People Operations Manager

Airco • New Britain, PA

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

AIRCO develops advanced technologies for energy security and global resiliency, making drop-in e-fuels for transportation. The company's modular MAD Fuel System™ produces fuels using proprietary catalysts, compact hardware, and local power. Led by co-founder and CEO Gregory Constantine, AIRCO has secured government contracts from agencies like the U.S. Department of War, NASA, and the Department of Energy (DoE), and has partnerships with In-Q-Tel, GE Aerospace, Toyota Ventures, Virgin Atlantic, JetBlue, and Alaska Airlines. This role is for a People Operations Manager to join the People & Culture team at AIRCO's New Britain, Pennsylvania site. It is a hands-on position responsible for daily People operations, including payroll, benefits, HRIS, recruiting operations, employee lifecycle management, compliance, and performance administration. The role reports to the VP, People & Culture and collaborates with Finance, IT, EHS, Legal, and business leaders. The ideal candidate will be adept at building reliable systems, problem-solving, process improvement, and delivering a strong employee experience throughout the employee lifecycle. This is a full-time position based in New Britain, Pennsylvania, requiring three days per week in-person.

Requirements

• 6+ years of progressive experience in People Operations or HR, including hands-on, end-to-end ownership of payroll, benefits and core employee lifecycle processes.
• Experience supporting multi-state employee populations and managing multi-state payroll.
• Strong working knowledge of an HRIS and payroll platform such as ADP Workforce Now, Rippling, BambooHR or similar.
• Experience with an ATS such as Greenhouse.
• Strong understanding of U.S. employment compliance and good judgment around when to involve counsel.
• Strong analytical, organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage recurring processes and time-sensitive work accurately.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and a service-oriented approach to supporting employees and managers.
• A builder's mindset: you improve the process rather than repeatedly solving the same problem.
• Availability to work in person three days per week in New Britain, Pennsylvania.
• Employment in this position is conditioned on the candidate’s ability to obtain and maintain appropriate government authorization to access technology or information, to the extent required, including without limitation a security clearance, export license, or other documentation required to establish authorization to receive access to such items technology or information.

Nice To Haves

• Startup or growth-stage experience.
• Manufacturing, operations or EHS-heavy workforce experience.
• Experience leading an HRIS implementation or migration.
• Exposure to employment-based immigration.
• Experience using AI or automation in People Operations.
• PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP certification.

Responsibilities

• Own accurate, on-time multi-state payroll and benefits administration, including medical, dental, vision and retirement plans, open enrollment, employee changes, audits, reconciliations, vendor management and employee support.
• Own the HRIS and related People systems, integrations and employee data. Lead system improvements, vendor evaluations and implementations, and maintain clear standard operating procedures and recurring People calendars to support continuity and compliance.
• Run the operational side of recruiting in Greenhouse, including interview coordination, candidate workflows, offers, background checks and onboarding handoffs, partnering with hiring managers across corporate, engineering and operations roles.
• Own onboarding, offboarding, employee records, leave administration and other core employee processes, partnering with IT, Facilities, EHS and managers to ensure a smooth employee experience.
• Run the operational administration of check-ins, performance reviews, goals, ratings, promotions and compensation cycles, including system setup, communications, tracking and reporting.
• Support the VP, People & Culture and managers with employee relations and performance matters, escalating complex or higher-risk issues as appropriate.
• Maintain compliance across federal, state and local requirements, including I-9s, leave, workers' compensation, required training, employment records and recurring compliance deadlines.
• Coordinate employment-based immigration matters with outside counsel and manage key deadlines.
• Provide leadership with reporting and analysis on headcount, turnover, hiring, compensation and benefits, and support compensation decisions and workforce planning.
• Maintain People policies and the employee handbook, write clear communications for employees and managers, and identify opportunities to use AI and automation to reduce manual work and improve People processes.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Health Benefits: Full coverage for employee base premiums on health, dental and vision insurance. 70% coverage for spouse and dependent base premiums.
• Health Savings & Flexibility: Access company-sponsored HSA and FSA accounts.
• Income Protection & Insurance: Company-paid Short-Term Disability insurance. Optional Long-Term Disability and Life Insurance plans.
• Time Off & Leave: Flexible and generous paid time off, with opportunities to carry over unused PTO. Paid family leave.
• Retirement Savings: Tax-deferred 401(k) plan with a 3% company match.
• Lifestyle & Commuter Benefits: Monthly Lifestyle Spending Account for eligible work-from-home and commuting expenses. Pre-Tax Commuter Benefits through Navia.
• Additional Perks: Ancillary benefits through Sequoia, including pet insurance and financial wellness programs. Employee wellness program inclusive of Wellhub and One Medical. Company-sponsored events and programs. Weekly company-funded meal stipend.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed