.
• In-depth knowledge of human resources practices, government contractor standards, employment law, and compliance regulations (FLSA, ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, COBRA). Strong background in workplace investigations, employee relations, and best practices.
• Advanced knowledge of payroll processes, tax regulations, and wage and hour laws; skilled in benefits program management including health, retirement, leave, and wellness plans.
• Strong consulting, coaching, and conflict-resolution abilities with the capacity to influence and build trust at all organizational levels.
• High analytical acumen with experience using data and metrics to drive strategic and operational decisions; adept at identifying trends and developing scalable solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement efficient processes, manage competing priorities, and deliver operational improvements across teams and systems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to convey complex information clearly and build productive relationships with cross-functional teams, vendors, auditors, and external partners.
• Proficient with HRIS, payroll systems, and Microsoft Office Suite, with the ability to learn and adapt to new technologies.
• Highly ethical with strong judgment; proven ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion while championing inclusion, diversity, equity, and belonging (DEIB).
• Commitment to fostering a positive workplace culture centered on continuous improvement, engagement, and organizational excellence
  .

Leadership Core Competencies

• Continuous improvement-minded:
  Takes initiative to identify and execute strategies and processes to continuously improve one's leadership to strengthen organization's overall impact.
• Develops and motivates others:
  Motivates others and supports their development through strong coaching and mentoring. Effectively stewards self and others through both small and large scale
• change
  .
• External representation and relationship building:
  Represents the organization among external stakeholders, and builds strong, trusting relationships with stakeholders
• Leads with vision:
  Has an inspiring vision for the future of the organization, beyond the status quo, and communicates it effectively; leads with courage and willingness to take risks in service of impact
• Manages with data:
  Understands data; analyzes data and identifies insights and implications
• Strategic thinking and resource management:
  Considers the future of the organization proactively and responsively; weighs diverse inputs to inform strategies; identifies innovative opportunities when relevant; makes and communicates decisions that effectively balance tradeoffs between financial sustainability and impact
• Team building:
  Builds strong relationships with teams and colleagues; fosters effective teams and collaborative interactions

Benefits

Youth Guidance offers a competitive benefit package for eligible full-time employees including the option to participate in medical, dental, and vision plans as well as short-term disability, life insurance, flex spending accounts, pet insurance, 401k, a wellness program and more. You may also quality for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).