HR Operations Manager in Iowa City, Iowa at Big Grove Brewery

*Open to remote if located in a market where a Big Grove Taproom exists

Summary/Objective

The HR Operations Manager owns the operational backbone of the Human Resources function, ensuring HR systems, employee data, benefits operations, compliance tracking, vendor partnerships, onboarding/offboarding controls, payroll-related HR audits, and recurring reporting are accurate, timely, and scalable.

This role is responsible for creating and maintaining strong HR infrastructure across Big Grove’s multi-location, multi-state organization. The HR Operations Manager partners closely with the Director of HR, payroll, recruiting, operations, external vendors, and location leaders to ensure HR processes are consistent, compliant, and supportive of a strong team member experience.

This person ensures the HR function runs smoothly behind the scenes so the department can better support employees, managers, and company growth.

Core Values

Big Grove only hires and retains people who exhibit our core values. Our Core Values are:

1. Set the Tone

2. Thirst for Improvement

3. We Care

4. Practice Candor

5. Passion Driven

You will be given a culture deck explaining these core values. The goal of our culture deck is to show you who we are as a company, and then you can decide if you personally align with us and are excited to begin a career here.

Essential Functions

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1. HR Operations & Process Ownership

   1. Own, improve, and document core HR processes to ensure consistency, accuracy, and scalability across all Big Grove locations.

   2. Build and maintain HR checklists, SOPs, workflows, calendars, and internal controls.

   3. Identify gaps, inefficiencies, and recurring issues within HR operations and recommend practical solutions.

   4. Ensure HR processes are clear, repeatable, and not dependent on individual memory or one-off follow-up.

2. HRIS Data Integrity

   1. Own HRIS data accuracy and recurring HR data audits.

   2. Maintain accurate employee records related to employment status, location, department, job code, manager, classification, pay rate, benefit eligibility, and other key HR data points.

   3. Partner with payroll to ensure HR data changes are accurate before payroll processing.

   4. Create and maintain reports that support HR, payroll, benefits, compliance, and leadership needs.

   5. Troubleshoot HRIS issues and coordinate with ADP or other system vendors as needed.

   6. Support system clean-up projects, process improvements, and data integrity initiatives.

3. Benefits Operations

   1. Own day-to-day benefits administration and benefits operations.

   2. Coordinate benefit eligibility tracking, new hire benefit handoffs, qualifying life events, benefit changes, and benefit termination processes.

   3. Partner with brokers, carriers, vendors, payroll, and Finance to resolve benefit issues and maintain accurate records.

   4. Audit benefit deductions, carrier invoices, enrollment data, and system feeds.

   5. Support open enrollment planning, communication, data preparation, and follow-up.

   6. Assist with benefit communication drafts, employee questions, and internal benefits resources.

   7. Coordinate with COBRA vendor to ensure timely and accurate COBRA triggers and issue resolution.

4. Vendor Management

   1. Serve as the primary day-to-day internal owner for HR operations vendors.

   2. Coordinate with vendors supporting leave administration, COBRA, ACA reporting, 401(k) administration, benefits, background checks, employment verifications, compliance posters, HRIS support, and other HR-related services.

   3. Track vendor issues, escalations, deadlines, service quality, and follow-through.

   4. Ensure vendors receive accurate and timely data.

   5. Maintain vendor documentation, contacts, workflows, and escalation paths.

   6. Partner with the Director of HR on vendor performance, renewals, and strategic vendor decisions.

5. ACA, 401(k), and Compliance Support

   1. Coordinate internal data gathering and vendor support for ACA reporting.

   2. Review ACA-related data for accuracy, including employment status, eligibility, offer of coverage information, termination/rehire data, and affordability-related information.

   3. Partner with payroll, Finance, brokers, and vendors to support accurate benefit and retirement plan administration.

   4. Coordinate with 401(k) vendors and/or 3(16) provider on eligibility, contribution data, employee issues, notices, annual reporting, census requests, and administrative follow-up.

   5. Maintain internal documentation related to ACA, 401(k), benefits, and other HR compliance activities.

   6. Escalate compliance concerns, recurring issues, or risk areas to the Director of HR.

6. Onboarding and Offboarding Controls

   1. Partner with the Generalist/Recruiter to support a clean and compliant onboarding process.

   2. Own the compliance controls behind onboarding, including I-9s, E-Verify, required acknowledgments, required training assignment/completion tracking, and employee file completeness.

   3. Audit new hire data for accuracy and completeness.

   4. Own the offboarding control process, including termination checklists, final pay handoffs, benefit termination handoffs, COBRA triggers, access/equipment coordination process, and separation documentation tracking.

