Senior Manager, People Operations

Position: Senior Manager, People Operations

FLSA Status: Exempt

Location: Remote in CA, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, MD, MA, MI, MN, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI

Salary Range: $100,000-$115,000

Genesys Works (GW) is a national leader in providing pathways to career success for high school students in underserved communities through skills training, meaningful work experiences, and impactful relationships. Currently in 8 cities across the country, we are positioning ourselves for future growth and have an exciting opportunity for a strategic leader to join the GW National team as a Senior Manager, People Operations.

Reporting to the Director of People & Culture and managing the People Operations Specialist, the Senior Manager, People Operations plays a critical role in ensuring the smooth functioning of people processes and systems across GW National and its 8 sites. This role is responsible for managing core people operations—including compliance management, employee life cycle management, HRIS management, benefits administration, site support, employee relations, policy development, and payroll support—while being a critical contributor to broader People & Culture initiatives in partnership with the Director of People & Culture, Manager of People & Culture, and other key stakeholders.

The ideal candidate is a people-centered HR expert who excels at creating meaningful employee experiences through clear, consistent processes, thoughtful communication, and culture-driven initiatives. This leader is equally comfortable with big-picture planning and day-to-day execution, bringing a hands-on approach to improving systems, streamlining operations, and strengthening compliance across a complex, multi-site organization.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Own and execute initiatives and processes that foster meaningful employee life-cycle experience, from hiring, onboarding, leave of absence, to offboarding workflows.
• Build reliable relationships and reputation with staff and sites to support People Operations needs and inform People & Culture initiatives, such as quarterly People Operations trainings.
• Own the overall talent acquisition strategy, managing the full recruitment life cycle, developing a robust employer branding strategy, and incorporating progressive assessment practices in partnership with the Manager, People & Culture such as Predictive Index assessments.
• Partner with Finance/Payroll to process bi-weekly payroll for approximately 160 FTE accurately and on time, compliant with wage and hour laws, including wage garnishments and payroll adjustments.
• Partner cross-functionally with Finance, IT, and Site Leaders to align on operational protocols, data systems, and reporting standards that drive consistency and enhance team-level service delivery.
• Coach supervisors on managing performance development and fostering accountability practices to address performance concerns.
• Development progressive organizational and employment policies, maintaining and enforcing Genesys Works' employee handbooks.
• Maintain and govern HRIS platforms including GoCo, SharePoint, KnowBe4 (LMS), and Salesforce, overseeing systems access, efficiency, documentation, data integrity, and process continuity.
• Oversee the employee benefits experience, including broker/carrier partnership management, resolution of employee issues, and keeping Genesys Works up to date on the latest progressive benefit practices and initiatives.
• Execute and maintain compensation systems (PayScale and internal pay structures) and processes including benchmarking, organizational review, and internal equity analysis.
• Leverage People data to understand and inform People needs, initiatives, process improvement, budgeting, and equity gaps.

• Manage timely response and execution of site and staff requests including hiring requisitions, compensation benchmarking, offer letters, data reporting, and processing of employee changes (pay adjustments, promotions, bonuses, etc.).
• Advise managers on employee relations, handbook policy application, and workforce planning and staffing strategies.
• Analyze feedback from onboarding surveys, exit interviews, and other feedback to inform process improvements, manager practices, and retention strategies.
• Provide backup support to sites during peak periods or for urgent matters, including intern bulk onboarding, and operational case response.
• Develop and deliver internal communications, including newsletters, campaigns, and employee resources to foster transparency and connection.

• Be Genesys Works' subject matter expert on federal and local HR compliance requirements and policy development, employment laws, leave laws, internal standards, and data privacy regulations (e.g., HIPAA, PII).
• Lead regulatory reporting and audits (e.g., EEO-1, I-9, BLS, ACA, LOA, NDT, PTO) and manage agency correspondence.
• Handle sensitive HR matters, including employee investigations, mediation/conflict resolution, and performance-related cases (PIP execution).
• Partner with legal counsel and Finance to monitor regulatory changes, mitigate risk, and maintain strong internal controls.
• Collaborate with the Director of People & Culture to interpret and communicate People policy changes.

Qualifications and Experience

• 7+ years of progressive experience in HR, operations, payroll, compliance, employee relations, and systems management.
• 3+ years in a supervisory or managerial capacity.
• Commitment to Genesys Works' mission and values.
• Maintains a high level of confidentiality and exercise discretion when handling sensitive information
• Demonstrated experience overseeing payroll & compliance with multi-state wage and hour laws, including garnishments, tax filings, and benefits-related payroll adjustments, preferably in collaboration with Finance and third-party vendors.
• Strong knowledge of employment law, payroll tax compliance, HR policies, and related risk management frameworks.
• Strong communication, continuous improvement, and growth mindset.
• Hands-on experience with HRIS platforms and payroll systems (GoCo) and proficiency in generating and analyzing payroll and HR reports.
• Proven ability to coach and supervise, ensuring efficiency, accuracy, equity, and compliance.
• Familiarity with Salesforce or similar case management tools, preferred.
• Experience in a national or multi-site nonprofit or mission-driven organization, preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources or a related field, preferred.

Compensation

In our quest to be a nonprofit employer of choice, we offer:

• Competitive compensation commensurate with experience and qualifications
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Company-paid life and disability insurance
• Generous paid time off policy, (10) company paid holidays, and "Soft Close" between Christmas and New Year's
• 403(b) retirement savings plan with company match
• Communications allowance
• Focus Fridays and Flexible work arrangements

Our Commitment to People

Genesys Works is an equal opportunity employer who is committed to fostering an equitable, inclusive, and respectful workplace where all individuals feel valued and empowered. It starts with our talented candidates. We celebrate diversity in all its forms and seek to recruit, support, and retain talent that reflects the culturally diverse communities we serve. Discrimination or harassment of any kind has no place here.