People Operations Manager - Effective School Solutions

About the Effective School Solutions: Effective School Solutions (ESS) is one of the country's leading providers of school-based mental health services for K-12 students. Serving over 6,000 students each day, in 120+ districts across 12 states, our company was founded based on the concept of offering the types of higher acuity clinical care that students would normally receive in a private practice or private school setting within the public-school building. In response to the strong uptick in mental health challenges for young people over the past decade, the company has expanded its services to offer a wider range of programming options, as well as professional development and consultative solutions for districts.

About the role: We are seeking a dedicated and dynamic People Operations Manager to join the Human Capital team. The ideal candidate will excel in fostering a positive work environment, enhancing employee engagement, and implementing innovative HR strategies. In this position, you will provide strategic HR partnership to clinical and operations staff across ESS, as well as lead core HR services, including employee relations, HR analytics, workforce planning, talent management and other people-team related projects. As the People Operations Manager, you should possess strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyze complex issues, and develop and implement timely solutions.

What you'll do:

Strategic Partnership:

• Partner with clinical leaders in NJ and Mid-Atlantic regions to understand their goals and provide HR support to achieve their objectives.
• Develop and implement HR strategies that align with ESS's vision and goals.
• Act as a consultant to clinical leaders on People-related issues, such as performance or employee relations issues, providing insights and proactive solutions.

Employee Relations:

• Serve as a trusted advisor to employees and managers, addressing concerns and resolving conflicts efficiently and effectively.
• Conduct investigations and manage employee grievances in compliance with company policies.
• Track and report on employee relations issues that arise and evaluate effectiveness of resolutions of each case.

Talent and Performance Management:

• Partner with Senior HR leaders to implement the annual performance process, including talent reviews and performance evaluations, annually.
• Provide coaching and support to managers and employees on performance improvement and compensation conversations, including facilitation of the corrective action procedures (written warnings, PIPs, etc.).

HR Metrics and Reporting:

• Manage HR data and metrics to provide insights and recommendations to management. Metrics include demographics, engagement data, retention numbers, etc.
• Partner with Director of People & Culture to build HR analytics dashboard and prepare and present reports on HR activities and performance.

Benefits Administration:

• Oversee and manage the ESS benefit programs, acting as the primary contact for employee benefits-related questions.
• Execute programs to enhance employee awareness and use of benefits, including organizing webinars and wellness initiatives.
• Coordinate open enrollment periods and offer guidance and support to ESS staff employees on benefit options and the enrollment process.
• Administer and manage all employee leave programs, including FMLA and other federal and ESS-specific leave policies.

Employee Engagement and Experience

• Support employee engagement initiatives, to include engagement survey facilitation and follow up with clinical leaders, and reporting on employee feedback to relevant leaders.
• Partner with SVP of People and the Director of People & Culture to implement initiatives to enhance employee engagement and retention.

Compliance and Risk Management:

• Partner with Director of People & Culture, to ensure HR policies and procedures comply with legal requirements and best practices.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of employment laws and regulations.
• Manage HR-related risk and support a culture of compliance.

Other:

• Support the daily people operations in collaboration with ESS's HR Generalist, including managing employee data, onboarding new hires, supporting employee questions related to benefits, conducting exit interviews, etc.
• Other projects as needed to support the growth and development of our staff.

Your experience should include:

• 5+ years of progressive People/Human Resources experience in employee relations, employee engagement, data analysis, performance management, compensation and rewards, recognition programs, and diversity/inclusion.
• Polished and professional communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Exceptional listening skills and ability to relate to, influence, and coach employees of all levels in the organization.
• Successful management of competing priorities, taking initiative and driving projects to completion quickly and accurately.
• Awareness of and ability to navigate relevant employment and labor regulations, such as ADA requirements, FLSA designations, FMLA leaves, etc.
• Ability to work independently, while collaborating across the People team on projects and priorities.
• Flexibility, including the ability to think strategically, execute tactically, and collaborate across many teams, levels, and situations, while maintaining standards of excellence.
• Experience maintaining an HRIS system is a must (ADP a plus).
• Experience in a startup, private-equity, or scale-up company is a plus.

It's not enough to have an incredible mission, join us because you share our values too:

• Innovation: The world of mental health changes quickly. We respond to these changes by constantly exploring new ways to support our students, families, and school districts. We take an innovative approach, using data and research to find the best therapeutic approaches. At ESS, we foster creativity and learning, empowering our staff to drive positive change in our communities.
• Accountability: To us, accountability means keeping our promises. We acknowledge mistakes and use them as opportunities to improve. This commitment strengthens trust and drives our mission.
• Integrity: We view integrity as doing the right thing even when no one is looking. It's the bedrock of our work, guiding every decision and action. We prioritize open communication, sincerity, and authenticity in all our interactions, showing up consistently for each other and for the people we serve.
• Impact: Impact isn't just a goal—it's our reason for being, our "why". We focus on delivering measurable results and creating lasting change. We're passionate about making a real difference in the world, one student, one family, and one school district at a time.
• Compassion: We create opportunities for every individual to feel seen, heard, and valued. By cultivating empathy and understanding, we create an environment where everyone feels safe to express themselves authentically.
• Collaboration: We embrace and leverage diverse talents, perspectives, and resources. Working together, we amplify our collective impact and empower those we serve, ensuring every individual receives the support they need to thrive.

Why join Effective School Solutions? 

• ESS is focused on addressing one of the biggest challenges our country is facing - - the mental health of our youth.
• ESS is a dynamic organization with a strong record of accomplishment of innovation and growth. • ESS provides staff with excellent career growth opportunities.
• ESS offers staff competitive compensation and benefits offerings.
• ESS values clinician voice and perspective and has multiple methods to give feedback and input on company decisions

Compensation: $90,000 - $100,000

ESS is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.