People Operations Lead

Akina Pharmacy • Sterling, VA

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

At Akina Pharmacy, the shared purpose that drives us is to enrich the lives of the people in our care through compounded medications. As a people-first organization, we embrace the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to ensure our success by prioritizing the recruitment and development of exceptional talent. Joining Akina means stepping into an environment where clear communication, pragmatic decision-making, and accountability are at the forefront. We are committed to empowering our team members and fostering a culture of growth and support. If you are driven by a passion for making a meaningful impact and seek a vibrant, compassionate workplace, we invite you to discover the opportunities awaiting you at Akina Pharmacy. Together, let's build a healthier, happier community.

We are hiring our first People Operations Lead, reporting directly to the Chief People Officer, to own the operational engine of a scaling people function. You will own five core functions spanning compensation, data infrastructure, compliance, the full employee lifecycle, and PVT department operations, and you will be the person who makes sure all of it runs cleanly, accurately, and on time. You will work alongside a CPO who is building the people function the right way, with a clear tech stack, a strong foundation, and real investment in the person who sits in this seat. If you take pride in the details, find satisfaction in systems that run well, and understand that a high-functioning people operation is felt by every employee in the building, this role was built for you.

This position is open to remote candidates based on the East Coast, with occasional on-site presence required.

Requirements

• 5 to 8 years of HR or people operations experience in organizations with 50 or more employees, with demonstrated ownership of payroll, benefits administration, compliance, and HRIS management.
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.
• PHR or SHRM-CP preferred.
• Strong proficiency in at least one HRIS platform, including recordkeeping, reporting, and configuration, with comfort across payroll processing and benefits administration tools.
• Solid working knowledge of federal employment law including FLSA, FMLA, ADA, Title VII, and COBRA, with Virginia-specific compliance fluency and demonstrated ability to manage multi-state remote workforce obligations.
• High discretion in handling confidential information.

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting a workforce scaling through a period of significant growth
• Prior involvement in an HRIS implementation or system migration
• Familiarity with EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System)

Responsibilities

• Executes accurate, compliant, on-time payroll for every Akina employee and serves as the primary liaison with payroll and benefits vendors to ensure issues are resolved without disruption.
• Owns benefits program planning and administration, including annual renewal evaluation, plan design input, enrollment management, and all employee changes and terminations.
• Conducts regular compensation benchmarking and brings forward data-driven recommendations to the CPO to keep Akina's pay structures market-competitive and internally equitable.
• Manages the people tech stack and all employee records within it, ensuring platforms are configured correctly, data is complete and audit-ready, and systems reflect real-time employment status at all times.
• Owns the organization of the PVT shared drive, including templates and systems documentation, ensuring all materials are current, accessible, and consistently maintained.
• Produces and maintains people reporting and leadership dashboards, with data that is accurate and timely.
• Proactively monitors federal, Virginia, and multi-state employment law changes, assesses their impact on Akina, and brings forward recommended operational adjustments before deadlines, serving as the primary liaison with outside employment counsel as needed
• Owns the employee handbook and all HR policies, managing documentation, retention schedules, and updates to ensure every policy is current, legally sound, and consistently applied across the organization
• Executes all onboarding and offboarding workflows accurately and on time, ensuring every entry and exit is compliant, complete, and reflects a consistent Akina experience.
• Owns the performance cycle calendar and guides managers through quarterly conversations, anniversary reviews, 90-day probation checkpoints, and performance improvement processes from documentation through resolution
• Serves as the primary advisor for managers and employees on all people matters, including policies, benefits, leave, and employee relations, and owns the department inbox.
• Owns the documentation and continuous improvement of all people operations processes, building and maintaining a library of clear, current SOPs that allow the function to scale consistently as Akina grows.
• Manages all vendor relationships and external recruiter partnerships, owning day-to-day issue resolution, performance accountability, contract renewals, and new vendor sourcing and onboarding.
• Owns the department budget and expense tracking, maintaining accurate records and flagging variances to the CPO proactively.
• Coordinates Akina's company-wide meeting cadence and manages learning and development programs and culture initiatives, ensuring consistent execution quarter over quarter.

Benefits

• Medical and Supplementary Benefits: Akina Pharmacy offers two medical plan options with employer premium contributions up to 85%, dental and vision coverage, accident and hospital indemnity, and company paid long term and short-term disability options, available after 30 days of employment.
• Paid Time Off: Take advantage of generous paid time off to recharge, focus on personal priorities, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
• Paid Holidays: Enjoy six scheduled paid holidays to celebrate and spend quality time with loved ones.
• 401K Match: Invest in your future with our 401K plan, featuring a Safe Harbor match up to 4%.
• Rewards & Recognition: Be celebrated for your hard work and achievements through our dedicated rewards and recognition program.
• No Cost Medication: Employees are eligible to receive prescribed compounded medications at no cost, after 30 days of employment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level