People Operations Specialist

Job Summary People Operations Specialist MaryAnns Baking Company Full-time In-Office | Sacramento, CA, United States The Opportunity At its core, this isn't just a "back-office" role. You are the engine room of the employee experience. We are looking for a People Operations Specialist who finds equal joy in the meticulous detail of a perfectly balanced payroll run and the strategic nuances of designing a competitive compensation package. You’ll be the go-to expert for the "nuts and bolts" of employment—benefits, leaves, and pay—while acting as a trusted consultant to our leadership team and a creative spark for our engagement initiatives. Responsibilities 1. Payroll & Compensation Administration The Paycheck Guardian: Manage end-to-end weekly payroll processing, ensuring 100% accuracy, and timeliness. Comp Strategy: Assist in the design and maintenance of compensation structures. You’ll perform market benchmarking to ensure we aren’t just "competitive" on paper, but actually attractive to top-tier talent. Cycles: Lead annual bonus distributions, providing data-driven recommendations. Audit Ready: Maintain "impeccable" records. You’ll be the primary point of contact for payroll audits and reporting. 2. Benefits & Leave of Absence (LOA) The Benefits Guide: Act as the primary resource for employees navigating health plans, 401(k) enrollments, and wellness perks. You make the complex stuff sound simple. Support During Life Events: Manage the full lifecycle of Leaves of Absence (FMLA, Disability, Parental Leave, etc.). You’ll ensure employees feel supported while keeping the company compliant with federal and state regulations. Open Enrollment: Assist in the annual benefits renewal process and lead the communication rollout to the front-line teams. 3. Leadership Consulting & Data Insights Front-Line Partner: You won’t just sit in the office. You’ll consult directly with front-line managers to resolve pay disputes, interpret policies, and advise on best practices. Process Improvement: Spot a bottleneck? Fix it. You’ll constantly look for ways to streamline how we do things. HRIS Mastery: Maintain the integrity of our HRIS data, pulling reports that tell the story of our workforce. 4. Employee Engagement & Culture Culture Catalyst: Collaborate with the broader People team to design and execute engagement activities—ranging from wellness challenges to team-building events. Feedback Integration: Help analyze engagement survey data and work with the team to implement changes that improve the day-to-day lives of our team. Experience/Qualifications The Ideal Candidate "You’re someone who treats a payroll error like a personal affront, but handles a sensitive leave request with the empathy of a close friend." Qualifications: Experience: 3–5 years in People Operations or HR, with a heavy focus on payroll and benefits. The Technical Stuff: Deep familiarity with FLSA, FMLA, ERISA, and state-specific labor laws. Systems Savvy: Experience navigating HRIS platforms (e.g., ADP, Workday, UKG, or Paycom) and a black belt in Microsoft Excel (VLOOKUPs and Pivot Tables are your best friends). Communication: You can explain a 401(k) vesting schedule or a health insurance deductible to a non-expert without making their head spin. Discretion: You handle sensitive data with the highest level of confidentiality—it’s not just a requirement; it’s your default setting. What's in it for you? (Salary, Commissions & Benefits) We offer more than just a desk and a laptop. You’ll have the autonomy to build processes from the ground up, the support to grow your career into strategic HR leadership, and a team that actually enjoys each other's company. On-site position based in Sacramento, CA — work from our local office and collaborate face-to-face with the team Competitive base salary as the core component of the compensation package Attractive benefits plan with a strong 401(k) match. Ready to build the future of our workplace? Let’s talk.