People Operations Manager

What You'll Do - Own onboarding and offboarding end-to-end: offer letters, I-9 verification, background checks, tools provisioning, system access setup, HM coordination, 30/60/90 check-in process, and a clean, documented exit process every time - Run payroll operations - adding new employees, processing changes, troubleshooting issues, and ensuring every run is accurate and on time - Manage the benefits program day-to-day: open enrollment, carrier coordination, employee questions, a potential PEO migration, stipend maintenance, usage tracking, and feedback loops - Own people compliance across all active states: SOS registrations, unemployment insurance, quarterly and annual filings, employee records, handbook maintenance, and working fluency with tools like Mosey, Corpnet, and AbstractOps - Own employee engagement including pulse surveys, feedback initiatives, and sentiment tracking across a distributed team.

Surface themes to leadership and turn feedback into actionable improvements - Support performance management cycles: mid-year and end-of-year reviews, manager check-ins, scorecard coordination, and keeping feedback loops tight without adding unnecessary process - Coordinate and manage office gatherings, employer branding events, and more intimate team outings - Spearhead future office relocation efforts including broker relationships, touring spaces, coordinating buildouts, and ensuring seamless move-in processes - Administer equity in Carta, partnering with the CoS and Finance on option grants, termination processing, and cap table hygiene - Partner with COO and Recruiting Lead on headcount planning, leveling, and compensation frameworks - Partner with Recruiting Lead on candidate experience and recruiting operations including interview coordination, offer letter workflows, ATS hygiene, and keeping the recruiting-to-people handoff clean - Use AI tools actively to automate repetitive workflows, draft communications, and build more scalable processes - this is an expectation, not a nice-to-have What You'll Bring - 4+ years of experience in People Operations, HR Operations, or related program management roles - Experience at one or more scaling startups where you operated without a full HR team behind you - Hands-on fluency with the core People Ops toolset: Gusto or Rippling, Carta, PEOs such as Sequoia or equivalent, and compliance platforms like Vanta, Mosey, or AbstractOps - Ownership mentality: you've run a people ops or back-office function yourself, not just supported someone who did - Comfort operating across people, finance, and admin functions without needing clean lane boundaries - this role crosses all three - Clear, direct communicator who can navigate sensitive employee and manager conversations with judgment and empathy - Fluency with AI tools as a genuine part of your workflow. you use them to move faster, write better, and build processes that don't require headcount to scale Strong Candidates May Also... - Have supported or led a PEO migration - Have familiarity with federal contracting compliance from a people/HR perspective - Have worked with SOC 2 or similar security frameworks in a people ops context Don't Apply If... - You've only worked in large orgs with a full HR team. - You're a strategist who hands off execution.

At Kaizen, you define the process and then you run it. - You can't get excited about the mission. The agencies on our platform serve tens of millions of people. The infrastructure you build here matters to them. - You need a detailed ticket to know what to work on next - You get overwhelmed when the path forward isn't clear - You think AI tools are a productivity gimmick rather than a core part of how modern operators work What Kaizen Offers Health & Insurance - 100% coverage across the board: medical through Oxford/United (Gold and Platinum PPO plans), dental through Guardian PPO, and vision through Beam - all fully covered for employees, with 100% coverage for dependents. - $100,000 in fully paid life insurance.

FSA and Dependent Care FSA. - One Medical membership, on us - same-day primary care, 24/7 virtual visits, and offices all over the city. - Fertility and family-building support through Carrot. - 401(k) through Guideline, with a 2% company match. Family & Time Off - 16 weeks of fully paid parental leave for birthing parents.

10 weeks fully paid for non-birthing parents. - Unlimited PTO, with a two-week minimum (we mean it when we say take time off!) - Closed for all federal holidays. - Company-wide winter break the week of Christmas. - Company offsites throughout the year. Office & Remote Setup - Up to $750 one-time home office or desk setup stipend for NYC-based employees. $500 for remote employees. - $50/month commuter benefit (company contribution). - Expensed lunch while in the office. - Company-provided laptop of your choice.

Wellness - Fully covered gym membership at Grindhouse - right across the street from our office at 47 W 17th St (and in Williamsburg). A $225/month value, on us. For remote employees, $100/month dedicated to gym or physical fitness reimbursement.

Stipends - $100/month utility stipend. - $500/year professional development. - $250/year recreation. - $300/quarter pet care stipend.