People Operations Manager

Manager, People Operations

The Manager, People Operations serves as a high-impact leader and true strategic operator within the People organization. Reporting to the Vice President of People & Culture, this role acts as the engine behind the function—combining deep subject matter expertise with operational rigor to lead, optimize, and evolve Crescent’s People Operations capabilities across performance management, compensation, benefits, payroll, compliance, audit, social responsibility, and analytics. This role ensures Crescent’s people programs are competitive, financially sound, and culturally aligned—contributing to the broader People Strategy and fostering a high-performing environment where all people can grow.

As both a builder and optimizer, this leader owns the operational foundation of HR—designing, implementing, and continuously improving processes and systems to establish scalable, consistent practices rooted in operational excellence. With a strong focus on employee experience, this role ensures the delivery of effective, seamless processes that support the full employee lifecycle. They deliver actionable reporting and analytics that inform strategic decision-making, workforce planning, and organizational effectiveness, serving as a key enabler of data-driven insights across the business.

This is a hands-on leadership role at a pivotal stage of growth—ideal for someone who thrives in building from the ground up, creates order from ambiguity, and excels at developing scalable, sustainable systems. The successful candidate brings a balance of strategic thinking and executional discipline, with a strong orientation toward continuous improvement and employee experience.

This Manager of People Compensation and Benefits will operate as outlined in the Crescent Way- 3 P’s:

Purpose

Process

People

While building on our Values of

Doing it Right

Doing it Safe

Doing it Well

Qualifications

Education & Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or related field.

7+ years of progressive HR leadership experience in compensation, benefits, compliance, payroll, and HRIS management.

Professional certification (i.e. SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, CEBS, CCP certification).

Demonstrated experience partnering with Finance teams on budgeting, accruals, and fiscal reporting.

Strong knowledge of payroll process compliance and federal/state labor laws.

Proficiency in HRIS (e.g., UKG) and Microsoft Office Suite.

Demonstrated leadership and coaching experience.

Strategic Leadership in anticipating and mitigating compliance risks while aligning People strategy with company goals.

Experience working in multi-state or multinational environments to manage diverse labor laws, social compliance, and payroll processes.

Experience mitigating risks, implementing corrective action plans, and strengthening internal controls.

Experience managing payroll automation and analytics dashboards.

Experience overseeing compensation, benefits, payroll, and compliance programs for large, distributed organizations (500+ employees).

Cross-functional experience partnering with Finance, Legal, and Operations teams to implement holistic compliance strategies.

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field.

Certifications: SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CCP (Certified Compensation Professional), or CEBS (Certified Employee Benefit Specialist).

Experience leading corporate social responsibility and recovery-friendly workplace initiatives.

Proven track record in managing HR-related budgets and performance reporting.

CPA certification or coursework in accounting/finance is highly valued.

Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel (e.g., macros, advanced formulas).

Experience working with Power BI or other reporting tools to track, analyze, and present HR and financial data.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Safety

Support and advance wellness and well-being programs that positively impact employee health, safety, and overall experience.

Partner with EHS and Operations to strengthen alignment between People practices and Crescent’s safety strategy.

Apply the Crescent Safety Playbook to ensure clarity, consistency, and effectiveness in communication and execution.

Drive risk mitigation efforts related to workers’ compensation and incident reporting by:

Ensuring accurate, timely documentation and compliance

Identifying process improvements through a continuous improvement (CI) approach

Supporting the development of scalable, proactive safety-related People processes

Quality

Ensure accuracy, integrity, and timeliness of HRIS, payroll, and benefits data through disciplined audits and reconciliation processes.

Maintain strong vendor relationships with brokers, carriers, and partners to ensure high-quality service delivery and continuous improvement.

Support the development and optimization of People systems, tools, and standardized processes (e.g., STAR framework).

Deliver accurate and actionable reporting on compensation, benefits, budgeting, and workforce metrics to support strategic decision-making.

Maintain and continuously improve data integrity across UKG, PlanSource, and related systems.

Lead compliance and reporting processes, ensuring alignment, accuracy, and transparency across all People data and dashboards

Ensure accurate and timely HRIS, payroll, and data including benefits, budgeting and People metrics, through ongoing audits and reconciliation, to support standard of excellence in data reporting and strategic decisions.

Support development and refinement of STAR processes and People Group tools.

Productivity

Oversee benefits administration to ensure accurate, efficient, and employee-focused delivery, including enrollment, eligibility, and vendor coordination.

Partner cross-functionally with Payroll, HRIS, Accounting, and IT to ensure seamless data integration and operational effectiveness.

Analyze compensation and benefits trends; develop cost models and insights to inform leadership decisions.

Partner with Finance to manage health & welfare accruals and monitor People Group budget performance.

Oversee 401(k) plan administration and support required filings in partnership with internal and external stakeholders.

Continuously improve HRIS workflows, systems, and reporting capabilities to enhance usability, accuracy, and scalability.

Lead process improvement initiatives that increase efficiency and reduce administrative burden across People Operations. Manage day-to-day benefits administration including enrollment accuracy, vendor file exchanges, eligibility, and troubleshooting escalated issues.

People

Serve as the primary subject matter expert for compensation, benefits, and total rewards strategy.

Advise and educate leaders and employees on compensation structures, benefits programs, wellness resources, and leave processes.

Lead annual compensation processes, including merit planning, structure reviews, pay equity analysis, and salary benchmarking.

Support incentive compensation planning, administration, and alignment with overall pay strategy.

Partner with leaders to design and maintain competitive, equitable compensation programs that attract and retain talent.

Support and promote Whole Person Well-Being initiatives to drive engagement and participation.

Oversee People Operations workflows and approvals to ensure accuracy, compliance, and alignment with policy and strategy.

Deliver regular reporting and insights through People dashboards, including key metrics such as retention, progression, and workforce trends.

Own and monitor the GoPTOMe process and People Group administrative workflows.

Review and approve People Group–related changes and actions (benefits enrollments, pay adjustments, HRIS changes) to ensure accuracy and alignment with policies.

Provide monthly updates on all People Dashboards

Progression, Retention, Promotion

People Metrics Dashboard

Customer Value

Ensure compensation and benefits programs reflect market competitiveness and alignment with Crescent Way values.

Build strong, trusted partnerships across Finance, Operations, IT, and business leadership.

Translate People data and insights into clear, actionable communication for leaders and employees.

Deliver a consistent, high-quality employee experience through effective program design, communication, and execution.