People Operations Manager

Job DescriptionJob Description

The Organization:

Taylor Universitys mission is to cultivate servant-leaders with a passion for sharing Christs redemptive love, grace, and truth with a world in need. As a community, faculty, staff, and students are dedicated to living out Christs love and truth in every aspect of life, worshiping together, serving one another, and growing in faithwhether in the classroom, on the field, in chapel, or anywhere we engage in Life Together. This commitment fosters a culture defined by servant leadership, purpose, joy, hospitality, and excellence.

The Position:

The People Operations team at Taylor University fulfills three core roles:

• Serve People by providing an attentive and helpful spirit, timely responses, and meaningful solutions to employees throughout the employee lifecycle: Selection, Welcoming, Developing, and Transitioning.
• Execute Effective People Processes by ensuring smooth, consistent, and compliant operations across the employee lifecycle, including compensation, benefits, and payroll.
• Develop People & Strengthen Culture by building operating rhythms that foster a thriving, mission-driven organization. These rhythms include strengthening the leadership team, implementing a talent cycle, establishing a management standard, measuring organizational health, and creating learning journeys. Together, these efforts help develop a strong pipeline of leaders, managers, contributors, and teams equipped to fulfill Taylors mission now and into the future.

The People Operations Manager plays a senior role in advancing all three core areas of People Operations. This position leads the employee lifecycle processes of Selection, Welcoming, Developing, and Transitioning by establishing consistent systems, coaching managers, and stewarding Taylors organizational practices. The Manager serves as a subject matter expert on employee relations, compliance, and people practices, ensuring alignment with institutional values, legal requirements, and emerging best practices. This role requires strong leadership, discretion, cross-functional collaboration, and a strategic mindset to support both people and process development across the university.

Responsibilities:

Employee Lifecycle Leadership

• Design, document, and continuously improve the employee lifecycle processes (Selection, Welcoming, Developing, Transitioning) in partnership with departments and senior leadership.
• Serve as a strategic partner to hiring managers and department heads by guiding role design, recruitment strategies, interview processes, onboarding, and internal transitions.
• Develop and maintain employee lifecycle tools, templates, and training to ensure consistency and clarity in processes across campus.
• Lead institutional onboarding and efforts, ensuring a cohesive, mission-driven employee experience.
• Partner with leadership to identify and address trends and gaps in development, performance, or retention.

Employee Relations

• Provide coaching and support to supervisors and managers on performance management, conflict resolution, and team dynamics.
• Conduct and document employee relations conversations, including performance concerns, policy violations, or workplace climate issues, ensuring professionalism and consistency.
• Collaborate with managers and employees to resolve issues in a way that aligns with institutional values, policy, and legal requirements.
• Coordinate investigation and resolution of employee complaints and grievances in a fair and timely manner.

Legal Compliance and Policy Leadership

• Serve as the department lead for legal and regulatory compliance related to employment, including FLSA, FMLA, ADA, Title VII, and other federal/state laws.
• Oversee the review, development, and communication of policies and procedures that promote compliance, clarity, and fairness.
• Partner with legal counsel as needed for complex employee relations matters, policy development, or documentation needs.
• Equip managers and campus leaders with training and resources to ensure understanding and adherence to employment laws and institutional policies.

People Operations Initiatives and Team Collaboration

• Contribute to strategic People Operations initiatives such as the Best Christian Workplaces engagement survey, performance management cycle, and compensation planning.
• Lead or co-lead assigned projects and cross-functional initiatives; manage scope, timeline, and deliverables.
• Serve as a key collaborator and thought partner to the Chief People Officer on people-related strategies and planning.
• Cross-train in payroll and student employment processes to provide support during absences or peak periods.
• Participate in institutional working groups and committees to represent People Operations and advance organizational goals.

Qualifications:

Required

• Testify to personal experience of salvation in Jesus Christ, affirm belief in the Universitys Statement of Faith, abide by and practice our Life Together Covenant, and both personally agree with and support the Foundational Documents of Taylor University.
• Bachelors degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, or related field
• 57 years of progressive experience in human resources or people operations
• Demonstrated experience managing employee relations, HR compliance, and organizational development initiatives
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to coach leaders and build trust across diverse teams
• Sound judgment and discretion in handling sensitive matters
• Experience leading or significantly contributing to HR projects, policy development, or change management efforts
• Proficiency with HRIS and applicant tracking systems, with a preference for NeoEd

• Masters degree in Human Resources, Organizational Leadership, or a related field
• Experience in higher education or nonprofit settings
• Certification such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR

Salary & Benefits:

• $70-90k, based on experience
• Insurance benefits: Health, dental, prescription medication
• Generous retirement plan with an employer contribution of 6%
• Tuition remission and continuing education opportunities available for Taylor employees & their dependents