Senior Program Manager, People Operations Systems

panthalassa

Portland, Oregon

Full Time

Posted April 15, 2026

$140k - $175k

Not Specified

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Job Description

The role involves building and managing the operational infrastructure for total rewards programs, including payroll, benefits, leave administration, and compliance systems, to support a fast-growing renewable energy and ocean technology company.

Key Responsibilities

Build, own, and improve systems, workflows, controls, and documentation supporting total rewards operations such as payroll, benefits, leave, and reporting.
Manage end-to-end payroll administration, ensuring timely and accurate processing, reconciliation, and record-keeping.
Oversee benefits and leave administration, including enrollments, qualifying events, deductions, audits, and leave program management.
Administer company-specific paid leave programs and ensure proper controls and documentation are in place.
Serve as primary administrator for HRIS, ATS, and related people systems, maintaining data integrity, permissions, and system integrations.
Prepare recurring and ad hoc reports, reconciliations, and audits for leadership, finance, and external partners.

Requirements

Seven (7) years of experience in payroll, total rewards operations, HR operations, people systems, or related roles.
Proven experience building, improving, and running systems and processes across payroll, benefits, leave, and related operations.
Deep experience with HRIS, payroll, and people systems administration, including building workflows, maintaining data integrity, and improving operational scale.
Strong experience in Rippling or a comparable HRIS payroll platform, with a clear preference for candidates who have built and operated workflows in Rippling.
Experience in a high-growth startup or scaling organization.
Strong knowledge of payroll, benefits, and leave administration.
Strong systems thinking and the ability to quickly learn new tools, understand downstream impacts, and build scalable, well-controlled processes.
Strong attention to detail, judgment, and discretion with sensitive information.
Comfort operating in environments where systems are evolving and not all inputs are fully defined, with the ability to bring structure without over-engineering.
Ability to operate as a senior individual contributor and thought partner in a fast-growing environment.