People Operations Manager

About this role

WHY ACHIRA

- Join a world-class team of scientists, researchers, and entrepreneurs building the future of drug discovery.

- Partner with leadership to shape how a fast-growing company operates day-to-day.

- Build and scale foundational HR systems, processes, and culture in a high-growth environment.

- Operate with trust, ownership, and transparency in a mission-driven company advancing science and technology.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Achira is seeking an experienced, people-focused operations Manager to lead the people team for an early-stage, high-growth start-up. This role oversees the full employee experience from recruiting and onboarding to performance management, employee relations, and compliance while helping shape a positive, productive workplace culture. The ideal candidate is a strategic leadership partner as well as a trusted resource for employees at every level.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

- Manage full-cycle recruiting: job postings, recruiter relations, interviews, reference checks, and offer negotiation

- Oversee onboarding and offboarding processes to ensure smooth employee transitions

- Develop and administer HR policies, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws

- Manage employee relations issues, including conflict resolution, disciplinary actions, and investigations

- Lead performance management processes, including reviews, goal-setting, and improvement plans in collaboration with leadership

- Administer compensation and benefits programs, including open enrollment and annual review cycles

- Partner with team leads and project mgmt. on workforce planning, org design, and headcount needs

- Maintain and improve HR systems (HRIS), records, and reporting in coordination with third party vendor support

- Engage with legal counsel on immigration issues and visa processing ultimately shifting to in-house processes

- Drive employee engagement initiatives and culture-building programs in partnership with leadership

- Manage training and professional development programs in partnership with leadership

- Ensure health, safety, and compliance standards are met across the organization

- Prepare HR metrics and reports for leadership (turnover, retention, headcount, etc.)

- Oversee compliance associated with benefit plans and employee policies

- Flexibility in covering administrative responsibilities outside of HR

ABOUT YOU

- Bachelor's degree

- 5+ years of progressive HR experience, including 2+ years in a management or supervisory capacity

- Strong knowledge of employment law, state requirements, HR best practices, and compliance requirements

- Experience with HRIS platforms (e.g., Workday, ADP, or similar)

- Excellent interpersonal, conflict-resolution, and communication skills

- Proven ability to handle confidential information with discretion

- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail

- SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification preferred

- Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and keep operations running smoothly

- Strong problem-solver who is proactive, resourceful, and able to act independently

- Excellent interpersonal skills; you create a positive, welcoming environment and communicate effectively across teams

- Comfortable with basic tools (Google Workspace, Slack, Notion, etc.) and not afraid to learn new skills

- Hands-on and adaptable — excited to roll up your sleeves and build processes in a fast-paced, evolving environment

- Mission-driven and motivated to support a team advancing drug discovery

- Experience in managing employees in science, technology, or research fields

- Commitment to equity and employee engagement

- Experience supporting a distributed or hybrid workforce

- Data-driven approach to HR decision-making