Sr Benefits & People Operations Manager

Sr Benefits & People Operations Manager

Austin, TX

As our Sr Benefits & People Operations Manager you will own the programs and systems that keep our people supported and our company protected: benefits, leave of absence, HRIS, and multi-state compliance. Our ideal candidate is continuously improving the operating systems behind People & Culture by identifying inefficiencies, redesigning workflows, leveraging AI and automation, and building scalable processes that reduce manual work while improving the employee experience.

This is a deep-expertise role, not a generalist role: you'll operate autonomously within your domains, partner directly with the VP of People & Culture, and be the company's go-to authority on the moments that matter most in an employee's life.

• Own the full benefits lifecycle: renewal analysis and negotiation alongside our broker, plan design recommendations, open enrollment from communication through reconciliation, and day-to-day administration including invoice auditing and carrier escalations
• Administer leave of absence end to end across federal and state programs — FMLA plus state paid family and medical leave in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Washington — along with disability coordination and the ADA interactive process
• Own the HRIS as our people system of record (data integrity, workflows, integrations, and reporting) and serve as P&C's payroll partner to Finance, ensuring new hires, changes, and terminations flow accurately and on time
• Run the multi-state compliance calendar across all states (registrations, required notices and postings, EEO-1 and ACA reporting, policy updates, workers' compensation, and unemployment claims), proactively identifying compliance risks, evaluating tradeoffs, and recommending solutions to keep the company audit-ready
• Manage our vendor ecosystem (benefits broker, carriers, leave and COBRA administrators, wellness programs, HRIS) — holding partners accountable on service and cost, and bringing recommendations, not just problems
• Own the operational backbone of the employee experience: onboarding and offboarding workflows, including background checks and I-9 administration, and new hire orientation delivery
• Put AI and new technology to work across people operations — automating recurring workflows, sharpening reporting, and continuously finding ways to run benefits, leave, and compliance leaner and better
• Handle the company's most sensitive information with absolute discretion, and escalate risks with a recommendation attached
• Pitch in beyond your lane: we're a lean People & Culture team, and we help each other succeed. Everyone flexes to cover what the moment needs, from a big event week to an all-hands-on-deck deadline

• 7+ years of progressive experience in benefits and people operations, with hands-on ownership of benefits administration and leave management as your core craft
• Demonstrated multi-state compliance experience, including direct administration of state paid leave programs (e.g., California, New York, Massachusetts, or Washington)
• HRIS administration experience where you've been the system owner, not just a user
• A track record of managing brokers, carriers, and vendors as an informed, demanding partner
• The ability to translate regulation into plain language for employees and into risk-weighted recommendations for leadership
• The judgment and autonomy to operate as a department of one within your domains — you own outcomes, not tasks
• You actually use AI and reach for tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Zapier to automate the repetitive and sharpen your work. Experience matters less than curiosity and a knack for figuring things out
• Reside in Austin, Texas, and be willing to work from the office 1–2 days per week

• CEBS, SHRM-CP/SCP, or PHR/SPHR certification
• Experience supporting an HR audit, M&A due diligence, or a benefits platform/vendor transition
• Experience building or professionalizing people operations on a lean team in a high-growth environment
• Experience with UKG

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