People Operations Manager

Rocky Talkie•Denver, CO

1d•Remote

About The Position

Rocky Talkie is seeking a hands-on People Operations Manager to own the company’s full people function as it grows. This is the company’s sole HR professional, balancing day-to-day operations with strategic partnership on organizational design, compensation, and workforce growth. The manager will advise the COO and leadership team, support employees and managers, and build practical people programs, policies, and systems suited to a small, scaling company. The role covers employee lifecycle management, payroll and benefits administration, HR systems, compliance across multiple states, employee relations, manager coaching, performance processes, recruiting, onboarding, career development, and culture and engagement. The People Operations Manager will also support internationally based employees engaged through an Employer of Record provider and lead company retreats and other initiatives that help a distributed team stay connected. Rocky Talkie has offices in Denver and San Francisco, while many employees work remotely. The role is remote-first, with meaningful in-person commitments: regular travel, at least quarterly visits to both offices, quarterly leadership meetings, and the annual three-night Camp Rocky Talkie Summer Jam retreat. Candidates in the Greater Denver area are strongly preferred; remote applicants in Central, Mountain, or Pacific time zones are welcome.

Requirements

At least 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 while balancing empathy with accountability.
Comfort working in a fast-growing, evolving environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience as the sole or primary HR professional in a small or growing company, handling both day-to-day work and strategic responsibilities.
Experience supporting a distributed or remote-first workforce, including building engagement, culture, and trust across a dispersed team.
International or Employer of Record 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.

Responsibilities

Represent the people perspective in leadership discussions and advise the COO and leadership team on people opportunities and risks.
Partner with senior leadership to strengthen cross-functional teamwork.
Develop a practical people roadmap, including appropriately scaled policies, programs, and systems.
Assess benefits against employee needs, market benchmarks, and budget, and recommend changes.
Own employee lifecycle management from onboarding through offboarding.
Administer payroll and benefits in Gusto in partnership with Accounting, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
Manage HR systems, including Gusto, benefits platforms, and performance tools.
Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws across multiple states.
Support internationally based employees working through the company’s Employer of Record provider, including onboarding, payroll, benefits, leave, employment changes, and offboarding.
Maintain accurate employee records, documentation, and policies.
Respond to employee questions and concerns and handle sensitive situations with empathy, clarity, and consistency.
Coach managers on 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 hiring needs, write job descriptions, design interview plans, and provide a consistent candidate experience.
Manage the applicant tracking system, including job postings, pipelines, interview stages, communications, and documentation.
Handle recruiting logistics, including reviewing and advancing candidates, scheduling interviews, collecting feedback, and keeping processes moving.
Coordinate offers, pre-employment steps, and the transition from candidate to employee.
Develop an onboarding experience that prepares and welcomes remote and in-office employees.
Support career development frameworks, learning opportunities, and internal growth.
Bring company values to life through programs, rituals, and communications suited to a distributed team.
Plan company retreats, team gatherings, and culture initiatives, including Camp Rocky Talkie Summer Jam.
Monitor team engagement and morale and help turn insights into action.
Contribute to clear, human, on-brand internal communications.
Travel regularly, visit the Denver and San Francisco offices at least once per quarter each, attend quarterly leadership meetings, and attend the annual three-night summer retreat.