People Operations Manager, Benefits & Compliance

Job Details: Job Location: Multi-site : Interim Housing Programs - Oakland, CA, Salary Range: $100000.00 - $120000.00Salary/year, About Cardea Health:  

Cardea Health is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing compassionate health care to marginalized populations.  

Mission Statement:

Our mission is to create and support programs that protect the health and autonomy of vulnerable individuals and promote equity and social justice to improve the well-being of our entire community. Compassionate care for vulnerable populations. 

Workplace Culture:

Cardea is dedicated to creating a workplace that celebrates diversity and actively seeks to include underrepresented communities. We believe that diversity drives innovation and fosters a more dynamic, inclusive, and productive work environment. We value unique perspectives, experiences, and talents, and we are committed to providing equitable opportunities for growth and advancement. Join us in building a team that reflects the rich diversity of our society and let's make a positive impact together. 

Our Cardea CARE(S) Values include: 

Compassion 
Big heart, steady presence 

Accountability 
We own it: the work, the follow-through, the impact. 

Respect 
We assume good intent and keep it real  

Engagement 
We lean in and figure it out together. 

Support 
We’ve got each other across roles, teams, and sites. 

These values guide how we care for residents, collaborate with colleagues, and represent Cardea Health in the community. 

Primary Work Location: OTC with some travel to different sites across the Bay Area. 

The primary work location for this role is at a new program at the Radisson hotel in Oakland. Training will occur at other locations in the Bay Area. This program is one of several Cardea Health transitional housing programs for medically complex and behaviorally vulnerable unhoused individuals. Cardea Health’s transitional housing programs work with a variety of different referring partners across Alameda County. Our transitional housing programs provide supportive services including onsite nurse and caregiver supports, transportation to medical appointments, meals, housing support linkage, and more. 

Job Summary:   

The People Operations Manager, Benefits & Compliance serves as a strategic partner within the People & Culture team, responsible for overseeing benefits administration, leave and accommodation programs, HR compliance, employee records, workers' compensation, HR systems, and workforce reporting. This role ensures organizational compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws while driving operational excellence across the employee lifecycle. 

The Manager serves as a trusted advisor to leaders on employee relations, leave management, accommodations, benefits strategy, and compliance matters. This position partners cross-functionally to develop scalable processes, improve employee experience, mitigate organizational risk, and support the organization's people strategy.. 
About the Role::
Job Duties & Responsibilities:  

Benefits, Leaves, and Accommodations 

Manage the day-to-day administration and execution of employee benefits programs, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, retirement plans, wellness initiatives, and voluntary benefits. 

Serve as the primary point of contact for employee benefits questions, escalations, enrollments, qualifying life events, and benefit issue resolution. 

Lead the annual open enrollment process, including employee communications, training, system readiness, audits, and vendor coordination. 

Partner with benefits brokers, carriers, and third-party administrators to ensure accurate administration and timely resolution of issues. 

Oversee the administration of leave of absence programs, including FMLA, CFRA, ADA-related leave, pregnancy disability leave, paid family leave, workers' compensation leaves, and applicable state and local leave programs. 

Manage the end-to-end leave administration process, including intake, documentation, tracking, employee communications, manager guidance, and return-to-work coordination. 

Administer and coordinate the interactive process for workplace accommodations in partnership with employees, managers, and healthcare providers. 

Ensure accommodation and leave cases are documented, tracked, and administered consistently and in compliance with applicable laws and organizational policies. 

Workers Compensation:

Manage day-to-day workers' compensation administration, including claim reporting, claim tracking, modified duty coordination, return-to-work planning, and communication with carriers and administrators.

Audits and Compliance 

Conduct regular audits of benefits, leave, employee records, I-9 documentation, HRIS data, personnel files, and compliance-related processes. 

Ensure timely completion of required compliance activities, notices, reporting, postings, and employee documentation. 

Monitor operational compliance with employment laws, regulations, and internal policies, escalating concerns and trends to leadership as needed. 

Partner closely with the Director of HR Compliance and other People & Culture leaders to implement compliance initiatives, policy updates, corrective actions, and process improvements. 

Support internal and external audits by gathering records, preparing documentation, responding to information requests, and implementing corrective actions as necessary. 

Participate in organizational projects related to compliance, HR technology, employee experience, process improvement, and operational effectiveness. 

