People Operations Manager

• Join a world-class team of scientists, researchers, and entrepreneurs building the future of drug discovery.

• Partner with leadership to shape how a fast-growing company operates day-to-day.

• Build and scale foundational HR systems, processes, and culture in a high-growth environment.

• Operate with trust, ownership, and transparency in a mission-driven company advancing science and technology.

Achira is seeking an experienced, people-focused operations Manager to lead the people team for an early-stage, high-growth start-up. This role oversees the full employee experience from recruiting and onboarding to performance management, employee relations, and compliance while helping shape a positive, productive workplace culture. The ideal candidate is a strategic leadership partner as well as a trusted resource for employees at every level.

• Manage full-cycle recruiting: job postings, recruiter relations, interviews, reference checks, and offer negotiation

• Oversee onboarding and offboarding processes to ensure smooth employee transitions

• Develop and administer HR policies, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws

• Manage employee relations issues, including conflict resolution, disciplinary actions, and investigations

• Lead performance management processes, including reviews, goal-setting, and improvement plans in collaboration with leadership

• Administer compensation and benefits programs, including open enrollment and annual review cycles

• Partner with team leads and project mgmt. on workforce planning, org design, and headcount needs

• Maintain and improve HR systems (HRIS), records, and reporting in coordination with third party vendor support

• Engage with legal counsel on immigration issues and visa processing ultimately shifting to in-house processes

• Drive employee engagement initiatives and culture-building programs in partnership with leadership

• Manage training and professional development programs in partnership with leadership

• Ensure health, safety, and compliance standards are met across the organization

• Prepare HR metrics and reports for leadership (turnover, retention, headcount, etc.)

• Oversee compliance associated with benefit plans and employee policies

• Flexibility in covering administrative responsibilities outside of HR

• Bachelor's degree

• 5+ years of progressive HR experience, including 2+ years in a management or supervisory capacity

• Strong knowledge of employment law, state requirements, HR best practices, and compliance requirements

• Experience with HRIS platforms (e.g., Workday, ADP, or similar)

• Excellent interpersonal, conflict-resolution, and communication skills

• Proven ability to handle confidential information with discretion

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail

• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification preferred

• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and keep operations running smoothly

• Strong problem-solver who is proactive, resourceful, and able to act independently

• Excellent interpersonal skills; you create a positive, welcoming environment and communicate effectively across teams

• Comfortable with basic tools (Google Workspace, Slack, Notion, etc.) and not afraid to learn new skills

• Hands-on and adaptable — excited to roll up your sleeves and build processes in a fast-paced, evolving environment

• Mission-driven and motivated to support a team advancing drug discovery

• Experience in managing employees in science, technology, or research fields

• Commitment to equity and employee engagement

• Experience supporting a distributed or hybrid workforce

• Data-driven approach to HR decision-making