Associate, People Operations

Title: Associate, People Operations 

Department: People & Culture  

Report to: Senior Manager, People Operations & Systems

Compensation: $28.03 - $32.98/Hour 

FLSA: Non-Exempt

Location/Hours: Hybrid – 3 days/week in office

All candidates must be within commutable distance of SEO’s offices at 55 Exchange Place, New York, NY 10005, upon hire.  

ABOUT SEO 

Founded in 1963 during the Civil Rights Movement, SEO closes educational and career opportunity gaps for 7,000 ambitious young people annually.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Associate, People Operations is a key member of the People & Culture team. This role is responsible for providing operations, data reporting, and systems support to the People & Culture sub-teams – Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, and Talent Management. The Associate, People Operations will support the optimization and automation of org-wide People & Culture initiatives, programs and processes. This role will engage with cross-functional team members nationally and gain foundational experience and training in human resources, including hiring, onboarding, HR policy & compliance, time & attendance, HR information system, and employee engagement. 

People Operations 

• Partner with the Senior Manager, People Ops & Systems on creating and maintaining clear SOPs, process maps and employee-facing how-to guides for the People & Culture team. 
• Maintain accurate employment records related to employee experience events such as hiring, termination, transfers, or promotions.
• Maintain quality, integrity, and confidentiality of all employee records and supporting files.
• Support new hire onboarding workflows and activities, including processing, reviewing, and filing I-9 forms for all new hires across the organization.
• Manage the HR customer service ticketing system (Zendesk) by assigning tickets to the right individuals on the People & Culture team to ensure employees receive timely, accurate responses. 
• Own the HR billing process to ensure all People & Culture team’s invoices are paid on a timely basis. 
• Complete monthly AMEX corporate card reconciliation for the People & Culture team. 
• Provide in-person P&C or organization-wide events support (e.g., panel interviews, manager training, SEO wellness days, SEO holiday parties, etc.) as needed.  
• Field external requests for employment verification requests. 
• Sort and scan sensitive HR mail and make sure the right information gets to the right people on the P&C team on a timely basis. 
• Identify potential problems and/or opportunities for improvement in key areas of responsibility.
• Provide administrative support to the People & Culture leadership team, including meeting coordination, note-taking, and assisting with various tasks, as needed.
• Cross-train and provide backup support to critical HR workflows for Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, and Talent Management, as needed. 
• Participate in special projects or taskforces in support of People & Culture team priorities.

People Data Reporting 

• Fulfill talent related data requests as well as ad-hoc, time-sensitive data requests for VP of People & Culture and other senior leaders. 
• Summarize data and trends to isolate key metrics across multiple People & Culture functional areas to support continuous improvement (e.g., Zendesk customer service metrics, HR Acuity metrics, L&D session feedback, etc.). 
• Assist in the execution of data integrity audits and HRIS data clean-up.  

HR Systems 

• Support the Senior Manager, People Ops & Systems on serving as the primary systems administrator for various HR systems (e.g., Paylocity, Greenhouse, Lattice, Awardco, HR Acuity, etc.) and launching new HR systems as the need arises. 
• Provide support and guidance to employees experiencing access or technical issues with various HR systems (e.g., Paylocity, Greenhouse, Lattice, Awardco, HR Acuity, etc.).  
• Partner with the Senior Manager, People Ops & Systems to compile reporting for file feed management and integration with various HR systems as well as optimize current file feed transcriptions with current and upcoming vendors.

QUALIFICATIONS 

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent working experience.  
• 2-3 years of experience in HR or people operations. 

COMPETENCIES & SKILLS

• Passion: A deep connection to and curiosity for SEO’s mission, vision, and core values.
• Customer Service Mindset: Ability to quickly and effectively respond to and partner with end users to solve challenges.
• Accountability: Accepting full responsibility for yourself, your actions, your impact, and your duties in service of SEO’s mission and values. High attention to detail and sense of responsibility for quality work product.
• Communication: Practiced written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills; must be comfortable addressing and engaging with different communities at various levels and through different mediums, including in-person, email, messaging platforms, and phone calls.
• Organizational Skills: Comfortable managing multiple competing priorities and meeting deadlines independently and as part of a larger team.
• Analytical and Data Reporting Skills: Advanced Excel skills and familiarity with various HR systems. 
• Technical Proficiency: Must be proficient in Microsoft Office applications, and adept at learning and using technology, systems, and processes. 
• Confidentiality: An unwavering commitment to upholding the trust in and reputation of SEO’s People & Culture team by keeping sensitive business and people matters private and practicing sound judgment in handling and communicating confidential information.  

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS  

SEO offers a competitive compensation package and comprehensive benefits plan including low-cost health, vision, and dental options, a generous holiday schedule and PTO policies, disability coverage, fully paid time off for new parents, and employer contributions to health reimbursement and retirement accounts. We are constantly working to improve our benefits each year based on the needs of our employees. We value wellness and strive to put people first and foremost. 

The compensation listed in this posting reflects what SEO believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and SEO reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. 

EEOC Policy

At SEO we are committed to cultivating a team that embodies the backgrounds and experiences of the constituencies we serve and the communities we live in, and a workplace that reflects the impact we make in the world. Candidates from all communities – including people of color, women, members of the LGBTQIA+ Community, veterans, and people with disabilities – are strongly encouraged to apply.

Equal Employment Opportunity is not just the law, it is our commitment.

Sponsors for Educational Opportunity is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer – M/F/D/V. We will consider all qualified applicants for employment regardless of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics, or any other legally protected status.

If you need accommodation while applying for a role with SEO, due to a disability, please email SEO Talent.

THE ORGANIZATION

Established in 1963 by Michael Osheowitz, SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity) is an educational non-profit founded on the belief that talent is everywhere; but opportunity is not. Our programs are designed to educate, train, mentor, and amplify the voices of our participants to give them a seat at the table – every table. We propel human potential.

SEO is an innovator in education, mentorship, and creating educational career opportunities that maximize the full potential of our participants. Each year SEO serves 7,000+ participants nationally, and the organization is widely recognized for developing best-in-class programs with exceptional results.

Not every SEO participant is on the same journey, but all are hungry for opportunity and SEO creates an ecosystem of excellence. Learn more about SEO's programs here: https://www.seo-usa.org/our-programs/. 

Client-provided location(s): New York, NY

Job ID: 8404644002

Employment Type: OTHER

Posted: 2026-02-04T23:34:58