People Operations Manager

Rocky Talkie•Denver, CO

2d•$100,000 - $120,000•Hybrid

About The Position

We're looking for a People Operations Manager who loves rolling up their sleeves, cares deeply about people and process, and wants to help build a company where great humans can do their best work as we scale. You'll be Rocky Talkie's sole HR professional. On any given day, that means answering a benefits question, scheduling interviews, and updating records in Gusto. It also means sitting with leadership to shape org design, compensation philosophy, and how we grow. You'll own the full people function: day-to-day people operations, recruiting and onboarding, employee relations and manager support, and culture and engagement. You'll be a trusted partner to leaders and teammates whenever people decisions need to be made. Rocky Talkie is a distributed company. We have offices in Denver and San Francisco, but much of our team works remotely. Day-to-day collaboration happens over video, Slack, and shared docs, with in-person time during office visits, leadership meetings, and our annual retreat. Ideally, you will enjoy the unique challenges of helping a remote-first team thrive.

Requirements

5+ years of hands-on HR or People Operations experience
Experience independently managing full-cycle recruiting, including ATS management, candidate communication, interview coordination, offers, and onboarding
Strong knowledge of multi-state employment law and HR best practices
Experience supporting managers and navigating employee relations, balancing empathy with accountability.
Comfortable working in a fast-growing, evolving environment

Nice To Haves

A track record as the sole or primary HR professional in a small or growing company, comfortable handling both day-to-day tasks and strategic work without a larger team behind you
Demonstrated success supporting a distributed or remote-first workforce, including building engagement, culture, and trust when most people aren't in the same room
International or EOR experience
Familiarity with Gusto, Workable, or similar HRIS, payroll, and ATS platforms
Experience supporting hourly and salaried employees
Background in outdoor, retail, consumer goods, or startup environments
Someone who genuinely loves building healthy teams

Responsibilities

Serve as the people voice in leadership conversations and advise the COO and leadership team on people opportunities and risks as we grow.
Partner with senior leadership to strengthen cross-functional teamwork
Build a practical people roadmap that fits a small, scaling company: right-sized policies, programs, and systems
Regularly assess our benefits offerings against team needs, market benchmarks, and budget, and recommend changes to leadership
Own employee lifecycle management from onboarding to offboarding
Own payroll and benefits administration in Gusto, partnering with Accounting to keep both accurate and on time
Manage HR systems (Gusto, benefits platforms, performance tools, etc.)
Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws across a team spread over multiple states
Support internationally based employees engaged through our Employer of Record (EOR) provider, partnering on onboarding, payroll, benefits, leave, employment changes, and offboarding
Maintain accurate employee records, documentation, and policies
Be the first point of contact for employee questions, concerns, and guidance, navigating sensitive situations with empathy, clarity, and consistency
Coach managers through performance conversations, feedback, and development plans
Run performance review cycles and ongoing feedback processes
Own the full recruiting lifecycle, from an approved opening through a new hire's first day
Partner with hiring managers to define needs, write job descriptions, design interview plans, and create a consistent, thoughtful candidate experience
Own our applicant tracking system: postings, pipelines, interview stages, communications, and documentation
Manage day-to-day recruiting logistics: reviewing and advancing candidates, scheduling interviews, collecting feedback, and keeping processes moving
Coordinate offers, pre-employment steps, and the transition from candidate to employee
Own an onboarding experience that leaves remote and in-office new hires alike feeling welcomed, prepared, and clear on expectations from day one
Support career development frameworks, learning opportunities, and internal growth
Bring Rocky Talkie's values to life through programs, rituals, and communication that work for a distributed team
Lead and plan company retreats, team gatherings, and culture initiatives, including Camp Rocky Talkie Summer Jam
Keep a pulse on team engagement and morale, and help turn insights into action
Contribute to internal communications that feel human, clear, and on-brand