Senior Manager People Operations

We're hiring a Senior Manager, People Operations to own the operational backbone of the People & Culture function.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who has built and run people operations in complex, multi-jurisdictional environments, with strong expertise in payroll, benefits, and HRIS.

This is not a coordination or data-entry role. The candidate should have genuine working expertise in US employer-sponsored health plans and be able to own payroll and benefits outcomes end-to-end.

The role is based in Pune, India and operates on US business hours to support the North American employee population.

What You'll Own

1. Payroll

• Own end-to-end US payroll processing (semi-monthly) for 300+ employees across multiple states.
• Ensure payroll accuracy, timeliness, and compliance.
• Own end-to-end Canadian payroll operations across multiple provinces, including Quebec.
• Manage state and local payroll taxes and filings.
• Create accounts in new states, file reports, make payments, and set up TPAs where applicable.
• Lead remediation and maintenance of multi-state payroll tax registrations.
• Identify and resolve tax ID gaps in Rippling.
• Process annual US and Canadian federal filings including W-2, 1099, and T4.
• Partner with Finance on payroll accounting, GL reconciliation, and audit readiness.
• Stay current on federal, state/provincial, and local payroll compliance changes.

2. Benefits Administration

• Own US benefits administration including:
• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• FSA/HSA
• 401(k)
• Life and ancillary benefits
• Manage open enrollment end-to-end.
• Coordinate with carriers and configure benefits in Rippling.
• Ensure payroll deductions match carrier invoices and effective dates.
• Manage onboarding, offboarding, and LOA-related benefits changes.
• Coordinate leaves of absence and maintain accurate records in Rippling.
• Lead broker relationships and act as primary contact for carriers and TPAs.
• Ensure ACA compliance, reporting, and filing (1094-C/1095-C).
• Support Canada benefits strategy and coordinate India ancillary benefits with the Pune HR team.

3. People Operations & Compliance

• Directly manage and develop 2 People Operations team members.
• Set priorities, build team capability, and create a high-performing team culture.
• Develop and maintain HR policies across US and Canada.
• Ensure compliance with applicable employment laws.
• Support BYOD compliance, records retention, and HR audit readiness across US, Canada, and India.
• Manage:
• Unemployment claims
• FMLA
• State leaves
• Parental leave
• Workers compensation programs
• Work US business hours from Pune — this is a firm requirement.

4. HRIS – Rippling

Rippling experience is preferred but not mandatory if the candidate has built, configured, and maintained a comparable HRIS.

Experience limited to a PEO/EOR or coordinating between separate payroll, tax, and benefits teams is not considered a substitute.

Responsibilities include:

• Act as system owner and SME for Rippling across:
• Payroll
• Benefits
• PTO
• Headcount
• Integrations
• Own data integrity, configuration, workflows, and role-based access.
• Lead HRIS optimization and automation initiatives.
• Improve employee self-service and reduce manual processes.
• Manage the Rippling-to-Intacct integration.
• Escalate and resolve issues with vendor support.
• Partner with Finance and IT on system governance, data validation, and new module rollouts.

What You Bring

Mandatory / Core Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in People Operations, HR Operations, or an equivalent function.
• Demonstrated ownership of payroll and benefits, not merely advisory or coordination experience.
• Hands-on payroll processing experience in:
• US – multi-state
• Canada – multi-province
• US and Canadian payroll experience is a hard requirement.
• Hands-on experience administering US health plans.
• Strong knowledge of:
• US payroll tax compliance
• ACA
• ERISA
• COBRA
• Canadian payroll
• Canadian employment standards
• Deep Rippling expertise or equivalent HRIS experience.
• Ability to configure, troubleshoot, and train others on HRIS.
• Prior people-management experience with direct reports.
• Experience working in a PE-backed, high-growth, or scaling SaaS environment.
• Strong attention to detail and system-level thinking.
• Strong communication skills with Finance, Legal, and executive stakeholders.
• Builder mentality — ability to identify gaps, propose solutions, and execute independently.
• Quebec-specific experience is a meaningful plus, including Law 25, CNESST, and provincial payroll requirements.

Nice to Have

• India payroll or HR coordination experience, particularly Pune/Maharashtra.
• Familiarity with SR&ED tax credits or Canadian R&D incentive programs.
• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) or equivalent certification.
• Experience with equity/stock plan administration or MIP/bonus program operationalization.
• Experience managing an RPO or staffing partner relationship.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in:
• Human Resources
• Business Administration
• Finance/Accounting
• Or a related field.