SENIOR PEOPLE OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

Job Title: Senior People Operations Specialist
Department: People Operations
Classification / Level: Non-Exempt / Advanced
Reports To: People Operations Supervisor

POSITION SCOPE

The Senior People Operations Specialist is the advanced operational role within the People Operations department. This role serves as the first-level escalation resource for People Operations I and Specialists II and supports higher-risk matters involving employee relations, investigations, Workers’ Compensation coordination, EDD claim preparation, wage concern review, audits, training, documentation quality, and caseload coverage.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Perform all essential functions of the People Operations Specialist role at an advanced level.

2. Serve as the first-level escalation resource for People Operations I and Specialists II regarding employee relations, documentation quality, wage concerns, LOA questions, separations, COE compliance, and routine corrective action matters.

3. Review employee relations cases before supervisor escalation to ensure documentation is complete, organized, and aligned with department standards.

4. Support investigations by running reports, including EVV maps and carelog signature reports; collecting statements; obtaining evidence; coordinating meetings; preparing investigation summaries; and drafting investigation reports for supervisor.

5. Support fraud-related case preparation, including documentation review, fact gathering, timeline preparation, and preliminary recommendation development.

6. Support mandated reporter-related matters by collecting statements and providing information to the appropriate Care I or designated party as needed.

7. Coordinate Workers’ Compensation documentation, including statement summaries, Dropbox Sign written statements, WC packet distribution, profile notes, and submission of information to Zenith when authorized.

8. Prepare and track EDD claim information, gather separation details, draft responses, and support appeal packet preparation as assigned.

9. Audit employee files, separation packets, COE tracking, case notes, counseling notices, and employee documentation for quality and completeness.

10. Train new People Operations I and Specialists II, maintain training checklists, provide workflow shadowing, and review new employee work product.

11. Coordinate caseload coverage during absences, vacancies, high-volume periods, or urgent operational need.

12. Identify recurring process errors, documentation gaps, training needs, or compliance concerns and report trends to the People Operations Supervisor.

13. Additional duties may be assigned to support the organization and families served.

SECONDARY DUTIES

1. Assist with SOP updates, workflow drafting, templates, audit tools, and department training resources.

2. Provide coverage for complex cases when assigned.

3. Support leadership summaries, audits, and special projects as needed.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS REQUIRED

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, the individual in this position must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Maintain consistent and regular attendance and be self-motivated. The requirements listed below are representative of the minimum knowledge, skills, abilities, certifications, and educational experience required.

Required

1. Associate’s Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred; equivalent experience may be considered.

2. Three or more years of progressive HR, People Operations, employee relations, compliance, or workforce operations experience preferred.

3. Strong knowledge of employee lifecycle processes, corrective action, leave coordination, wage concerns, EDD claims, Workers’ Compensation coordination, investigations support, and compliance documentation.

4. Demonstrated ability to review others’ work, train staff, identify risk, and prepare complete case summaries.

5. Strong written communication, documentation, organization, confidentiality, and judgment skills.

6. Technologically proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, Excel, cloud-based systems, ATS, HRIS platforms, WellSky, ADP, Teams, and Dropbox.

7. Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.

CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSURE, & REGISTRATION

Possess and maintain a valid driver’s license and maintain valid auto insurance, if travel between locations is required.

SHRM-CP, PHR, or related HR certification preferred for senior and business partner-level roles.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read and understand correspondence, memos, reports, and employee documentation.

Ability to effectively communicate through written and verbal language.

Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations in a professional manner.

Fluent in Spanish and English languages required or preferred based on organizational need.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Advanced HR Operations

• First-Level Escalation

• Investigation Support

• Workers’ Compensation Coordination

• EDD Preparation

• Audit and Quality Control

• Training and Coaching

• Risk Identification

• Case Summary Preparation

• Workflow Support

SCOPE OF AUTHORITY AND ESCALATION

May provide first-level review, coaching, audit feedback, training, and escalation preparation.

Must escalate final investigation findings, termination recommendations, legal threats, high-risk wage claims, complex LOA/accommodation matters, harassment/discrimination/retaliation allegations, formal policy exceptions, and matters requiring executive, legal, or Business Partner review.

Does not make final decisions on termination, legal-risk matters, formal investigations, or policy exceptions without appropriate leadership approval.

REASONING ABILITIES

Ability to evaluate situations, identify risk, apply sound judgment, and make appropriate decisions using critical thinking and reasoning. The complexity of reasoning required increases by role level and may include employee relations, compliance, wage/hour, leave, investigations, data analysis, and cross-functional process design.

ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

Must be able to work indoors and outdoors covering a variety of situations. Wide range of physical motion required to include bending, twisting, standing, walking, carrying boxes and supplies, sitting for long periods of time, answering the telephone, using hands to type and enter data, and performing a wide range of office and clerical duties.

SCHEDULING AND AVAILABILITY

Working hours generally are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday with a one-hour lunch. Employees must be willing to work beyond their normally scheduled hours as needed to accomplish work projects, meet compliance deadlines, support employee matters, and address operational needs. The position is 40+ hours per week.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

Must be able to read, write, and comprehend complex issues.

Must be able to lift up to 25 pounds at times.

Must be able to work across different locations as needed.

Ability to travel by plane, train, or automobile as required.

IMPLEMENTATION

1. Confirm role architecture: Approve titles, reporting relationships, pay bands, and final responsibility boundaries.

2. Map current work: Assign existing duties to the correct function and identify tasks that must transfer from current functions.

3. Assess employee placement: Evaluate current employees against the qualifications, authority, and expected proficiency of each role.

4. Review internal equity: Compare proposed placement against current rates, tenure, experience, performance, and salary compression.

5. Establish transition measures: Define handoff standards, training plans, file-quality expectations, service levels, and escalation protocols.

6. Monitor outcomes: Track onboarding aging, records accuracy, case completion, compliance follow-up, employee support volume, and escalation trends.