   5. Partner with payroll to ensure timely and accurate termination-related payroll information.

   6. Maintain consistent employee lifecycle documentation standards.

7. Employee Relations

   1. Serve as the first point of contact for formal employee concerns, complaints, and workplace issues, providing timely, consistent, and professional support.

   2. Conduct and document employee relations investigations, including gathering statements, interviewing employees and managers, reviewing relevant information, and identifying appropriate next steps.

   3. Partner with managers on performance concerns, corrective action, conflict resolution, attendance issues, and other employee relations matters.

   4. Review and support written warnings, performance improvement plans, and other corrective action documentation to ensure consistency with company policies and practices.

   5. Identify employee relations matters that present heightened legal, compliance, safety, retaliation, harassment, discrimination, or reputational risk and escalate them to the Director of HR.

   6. Partner with the Director of HR on complex or high-risk investigations, providing documentation, background information, and investigative support as needed.

   7. Support termination decisions and processes, including reviewing documentation, assessing prior corrective action, and coordinating with the Director of HR when appropriate.

   8. Maintain accurate and confidential employee relations documentation and case records, including investigation notes, corrective actions, and resolution outcomes.

   9. Monitor employee relations trends across locations and recommend manager training, policy improvements, or operational changes when recurring issues are identified.

   10. Build manager capability through coaching and education so routine employee relations matters can be addressed effectively at the management level before escalating to HR.

8. Payroll Controls and HR-to-Payroll Audits

   1. Partner with the Payroll Specialist to ensure HR-related payroll inputs are accurate and timely.

   2. Own payroll-adjacent HR audits, including new hire, termination, job change, pay rate, location, job code, benefit deduction, and status-change audits.

   3. Maintain payroll change documentation and approval tracking.

   4. Support final pay checklists and offboarding payroll controls.

   5. Help identify process gaps that create payroll risk or rework.

   6. Serve as a backup resource for payroll process documentation and continuity planning, without being the primary payroll processor.

9. Compliance Calendar, Audits, and Employee Records

   1. Own and maintain the HR compliance calendar.

   2. Coordinate recurring audits related to employee files, I-9s, E-Verify, required training, handbook acknowledgments, benefits notices, state-specific requirements, alcohol/service training tracking, minor employee documentation, and other HR compliance items.

   3. Maintain organized and compliant employee records.

   4. Support preparation for internal reviews, external audits, benefits audits, workers’ comp audits, and HR-related reporting requests.

   5. Identify missing, incomplete, or inconsistent documentation and drive timely resolution.

10. Workers’ Compensation and Unemployment Coordination

    1. Coordinate workers’ compensation administration, documentation, carrier communication, medical restriction tracking, return-to-work follow-up, and claim status tracking.

    2. Support OSHA recordkeeping and injury-related documentation as needed.

    3. Coordinate unemployment claims documentation, fact gathering, vendor communication, hearing support, and outcome tracking.

    4. Escalate complex claims, retaliation concerns, discipline overlap, accommodation issues, or high-risk matters to the Director of HR.

11. Cross-Functional Partnership

    1. Partner with HR, payroll, operations, Taproom leaders, Production leaders, and external vendors to solve problems and improve HR processes.

    2. Communicate clearly and professionally with employees, managers, and vendors.

    3. Provide practical support while maintaining confidentiality, accuracy, and strong follow-through.

    4. Represent HR as a credible, organized, service-minded, and solutions-oriented partner.

Competencies

• HR Operations Acumen: Strong understanding of HR systems, employee lifecycle processes, benefits administration, compliance tracking, employee records, and HR controls.
• Attention to Detail: Ability to manage high-volume, detail-sensitive work with accuracy and consistency.
• Systems Thinking: Ability to build repeatable processes, identify gaps, and improve how work flows across departments.
• Data Integrity: Strong commitment to accurate employee data, clean reporting, and reliable documentation.
• Compliance Mindset: Understands the importance of deadlines, documentation, confidentiality, and risk management.
• Project Management: Ability to manage multiple priorities, recurring deadlines, vendors, audits, and process improvements at the same time.
• Communication: Clear verbal and written communication skills with employees, managers, vendors, and leadership.
• Problem Solving: Ability to identify root causes, recommend practical solutions, and follow through to completion.
• Confidentiality and Judgment: Handles sensitive employee, payroll, benefit, medical, and compliance information with discretion.
• Vendor Management: Ability to hold vendors accountable, coordinate data, track issues, and escalate concerns appropriately.
• Adaptability: Comfortable working in a fast-moving, multi-location environment with changing priorities.
• Service Orientation: Balances compliance and accuracy with a helpful, employee-centered approach.