Senior Manager of People Operations and Services

Einstein Bros Bagels•Denver, CO

7d•$140,000 - $160,000•Remote

About The Position

The Senior Manager of People Operations and Services provides strategic and operational leadership for Bagel Brands’ People Services, Employee Relations, and HR Compliance functions. The role partners with People Leadership to define and implement a reimagined People Services model, shifting transactional and generalist work from HR Business Partners so they can focus on strategic partnership. People Services serves as the central owner of day-to-day people support and policies, providing integrated, employee-centered support to employees, managers, and Field leaders. The position oversees the transition and operation of the People Services model, including service processes, standards, HR administration, employee and manager support, case intake, HR data, compliance, and employee relations. It drives process improvement, automation, and responsible use of AI; partners with HR Technology on systems; and uses service metrics and HR data to improve responsiveness and address operational needs. The role manages and develops the People Services, Employee Relations, and Compliance teams and oversees vendor relationships. The position is ideally based at the Denver Support Center headquarters, with remote candidates considered. It primarily operates in an office or remote work environment and requires travel for market visits, partner meetings, development activities, industry events, and other business needs. Physical requirements include extended computer use and intermittent sitting, standing, bending, lifting, moving, and walking at development sites or bakery locations; requirements may be met with or without reasonable accommodation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or relevant work experience required; an HR or related field is preferred.
7–10 years of progressive HR or People Operations experience, including 3 or more years in a people-management or team-lead capacity.
Knowledge of and/or experience in multiple HR areas, such as Benefits, Recruiting, and Payroll.
Ability to operate in a fast-paced organization and handle multiple projects simultaneously.
Demonstrated ability to influence and lead cross-functionally within a fast-paced, growth-oriented organization.
Strong communication and presentation skills.
Ability to build collaborative teams and effective working relationships at all levels of the organization.
Strong analytical and independent problem-solving skills, including identifying problems and determining appropriate solutions.
Experience redesigning an HR service delivery model or building a People Services/shared services function, including service cataloging, process mapping, and change management.
Experience applying automation and AI tools to HR workflows, with sound judgment about which work can safely be handled by technology and where human involvement is needed.
Experience owning HR policies and an employee handbook, ideally across multiple states.
Builder mindset: comfortable with ambiguity, able to create structure from scratch, and able to ship, measure, and iterate quickly.

Nice To Haves

Degree in HR or a related field.
Experience owning HR policies and an employee handbook across multiple states.

Responsibilities

Partner with People Leadership to define the strategy, approach, and roadmap for moving transactional and generalist work from HR Business Partners, and lead the team through the transition.
Catalog current people services, review transactions and processes end to end, and map each to its future owner, such as People Services, automation, AI, employee or manager self-service, or another team.
Execute the transition plan and establish the redefined People Services model, including sequencing, SOPs, knowledge-base content, training, and change management with HRBPs and Field leaders.
Serve as HR’s central owner of day-to-day people support, people policies, and the Employee Handbook; oversee tiered service for employee and manager questions, HR administration, case intake, and HR data.
Lead the HR compliance program, including procedures, documentation, controls, training, required reporting, and audit readiness in line with applicable employment laws.
Oversee Employee Relations and serve as an escalation point for complex workplace matters, promoting timely, consistent, well-documented, policy-aligned resolutions.
Drive process optimization, automation, and AI in HR workflows; partner with HR Technology on system requirements, testing, and implementation.
Establish SLAs, KPIs, and dashboards for service quality and responsiveness; analyze case trends and HR data to identify root causes and proactively address Field Operations needs with HR Leadership and Training.
Manage vendor relationships and service performance, identifying opportunities to improve value, quality, and cost effectiveness.
Manage, coach, and develop the People Services, Employee Relations, and Compliance teams, setting priorities, performance expectations, service standards, and cross-functional collaboration.