Manager, People Operations

About the Organization KIPP Public Schools is a national network of tuition-free public charter schools that prepares students with the skills and confidence to create the future they want for themselves, their communities, and us all. We are a network of 279 schools, nearly 16,500 educators, and nearly 210,000 students and alumni. Our mission : Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world. Our vision : Every child grows up free to create the future they want for themselves and their communities. The KIPP Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports KIPP public charter schools across the country. The KIPP Foundation helps to develop outstanding educators to lead KIPP schools; provides tools and resources for excellent teaching and learning; promotes innovation; and facilitates the exchange of insights and ideas across KIPP and other public schools and organizations. About Our Values: Excellent Results for Students : We value results over effort and know that our work is not finished until all students thrive. We maintain high expectations for self, team, and students. We drive outcomes by operating with agility, removing barriers, differentiating support, and prioritizing student-centered solutions—especially for those at the margins. Collective Impact : We are one team. We win together. We embody a one-team mindset by working collaboratively across teams, aligning goals, and leveraging the strengths of all teammates. We build trust-based relationships and ensure inclusive decision-making by engaging those closest to the work. We provide clarity through simple, repeatable systems and goals that enable transformational outcomes. Courageous Action: Our belief in what we can achieve is unwavering, fueling our optimism and commitment to overcome any challenge. We demonstrate an unwavering belief in students' potential and a commitment to addressing systemic inequities. We approach challenges with resilience, a solutions-focused mindset, and adaptability. We foster a psychologically safe environment centered on trust and accountability where feedback is encouraged. We leverage data to reflect on progress, own setbacks, celebrate successes, and continuously improve to maximize impact. About The Position KIPP Foundation is committed to building talent systems that are clear, consistent, and supportive of a strong employee experience. A critical part of this work is ensuring that day-to-day People Operations run smoothly, efficiently, and with a high level of care for staff. The Manager, People Operations plays a key role in delivering this experience by supporting the execution of core HR processes and systems. Reporting to the Senior Director of People Operations, this role ensures that payroll, benefits administration, HR systems, and employee support processes are accurate, timely, and responsive to staff needs. In this role, the Manager will serve as a central coordinator and problem-solver, helping to manage vendor relationships, support HR systems, and act as a primary point of contact through AskTalent and provide admin support across the talent team. By ensuring that processes are well-executed and information is clear and accessible, this role helps create a seamless experience for both employees and managers. This is an opportunity for someone who is highly organized, detail-oriented, and service-driven someone who takes pride in ensuring that the operational backbone of People Operations is strong, reliable, and continuously improving. Responsibilities Payroll, Benefits & HR Administration Administer payroll processes in partnership with Finance, including compensation updates, stipends, and leave tracking. Manage day-to-day benefits administration, including enrollments, employee support, and coordination with vendors. Support administration of absence and leave programs, ensuring accurate tracking and compliance with policies. Ensure timely and accurate execution of core HR administrative processes across the employee lifecycle. Vendor Management & Operational Coordination Manage relationships with People Operations vendors (benefits providers, HR systems, etc.), including communication, invoicing, and issue resolution. Coordinate invoices, billing, and expense tracking related to People Operations, ensuring timely and accurate processing. Support compliance-related administrative processes (e.g., background checks, required training, documentation tracking). Support with scheduling large scale meetings across the talent team for trainings or during high-volume hiring season Employee Support Own the AskTalent intake process, serving as the primary point of contact for employee and manager inquiries. Respond directly to routine inquiries and triage more complex requests to appropriate team members. Ensure consistent and accurate interpretation of HR policies and processes in responses. Track trends in inquiries to identify opportunities to improve processes, communication, and documentation. HR Systems Support & Data Administration Support administration of HR systems (HRIS, benefits platforms, etc.), ensuring accurate data entry and system updates. Maintain employee data, records, and documentation