People Operations Manager

Overview

SF New Deal (SFND) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides supportive services and financial opportunities for small businesses in San Francisco. Our mission is to strengthen neighborhoods by making it easier for under-resourced small business owners to succeed. We envision and are building towards a vibrant San Francisco with diverse and thriving small businesses.

Our team is growing rapidly to build and deliver innovative and responsive community-centered solutions to some of San Francisco’s most persistent challenges. Since our launch in March 2020, we’ve had significant impact and disbursed over $60 million dollars to over 2000 small businesses citywide through a host of diverse programs. Our work is funded through private donations and government contracts.

We’re a team of collaborative optimists and would love to have you join and build with us.

About the role:

The People Operations Manager works across the SF New Deal team to ensure our team members are set up for success by providing ongoing support, training, and guidance. From hiring and onboarding to creating systems that exemplify best practices and team culture building, the People Operations Manager will work both with individuals and the team at large to help SF New Deal and our team members expand our capacity and capability to deliver on our mission and advance our organizational values.

The ideal candidate is an observant and adept problem-solver, an empathetic listener, a confident decision-maker, and tactful communicator. They are comfortable switching between many different hats and are able to work both independently as well as in close collaboration with others.

The ideal candidate is able to navigate situations involving many stakeholders, is an agile self-starter, possesses exceptional people skills, and is motivated to leverage their professional experience and coaching abilities to provide the best possible outcomes for our team members and community members we serve.

Key Responsibilities

People Operations & Compliance

• Owns payroll, benefits administration, PTO and leave tracking, HRIS, and personnel records
• Accountable for compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, with a focus on California and San Francisco requirements
• Maintains and updates the employee handbook, policies, and required documentation
• Serves as a trusted and approachable resource for employee questions related to HR policies and benefits
• Supports employee relations, including listening to concerns, resolving workplace issues, addressing conflicts, and proactively identifying potential employment matters

Recruiting, Hiring & Onboarding

• Owns and drives the recruiting and hiring across departments, from role scoping through onboarding
• Partners with leadership and hiring managers to define role needs, success criteria, compensation alignment, and best practices
• Designs and manages hiring processes, including job description templates, interview frameworks, and evaluation tools
• Maintains recruiting systems and improves time‑to‑hire and candidate experience
• Coordinates and standardizes onboarding and offboarding practices to ensure staff are set up for success culturally and operationally

Performance Management & Engagement

• Owns SF New Deal’s performance review process, including timelines, tools, and completion tracking
• Supports managers with guidance on feedback, performance conversations, and documentation
• Designs and administers engagement surveys and pulse checks
• Synthesizes engagement data and staff feedback into themes and recommendations for leadership

Culture and Staff Experience

• Fosters a positive and inclusive culture across a remote-first workforce.
• Designs and stewards staff experience and culture-building initiatives that support connection, learning, and alignment
• Leads the design and facilitation of monthly enrichment sessions
• Owns the planning, coordination, and execution of bimonthly (every other month) half-day, in-person team meetups and neighborhood engagement events, including all logistics (scheduling, venues, catering, run-of-show, and follow-up).
• Serves as the primary point of contact and relationship lead for SF New Deal’s coworking office space in SPUR’s Urban Center building on Mission Street downtown
• Documents insights and feedback from enrichment activities, in-person events, and coworking usage to inform leadership decisions

Organizational Effectiveness, Leadership Support & Systems

• Serves as an advisor to the Executive Director and leadership team on people systems and team effectiveness
• Coaches directors and managers through people-related challenges
• Translates mission and values into consistent day-to-day staff experience through systems, norms, and documentation
• Owns People Ops documentation and internal resources, including the development and maintenance of a People Playbook
• Manages contractors delivering specialized HR services (e.g., IT and tech stack management for the organization)

You'll be a fit if you:

• Are excited to approach challenges from new perspectives.
• Are passionate about advancing equitable pathways in entrepreneurship
• Have a bias towards action
• Are an empathetic, collaborative, and values-driven team player
• Are self-directed and proactive; able to identify problems or areas of improvement, propose solutions, and prioritize effectively
• Are excited about the prospect of helping small businesses and communities build a resilient and vibrant San Francisco.
• Are passionate about organizational culture-building and how to foster trust, cohesion, and collaboration.
• Are able to work independently and collaboratively with remote team members
• Have a strong attention to detail, are extremely organized, and thrive managing multiple projects
• Are excited to use technology to apply a data-driven approach to problem solving
• Are an optimist who loves San Francisco!

Communication:

The People Operations Manager will:

• Report to the Executive Director and work in close partnership with the SF New Deal leadership team and managers to build a respectful and high-functioning team culture.
• Respond kindly and promptly to queries via email, text and Slack during set hours, to help cultivate positive working relationships
• Be comfortable supporting people operations for a remote-first team.
• Provide open, honest and regular feedback to all SFND team members as needed. Our ability to provide excellent service begins with our commitment to meeting the needs of our own team members and providing feedback when things are not working or need adjustment. All SFND team members are encouraged to flag things that aren’t working early and often, and to work directly with team members to resolve matters in a professional way.

Across all platforms, the SF New Deal People Operations Manager is expected to always act professionally, use good judgment, and bring a hospitality mindset to service.

In all interactions, the People Operations Manager should strive to thoughtfully and empathetically manage expectations with candidates, external partners and team members with clarity and consistency.

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in people operations with specific experience using technology to enhance collaboration and communication.
• Working knowledge of HR policies, employment practices, and applicable employment laws; California experience preferred.
• Experience administering HR tools and systems (e.g., payroll and HRIS systems).
• Direct project management experience
• A proactive problem-solver who takes ownership and follows through
• Highly-organized, dependable, discreet and able to manage confidential information
• Experience working with diverse teams on dynamic projects
• Excellent relationship-building skills
• Excellent analytical and communication skills
• A sense of humor and high EQ

Employment Classification: Full-time, salaried, exempt

Weekly Hours: 40 hrs/week

Preferred Work Days: Monday - Friday

Salary Range: $90,000-$110,000

Reports to: Executive Director

Benefits: Medical, dental and vision insurance; paid time off; 401(k); annual work-from-home stipend and monthly internet/phone and wellness stipends; and professional development.

Location: This role is primarily remote/work from home and requires significant time on the computer and phone. SF New Deal has a downtown co-working space available to all employees. The ideal candidate is based in or near San Francisco. The role requires attendance at 8-12 in-person team events per year, including an annual top-of-the-year kickoff, a mid-year sync, and at least six culture and team-building events in neighborhoods across San Francisco.

Apply here: http://bit.ly/4075HQc

Research has shown that women and people from marginalized communities apply to roles when they meet 100% of the job requirements, versus men who apply if they meet an average of 60% of the requirements. We encourage EVERYONE to apply if you have transferable skills and can add value to this role, regardless of whether you have 100% of the skills and experience requested.

We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply, especially people from communities of color, the LGBTQ+ community, veterans, and people with disabilities. No matter your background, our new People Operations Manager must advocate for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. We look forward to receiving your application. SF New Deal is an equal opportunity employer; people of color and individuals from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic background, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, or disability. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Medical, dental and vision insurance; paid time off; 401(k); annual work-from-home stipend and monthly internet/phone and wellness stipends; and professional development.