Senior Manager, People Operations

Senior Manager, People Operations

Final date to receive applications: 7 October 2026

Department: People & Culture

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: British Columbia, Canada (Hybrid)

Compensation: CA $140,800 - CA $193,600 / year

At Photonic, we're building the future of quantum computing. Behind every scientific breakthrough is a team of exceptional people, and as we continue to grow, we're equally committed to building the people infrastructure that will enable our next stage of scale.

We're seeking an experienced and ambitious Senior Manager, People Operations to help shape the future of how we work. Reporting directly to the VP, Human Resources, this role offers a unique opportunity to build, influence, and scale.

You'll help design the people systems, programs, and operational foundations that support a rapidly growing global workforce. You'll partner with leaders across the organization to translate business priorities into scalable people solutions. Most importantly, you'll help create an employee experience that allows world-class talent to do the best work of their careers.

This is more than a People Operations role. It’s an opportunity to build the foundation of a company shaping one of the most exciting frontiers in technology.

• Lead the evolution of People Operations at Photonic, creating the frameworks, processes, and programs that will support the company through its next phase of growth.
• Design and implement scalable, repeatable People Operations practices that improve efficiency, create consistency, and elevate the employee experience across the organization.
• Establish operational excellence through documentation, governance models, playbooks, and service standards that create clarity and accountability.
• Develop service level agreements and success metrics that define what exceptional People Operations looks like and continuously improve performance against those standards.
• Stay connected to the day-to-day realities of the business, balancing strategic thinking with a willingness to roll up your sleeves when needed.

• Partner closely with senior leaders across Human Resources, Finance, Operations, Facilities, IT, and Legal to align people initiatives with business objectives and growth priorities.
• Bring thoughtful analysis, workforce insights, and practical recommendations that inform leadership decisions related to organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, compensation, and employee experience.
• Act as a trusted advisor and thought partner, helping leaders navigate change while balancing employee needs with business goals.
• Use data and operational insights to identify trends, opportunities, and risks, translating information into actionable solutions that support organizational success.

• Lead and continuously enhance Photonic's compensation programs, ensuring they remain competitive, equitable, and aligned with our compensation philosophy.
• Drive the annual compensation review process and help leaders make informed, consistent compensation decisions.
• Create scalable compensation governance, documentation, and approval frameworks that support continued company growth.
• Leverage market data and benchmarking to ensure our compensation programs help attract and retain exceptional talent globally.

• Design, implement, and maintain people policies that support employees across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and future international markets.
• Create frameworks that balance local legislative requirements with a consistent and meaningful employee experience globally.
• Partner with Legal and business leaders to proactively address compliance requirements while ensuring policies remain practical, clear, and people-centered.
• Build resources and guidance that empower leaders to make confident and consistent decisions.

• Own the strategy, implementation, and optimization of HR systems and tools that support a growing, globally distributed workforce.
• Ensure systems are designed to deliver accurate data, seamless workflows, actionable reporting, and exceptional employee experiences.
• Evaluate and implement new technologies that improve efficiency and enable scale as organizational needs evolve.
• Lead system implementations, upgrades, integrations, vendor partnerships, and renewals.
• Champion data quality, reporting excellence, and…