People Operations Associate

GoodVets • Chicago, IL

1d • $90,000 - $100,000

About The Position

We are looking for a People Operations Associate to support the day-to-day execution of our people operations function. This role will play a key part in ensuring our employee experience runs smoothly — from onboarding through ongoing employment — while helping us build more scalable systems as we grow. This role is ideal for someone with a few years of experience in HR, finance, or a related operational role who is highly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable working in a fast-paced, evolving environment. You will own and support core processes across HRIS, payroll, benefits, and employee support, while also helping drive consistency and accountability across policies and people practices. This role is foundational to how we support our teams. As we grow, having strong, consistent, and scalable people operations is critical to both employee experience and business performance. You will play a key role in ensuring our systems, processes, and support structures keep pace with our growth, including:

Requirements

• 2–4 years of experience in HR, people operations, payroll, finance, or similar operational roles
• Strong attention to detail and high level of accuracy in execution
• Experience working with HR systems (HRIS) and/or payroll systems (Paycor experience a plus)
• Comfortable working with data and using it to inform decisions and improve processes
• Strong proficiency in Excel (comfortable with formulas, data validation, and basic reporting)
• Ability to manage multiple processes and priorities simultaneously
• Ability to work through ambiguity and incomplete information
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills
• Clear and professional communication skills
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, evolving environment
• Demonstrated ability to identify issues and propose solutions, not just execute tasks

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting multi-state payroll or leave management
• Experience in a high-growth or multi-site organization
• Advanced Excel skills (lookups, pivot tables, basic modeling/reporting)
• Familiarity with HR compliance requirements (leave laws, accommodations, etc.)
• Experience working with benefits vendors and brokers
• Process improvement mindset — not just executing, but making things better
• Experience in a fast-paced, evolving environment where structure is still being built
• Strong ownership mindset — sees things through end-to-end without heavy oversight

Responsibilities

• Executing core people operations processes with a high level of accuracy and accountability, including running bi-weekly payroll
• Responding to employee inquiries and provide clear, helpful guidance
• Maintaining strong attention to detail across systems, payroll inputs, and documentation
• Building and maintaining reports (primarily in Excel) to support payroll, headcount tracking, and people insights
• Partnering with HR and business leaders to ensure smooth execution of people processes
• Identifying gaps or inefficiencies in current processes and improving them
• Supporting audits, compliance efforts, and documentation standards
• Scaling people operations infrastructure as the company grows
• Maintain and update employee data in HR systems (e.g., Paycor)
• Ensure accuracy of employee records, job changes, and organizational data
• Support reporting and data requests across HR and business teams
• Ensure accurate and timely payroll processing
• Support audits, data validation, and issue resolution
• Help improve payroll processes as we scale
• Manage employee leave processes (FMLA, state leave, personal leave, etc.)
• Support accommodation requests and ensure compliance with applicable laws
• Serve as a point of contact for employees navigating leave or accommodations
• Support benefits enrollment, changes, and employee questions
• Partner with brokers/vendors to resolve issues
• Help ensure employees understand and can access their benefits
• Serve as a resource for employee questions related to policies, systems, and processes
• Help ensure consistent application of policies and handbook guidelines
• Support onboarding and offboarding processes
• Assist with documentation and employee records management

Benefits

• Competitive base salary plus annual performance bonus
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Unlimited Paid Time Off
• Friendly employee discounts on veterinary services and products
• Gym membership
• A collaborative, mission-driven culture focused on leadership, growth, and results

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees