About The Role

The Talent & People Operations Manager is responsible for the daily execution and continuous improvement of talent and people operations. This role spans talent operations and core people ops, ensuring that systems, processes, and employee experiences are efficient, compliant, and values-aligned.

The Manager works closely with hiring managers and internal stakeholders and partners with the Director of People Operations to implement strategy, surface insights, and deliver high-quality operational execution across the employee lifecycle.

This is a hands-on, execution-focused role with increasing ownership over systems and processes.

About Bellwether

Bellwether is a national nonprofit that exists to transform education to ensure students furthest from opportunity achieve outcomes that lead to fulfilling lives and flourishing communities. We work hand in hand with education leaders and organizations to accelerate their impact, inform and influence policy and program design, and share what we learn along the way.

We are a remote-first team, and our work is national in scope, so our flexible working style allows our professionals to work where they have built their lives, which means Bellwether can hire the best person for each role, regardless of geography. This role can be based anywhere in the United States.

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Core Responsibilities

Talent Operations

• Develop and execute hiring plans for Director, Associate Partner, and below roles.

• Advise hiring managers on talent-related questions, providing recommendations on recruiting best practices, candidate evaluation, and values-aligned decision-making.

• Own end-to-end talent operations for assigned roles, including:

  • Drafting and posting role descriptions
  • Managing applicant tracking in Greenhouse
  • Conducting initial candidate screenings
  • Coordinating interviews and synthesizing feedback
  • Supporting reference checks and offer processes

• Provide operational support for senior-level or other complex searches, as directed by the Director.

• Develop, document, and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for all search processes.

• Maintain a strong, values-aligned candidate experience through clear communication and timely follow-through.

• Manage and maintain the organization’s job description bank.

• Track and report recruiting metrics (e.g., time-to-hire, pipeline health, candidate experience).

• Cultivate and manage diverse candidate pipelines by partnering with hiring managers to implement inclusive sourcing strategies, and track and report on diversity metrics for each search.

People Operations

• Execute onboarding and offboarding processes, ensuring compliance with federal and state employment requirements.

• Process payroll, with final review and approval by the Director of People Operations.

• Drive day to day benefits administration and serve as the first point of contact for employees.

  • Provide operational support to the Director of People Operations during the Open Enrollment process, including preparing employee communications, updating systems, and coordinating with benefits vendors as requested.

• Oversee PTO tracking and approval processes to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance with applicable state laws.

• Own execution of state-based employment compliance for a remote-first workforce across 30+ states, including:

  • Monitoring state-specific employment laws and regulatory changes
  • Supporting audits and required reporting
  • Flagging risks and inconsistencies and making recommendations

• Support the development, documentation, and ongoing maintenance of People Operations standard operating procedures (SOPs).

• Take on increasing ownership of payroll and benefits functions over time, including vendor management, process optimization, documentation, and employee communications, based on experience and organizational needs.

Systems, Process Improvement & Reporting

• Support day-to-day administration  and data accuracy of people and talent systems, including HRIS (Paylocity) and ATS (Greenhouse).
• Support and participate in processes to evaluate new people or talent systems.
• Explore and implement AI-enabled workflows and tools, as appropriate, to improve efficiency, consistency, and data-informed decision-making across talent and people operations, in partnership with the Director.
• Identify operational pain points and recommend process improvements or system changes to streamline workflows.
• Track, maintain, and report on people and talent data, including workforce demographics and diversity-related metrics.

Ownership of Talent & People Ops functions may shift temporarily based on organizational needs or capacity.

Recommended Qualifications

• A passion for and commitment to transforming education to ensure systemically marginalized young people achieve outcomes that lead to fulfilling lives and flourishing communities in the United States.
• An understanding of and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and viewpoint diversity.
• 4–7+ years of experience in talent operations, people operations, or HR roles with increasing ownership
• Experience managing end-to-end recruiting processes and running efficient, inclusive, high-quality searches
• Strong operational skills, including building and improving SOPs, coordinating across stakeholders, and ensuring consistent follow-through
• Experience supporting core people operations functions , including onboarding/offboarding, payroll support, benefits administration, and employee support
• Familiarity with federal and state employment requirements, ideally in a multi-state or remote environment
• Experience working with systems and data, including ATS (e.g., Greenhouse), HRIS (e.g., Paylocity), or similar tools, and maintaining data accuracy
• A proactive, problem-solving, and action-oriented mindset
• Experience supporting inclusive hiring practices and delivering an equitable candidate experience
• A commitment to Bellwether’s core values.
• HR certification (e.g., SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or similar) preferred

Compensation

The base salary range for this role for incoming team members is $95,000 to $107,500 annually, with eligibility for an annual performance bonus targeted at $5,375 based on individual and organizational success. While the final offer amount will be determined by multiple factors — including previous experience and content knowledge — and may vary from the stated range, Bellwether is committed to transparency, and all offers align with our compensation philosophy.

Bellwether provides competitive compensation and an attractive benefits package that includes a performance bonus based on individual and firm success, health care coverage, and a 401(k) plan with matching employer contributions.

To Apply

Use your online application — a custom letter of interest and a current resume — to show us you have the skills listed here or why the skills you have are the ones we actually need. You should also use your application materials to clearly highlight ways in which your background and experience align with Bellwether’s mission, including our commitment to helping young people furthest from opportunity. Please address your letter of interest to Hana Halleen, Director of People Operations. This role has a priority application deadline of May 15, 2026. While we prioritize applications received on or before that date, we will review applications as we receive them until the position is filled.

Note: Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the United States. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

Use of AI in Hiring

Our team may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of our hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, summarizing interviews, or assessing responses. These tools help our teams work efficiently, but they never replace human judgment. Every hiring decision is ultimately made by our team. If you have questions about how we process candidate data, please reach out to us.

Bellwether is committed to providing equal opportunities. It is our policy to ensure that all individuals with whom we are in contact are not discriminated against based on age, race, ethnicity, color, disability, gender identity, gender expression, political viewpoint, marital status, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Further, as described above, Bellwether is committed to building a diverse team and strongly encourages individuals from all backgrounds to apply.