People Operations Manager

RYZE was founded in 2019 by Andrée Werner and Rashad Hossain, out of a parents' basement, with a mission to change daily health, starting with the morning routine: a nutrient-dense mushroom coffee delivering clean energy, mental clarity, and immune support. Built on a Direct-to-Consumer foundation with a performance marketing engine, RYZE achieved hockey-stick growth and a community of over 1 million active subscribers. DTC remains the foundation, but RYZE has expanded into mass retail, quickly becoming the #2 items in Target's overall coffee category and is now executing a multi-channel expansion, with a cross-category launch coming in early 2027. RYZE is uniquely positioned to redefine how people think about daily wellness. We’re a lean, fast-moving, mission-driven team who believe daily rituals create the foundation for living your greatest life, and we’re just getting started!

We are seeking a People Operations Manager to lead our frontline people support and drive operational and strategic HR and People Operations processes. In this role, you will serve as a trusted advisor to managers across the company and own key people operations service areas (e.g., benefits and leave, compensation operations, multi-state compliance, immigration, reporting, unemployment claims). You will translate People Ops strategy into practical, team-level action while improving the processes that make the function run.

Responsibilities will include:

Define and evolve team processes, tools, and communication practices to drive consistency

Lead execution of company-wide programs (performance reviews, merit communications, benefits education, engagement surveys) and provide input into program design

Collaborate with Payroll, Finance, Talent Acquisition, Legal, and IT on rollout and adoption, and bring field feedback to refine policies and processes

Oversee benefits administration and manage relationships with the broker, carriers, and plan administrators, including billing reconciliation with Finance

Lead open enrollment end-to-end and support benefits program reviews and vendor assessments

Own leave of absence administration (FMLA, state-mandated, parental, personal, military), including multi-state compliance, payroll coordination, and return-to-work and accommodation planning

Own assigned HR service areas and respond to unemployment claim inquiries

Oversee compensation changes (adjustments, promotions, reclassifications, off-cycle increases) and support merit and bonus cycles end-to-end

Build compensation tools and manager guides, and support pay equity analysis and the maintenance of grade structures and salary bands

Partner with Finance on compensation budgeting, headcount cost modeling, and payroll reconciliation

Own employer state registrations, Powers of Attorney, and state payroll tax, SUI, and workers’ compensation accounts, ensuring registration is in place before employees start in a new state

Respond to state agency notices and keep audit-ready records of registrations and compliance filings

Serve as an escalation point for employee relations issues, manager coaching, and conflict resolution

Partner with Legal and the Director of People Ops on ER investigations, documentation, and risk mitigation

Advise on federal, state, and local employment law compliance (wage and hour, I-9, leave, data privacy) and ensure consistent policy application

Translate People strategy (workforce planning, retention, talent management, career development) into tactical actions

Identify patterns across business units and recommend solutions and process improvements to People leadership

Serve as the key intake point for employee and manager questions, resolving moderate-complexity issues with People Generalists, global admin staff, and Senior People Partners

Professional Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration, or a related field (or equivalent combination of experience and education); Master’s or HR certification (SHRM-SCP, SPHR) preferred

7+ years of progressive HR experience, including leading a People Partner or People Generalist team in a fast-paced, high-growth environment

Proven track record of designing and implementing strategic HR initiatives

Strong knowledge of employment laws, regulations, and best practices, including multi-state compliance, leave laws, COBRA, and ACA

Experience with benefits, leave, and compensation administration, including merit and bonus cycles

Deep understanding of the employee lifecycle, manager coaching, and HR best practices

Exceptional leadership, communication, and EQ, with the ability to influence at all levels and deliver feedback with clarity

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; advanced Excel and PowerPoint; hands-on experience with HRIS (Rippling preferred), ATS, and data analytics

Ability to quickly learn new systems and act as an SME for key systems and processes