Support employee relations investigations and documentation efforts as requested by People & Culture leadership. 

HRIS (Paycom) System Management:

Administer HRIS processes and maintain the integrity, accuracy, and confidentiality of employee data. 

Oversee employee status changes, job changes, compensation updates, organizational changes, and related HR system transactions. 

Develop, document, and maintain standard operating procedures for People Operations programs and processes. 

Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, service delivery, employee experience, and administrative effectiveness across People Operations functions. 

Partner with Payroll to ensure accurate processing of leave-related pay, benefits deductions, benefit reconciliations, and employee status changes. 

Prepare, analyze, and maintain reports, metrics, and dashboards related to benefits, leave administration, compliance activities, HR operations, and workforce data. 

General Support:

Ensure a high level of confidentiality, professionalism, accuracy, and customer service in all employee interactions. 

Provide guidance to managers regarding benefits administration, leave management, accommodations, employee documentation requirements, and company policies. 

Serve as an escalation point for complex operational issues within assigned functional areas. 

May provide oversight, training, work direction, or mentorship to People Operations support staff, coordinators, interns, or other team members. 

Performs other duties and special projects as assigned. 

Basic Qualifications: 

Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible Human Resources experience, including benefits administration, leave administration, HR operations, or employee lifecycle support. 

Working knowledge of California employment laws, HR compliance requirements, wage and hour regulations, and employee recordkeeping requirements. 

Experience administering employee benefits programs, including enrollments, qualifying life events, employee communications, and vendor coordination. 

Experience supporting leave administration, including FMLA, CFRA, California paid leave programs, and related compliance requirements. 

Experience coordinating workplace accommodations and managing related documentation and tracking processes. 

Experience administering or coordinating workers' compensation claims and return-to-work processes. 

Experience utilizing HRIS platforms, employee data management systems, and reporting tools. 

Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and confidential information. 

Strong customer service, communication, and problem-solving skills. 

Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, Word, and Outlook. 

Preferred Skills & Qualifications:  

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field. 

PHR, SHRM-CP, CEBS, or other HR-related certification. 

Experience supporting healthcare, nonprofit, behavioral health, community health, or multi-site organizations. 

Advanced knowledge of California leave laws, including CFRA, Paid Family Leave (PFL), Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL), and other applicable state and local leave requirements. 

Experience managing ADA accommodations, interactive process coordination, and disability-related employment matters. 

Experience with Paycom or a comparable HRIS platform. 

Experience developing HR metrics, dashboards, workforce reports, and analytics. 

Experience supporting annual open enrollment planning and benefits renewals. 

Experience conducting HR audits, compliance reviews, and process improvement initiatives. 

Experience supporting organizations with 300+ employees and geographically dispersed teams. 

Bilingual in Spanish and/or Tagalog are a plus.

Physical Requirements:

Occasional sitting or stationary work 

Frequent standing, walking, kneeling, stooping, and ascending stairs 

Occasional lifting and carrying up to 20 lbs 

Frequent pushing and pulling 

Frequent reaching high, low, and level 

Work Environment:   

Cardea Health program locations operate within supportive housing, interim housing, medical respite, and community-based environments serving individuals experiencing homelessness and other vulnerable populations. 

Employees may interact with individuals experiencing: 

Cardea Health is committed to trauma-informed, person-centered, and harm-reduction-oriented service delivery. Employees are expected to interact with residents, visitors, community partners, and colleagues in a professional, respectful, and compassionate manner. Given the population we serve, employees may interact with or provide services to individuals who may have co-occurring medical, behavioral health or substance use conditions. 

Benefits: 

Employees in this role may be eligible for a range of benefits, including:  

Employer-supported medical  

Access to dental and vision insurance  

Paid vacation and sick time  

Retirement plan (401k) participation with a company match  

Commuter benefits  

Long Term Disability  

Life Insurance 

Eligibility for certain benefits may vary based on hours worked per week and length of employment  

Specific details are provided in the benefits guide and are subject to change 

Cardea Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer: 

Cardea Health is committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or gender expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, disability, citizenship or veteran status. We will consider qualified candidates with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the state of California and San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. 

This job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties, or responsibilities for this role. Activities, duties, or responsibilities may change, or a new job description may be assigned at any time with or without notice.