Sr Benefits & People Operations Manager

Aceable•Austin, TX

1d•$105,000 - $130,000•Hybrid

About The Position

As our Sr Benefits & People Operations Manager you will own the programs and systems that keep our people supported and our company protected: benefits, leave of absence, HRIS, and multi-state compliance. Our ideal candidate is continuously improving the operating systems behind People & Culture by identifying inefficiencies, redesigning workflows, leveraging AI and automation, and building scalable processes that reduce manual work while improving the employee experience. This is a deep-expertise role, not a generalist role: you'll operate autonomously within your domains, partner directly with the VP of People & Culture, and be the company's go-to authority on the moments that matter most in an employee's life.

Requirements

7+ years of progressive experience in benefits and people operations, with hands-on ownership of benefits administration and leave management as your core craft
Demonstrated multi-state compliance experience, including direct administration of state paid leave programs (e.g., California, New York, Massachusetts, or Washington)
HRIS administration experience where you’ve been the system owner, not just a user
A track record of managing brokers, carriers, and vendors as an informed, demanding partner
The ability to translate regulation into plain language for employees and into risk-weighted recommendations for leadership
The judgment and autonomy to operate as a department of one within your domains — you own outcomes, not tasks
You actually use AI and reach for tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Zapier to automate the repetitive and sharpen your work. Experience matters less than curiosity and a knack for figuring things out
Reside in Austin, Texas, and be willing to work from the office 1–2 days per week

Nice To Haves

CEBS, SHRM-CP/SCP, or PHR/SPHR certification
Experience supporting an HR audit, M&A due diligence, or a benefits platform/vendor transition
Experience building or professionalizing people operations on a lean team in a high-growth environment
Experience with UKG

Responsibilities

Own the full benefits lifecycle: renewal analysis and negotiation alongside our broker, plan design recommendations, open enrollment from communication through reconciliation, and day-to-day administration including invoice auditing and carrier escalations
Administer leave of absence end to end across federal and state programs — FMLA plus state paid family and medical leave in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Washington — along with disability coordination and the ADA interactive process
Own the HRIS as our people system of record (data integrity, workflows, integrations, and reporting) and serve as P&C’s payroll partner to Finance, ensuring new hires, changes, and terminations flow accurately and on time
Run the multi-state compliance calendar across all states (registrations, required notices and postings, EEO-1 and ACA reporting, policy updates, workers' compensation, and unemployment claims), proactively identifying compliance risks, evaluating tradeoffs, and recommending solutions to keep the company audit-ready
Manage our vendor ecosystem (benefits broker, carriers, leave and COBRA administrators, wellness programs, HRIS) — holding partners accountable on service and cost, and bringing recommendations, not just problems
Own the operational backbone of the employee experience: onboarding and offboarding workflows, including background checks and I-9 administration, and new hire orientation delivery
Put AI and new technology to work across people operations — automating recurring workflows, sharpening reporting, and continuously finding ways to run benefits, leave, and compliance leaner and better
Handle the company’s most sensitive information with absolute discretion, and escalate risks with a recommendation attached
Pitch in beyond your lane: we're a lean People & Culture team, and we help each other succeed. Everyone flexes to cover what the moment needs, from a big event week to an all-hands-on-deck deadline