to ensure data accuracy, integrity, and compliance. Assist with system audits, data validation, and reporting processes. Ensure adherence to data privacy, security, and compliance standards. Reporting & Analytics Support Support development and maintenance of HR reports and dashboards, including workforce metrics, engagement data, and operational KPIs across the talent team Assist in preparing recurring reports (weekly, monthly, quarterly) to support decision-making. Provide data support for ad hoc requests, ensuring accuracy and timeliness. Knowledge Management, Communication & Process Support Maintain HR documentation, knowledge management systems, and staff-facing materials to ensure clarity and accessibility. Develop and update guides, FAQs, and training materials to support employee understanding of HR processes and benefits. Provide administrative support for key talent processes, including meeting coordination, materials preparation, and documentation. Skills and Mindsets Mission and Student Focus : Demonstrates passion and commitment to KIPP’s mission and possesses the desire and ability to uphold KIPP’s core values (Focus on Excellent Results, Collective Impact, and Courageous Action) Self-Management: Demonstrated record of co-creating ambitious goals with their managers – and driving toward desired outcomes; Effectively monitors progress toward goals for multiple workstreams; Leverages understanding of an organization’s operating model, structure, and core operational process to effectively drive work to achieve goals; effectively works through direct reports and peers to follow through on commitments, ensuring others do the same. Process Management : Able to build and align goals and project plans with organization priorities; leverages relevant organizational processes and systems to execute work; can build and maintain knowledge management systems; effectively develops and codifies processes to ensure efficiency, alignment with organizational processes, and to improve work quality. Data Driven actions and solutions : Effectively uses data to inform work streams; accurately synthesizes key findings from data analyses and can effectively communicate the data synthesis to inform actions, decisions, and solutions. Collaboration : Leads successful stakeholder management, accounting for varied perspectives when gathering feedback. Builds coalition by prioritizing end-user experiences. Builds trusting relationships and effective communications. Able to identify and remove barriers to working across teams. Serve as a Talent and Organization Ambassador : Proactive cultural leadership and drive to operate as a team player with a strong orientation toward customer service, collaboration, continuous learning and solutions orientation; Can exercise strong Judgement & Discretion as a key talent team member; Passion for education equity and KIPP’s mission and values (sense of purpose, results, respect, constant learning & humility, and diversity & inclusivity) Experience and Qualifications 4+ years of talent operations, customer service and payroll support HR expertise and knowledge in employment laws across multiple geographic territories. A track record of delivering great customer service while effectively managing relationships with key stakeholders (e.g., Finance Teams, IT teams), along with advising, influencing, & challenging stakeholders when needed. Excitement to engage in an innovative and agile environment focused on continuous learning and improvement A drive to make decisions through passion for impact, thoughtful analysis, and a consistent lens on equity Experience using HR systems (ADP, workforce, ATS, salesforce, etc.) Work Conditions Travel: Minimal Travel: up to 5% (up to 10 days per year) Full, exempt role Location It is preferred, but not mandatory for this role to be based out of a KIPP Foundation office. This role also has the option of working from a remote office full-time. KIPP Foundation offices are in NYC and Chicago. Compensation and Benefits In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensation, or a range thereof, for roles in locations where legally required. Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, and relevant experience. The salary range for this position is $83,200 - $99,000. In addition, KIPP Foundation provides a variety of benefits to employees, including: 25 holidays for + 18 days additional flexible PTO days (flexible PTO increases to 23 days for years 3 and 4 and to 28 days for years 5+). 100% paid parental leave 100% coverage of the premium for employee and 75% for employee + family’s medical/dental/vision plans. Wellness benefits such as fitness reimbursements, discounted tickets to theme parks/attractions, backup care support for children and adults/elders, and our employee assistance program Finance Security benefits include such as a 401K retirement plan with 4% match, employer-sponsored legal plans, life/disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts KIPP Foundation embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects the diversity of the students and communities with whom we work and the world that’s around them. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law.