Zello Senior People Operations Specialist at Zello to own operational foundation of People function including payroll, benefits, HRIS, compliance, and employee lifecycle. Responsible for building scalable processes and improving employee experience.
Responsibilities
Run reliable People operations: Own semi-monthly multi-state payroll, benefits and 401(k) administration, leaves of absence, HRIS administration, and employee lifecycle processes with strong accuracy and controls.
Build smarter systems: Own HRIS workflows, configuration, reporting, and data integrity. Use AI and automation to streamline processes while maintaining appropriate checks for accuracy and confidentiality.
Manage compliance and operational risk: Coordinate state employment registrations, filings, I-9/E-Verify, immigration cases with outside counsel, and international employment administration. Anticipate issues, maintain accurate records, and resolve problems at the root cause.
Drive our HRIS evolution: Help evaluate, select, and implement our next HRIS/payroll platform, building project plans, managing milestones, and coordinating with Finance, IT, and external partners.
Elevate the employee experience: Partner with Recruiting, IT, and managers to improve onboarding, simplify employee-facing processes, and make People information easier to find and use.
Support People programs: Manage the operational execution of performance reviews, compensation cycles, and other recurring People initiatives.
Own outcomes, not just tasks: Independently establish priorities, anticipate risks, bring recommendations, and drive initiatives through completion without waiting for direction.
Qualification
An experienced operational ownerAnalytical and detail-orientedNaturally proactiveSystems-minded and AI-forwardPragmatic and adaptableEnergized by growthThis Role Is NotAn HR business partner roleA people management roleA remote roleA keep-the-lights-on roleExperience coordinating immigration
Required
An experienced operational owner. You bring meaningful hands-on People Operations experience, including independently managing multi-state U.S. payroll, benefits, and HR systems.
Analytical and detail-oriented. You are comfortable with spreadsheets, reconciliations, and complex data. You establish controls that catch errors before they impact employees and take accountability for resolving issues.
Naturally proactive. You don't wait for someone to establish every next step. You build plans, anticipate challenges, and bring thoughtful solutions and recommendations.
Systems-minded and AI-forward. You've improved or automated recurring processes and are excited to use technology to make work more effective. You know when to trust automation and when to validate the output.
Pragmatic and adaptable. You understand the importance of compliance but can navigate ambiguity, balance competing priorities, and exercise sound judgment.
Energized by growth. You genuinely enjoy hands-on People Operations and thrive in an environment where you can improve existing processes and build what comes next.
This Role Is Not
An HR business partner role. Manager coaching and employee relations sit with the VP of People, though there's room to grow into that work.
A people management role. This is an individual contributor seat.
A remote role. We work together in our Austin office four days a week.
A keep-the-lights-on role. You'll be expected to rebuild processes, not just run them.
Preferred
Experience leading an HRIS or payroll implementation.
Experience coordinating immigration, international employment, or complex leaves.
Experience building AI-enabled workflows or employee self-service tools.
Experience improving onboarding or employee programs.
Experience in a startup or scale-up environment.
What Makes This Role Different
Real ownership: You'll have the autonomy to improve how our People function operates, not simply maintain existing processes.
Meaningful impact: You'll work directly with our VP of People and influence systems and experiences that touch every employee at Zello.
