People Operations Specialist

People Operations SpecialistChicago, ILWho we are: Founded in 2001, Vivid Seats (NASDAQ: SEAT) is a leading online ticket marketplace committed to becoming the ultimate partner for connecting fans to the live events, artists, and teams they love. We believe in the power of experiences and are fiercely dedicated to building products that inspire human connections. Named as one of Built In's top places to work in 2025, we believe that our People are our greatest competitive advantage. To support our People, we have built a company culture that empowers our employees to embrace challenges, encourages unity through collaboration, and seeks to constantly evolve by leveraging data and inspiring innovation.We believe in harnessing emerging technology to power performance and unlock creativity. As part of our culture of innovation, we actively embrace the use of AI tools to enhance decision-making, improve workflows, and produce better outcomes for our customers.The Opportunity:How your role contributes to the success of Vivid Seats: The People Operations Specialist is a critical member of the People team responsible for delivering a best-in-class employee experience through the efficient administration of people processes and programs. This role serves as the primary point of contact for employee questions related to HR, benefits, leave administration, and employment lifecycle events while ensuring operational excellence, data integrity, and compliance.The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented and thrives in a fast-paced environment. They possess a proactive, problem-solving mindset, strong multitasking abilities, and a commitment to delivering accurate and timely People support. This role requires the ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining confidentiality and providing exceptional service to employees and business partners.Administer and maintain employee lifecycle transactions within the HRIS, including onboarding, offboarding, employee changes, promotions, transfers, and organizational updates.Serve as the first point of contact for employee inquiries regarding benefits, leave programs, payroll-related issues, and general employment matters.Monitor and triage the shared HR inbox in partnership with HRBPs, ensuring employee requests are appropriately routed, addressed, escalated, and followed up on in a timely manner.Maintain accurate employee records and perform HRIS data entry, audits, and updates with a strong focus on data integrity and compliance.Prepare and process employment-related documentation, including employment verification letters, employee communications, and other HR correspondence.Support immigration-related processes by partnering with employees, managers, legal counsel, and external vendors to collect documentation, maintain records, and facilitate visa and work authorization processes as needed.Partner closely with Payroll to ensure employee data changes are accurately reflected in HRIS systems, the internal tracker and processed appropriately for payroll and auditing purposes.Coordinate and administer employee leave programs, including medical, parental, personal, and statutory leaves, while ensuring compliance with applicable regulations and company policies.Administer employee benefits programs, including enrollments, life event changes, terminations, vendor communications, and employee education.Lead the annual Open Enrollment process from planning and communications through implementation, auditing, and employee support in partnership with the Manager of People Operations.Perform benefit reconciliations, audit carrier invoices, and resolve discrepancies in partnership with vendors and internal stakeholders.Develop, draft, and distribute employee communications related to benefits, policies, people initiatives, and organizational updates, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and a positive employee experience.Support HR compliance activities and programs, including employment eligibility verification, record retention, required trainings, workplace notices, policy administration and communications, employee acknowledgments, audits, and regulatory reporting to support adherence to federal, state, and local employment requirements.Collaborate with internal teams and external vendors to ensure the smooth delivery of people programs and services.Identify opportunities to improve processes, enhance operational efficiency, and elevate the employee experience.How your role expectations will progress as a People Operations Specialist in the first 30, 90, and 180 days:30 days in:Complete new hire orientation, gaining the resources you need to be successful.Learn how ticket marketplaces operate and how you'll contribute to providing great experiences for our customers.Build relationships across the People Team and key business stakeholders while becoming familiar with company culture, values, policies, and operating practices.Learn and become proficient in HR systems, benefits platforms, employee programs, and internal workflows.Begin supporting the HR inbox and responding to routine employee inquiries with guidance from the People Operations team.Gain familiarity with onboarding, offboarding, leave management, benefits administration, payroll processes, and employee data management practices.90 days in:Contribute to People Operations processes, programs, and technologies that support business objectives and improve team efficiency.Build and maintain effective relationships with employees and critical internal and external stakeholders.Independently manage employee lifecycle transactions, including onboarding, offboarding, employee changes, and HRIS updates.Serve as a trusted first point of contact for employee questions related to benefits, leave administration, and general People Operations matters.Demonstrate ownership of HR inbox management, employee communications, and routine benefits administration activities.Support payroll processes through accurate HRIS data maintenance and timely coordination with payroll partners.180 days in:Apply methods to execute individual tasks that positively impacts the team.Play an active role in continued learnings to advance skill sets necessary for team goals.Independently administer key People Operations programs, including benefits administration, leave management, and HRIS maintenance.Lead or significantly contribute to benefits reconciliations, compliance activities, employee communications, and process improvement initiatives.Serve as a reliable partner to employees and managers by providing timely, accurate, and solutions-oriented support.Identify opportunities to improve employee experience, streamline processes, strengthen data integrity, and enhance operational efficiency across the People function.Play a key role in supporting Open Enrollment planning and execution, HR compliance activities, and other strategic People Operations projects.What You'll Bring:Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or experience in a related role.Experience supporting core HR functions, including onboarding, offboarding, benefits administration, leave management, HRIS administration, and employee support.Working knowledge of HRIS platforms, with Workday experience preferred.Familiarity with payroll support, employee data management, benefits administration, Open Enrollment, and benefits reconciliation.Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to create employee communications and HR documentation.Exceptional attention to detail, organizational skills, and commitment to data accuracy and confidentiality.Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment while maintaining a high level of customer service.Proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently.Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel.How We Operate - SEAT Principles:Strategic: We're intentional about where we compete and how we win. Focus on what matters most - anticipate future needs before making decisions, align on measurable impact, and make deliberate tradeoffs. Efficient: Simplify the work - build scalable processes, make timely decisions, and reflect on learnings to improve execution. We move fast by doing the right things the right way. Accountable: We take ownership from start to finish. Invest in the outcome - define what success looks like, ensure handoffs are clear, and follow through until results are delivered. Together: We win as a team or we don't win at all. All work matters - support shared goals, provide context openly, and give feedback that helps make us stronger.Vivid Seats Pay Transparency Disclaimer: Full time offers from Vivid Seats include annual bonus incentives; FLEX PTO; mental health days; medical, dental, and vision insurance; 401K matching; quarterly credits and discounts for attending live events; and a variety of additional workplace perks. The typical starting salary within the full salary range for this position can range. Factors which may affect starting salary include geographic market, relevant skills/experience, education, and other qualifications.Salary: $55,000-$7