People Operations Manager

People Operations / HR Manager Location: Greater Denver area strongly preferred. Remote candidates in the Central, Mountain, or Pacific time zones are welcome to apply. Reports to: COO Travel: Regular travel expected. Visit our Denver and San Francisco offices at least once per quarter each, attend quarterly leadership meetings, and join us for Camp Rocky Talkie Summer Jam, our annual 3-night summer retreat. About Rocky Talkie Rocky Talkie is committed to making easy-to-use, high-performance communication products for use in adventure sports and business. We're a growing, outdoor-driven brand with a tight-knit team that values ownership, honesty, and getting better every season. At Rocky Talkie, we're driven by the belief that better communication in the backcountry can save lives. As part of this mission, we donate $2 per radio sold to search and rescue teams around the country, supporting those who help keep outdoor communities safe. The Role We're looking for a People Operations Manager who loves rolling up their sleeves, cares deeply about people and process, and wants to help build a company where great humans can do their best work as we scale. You'll be Rocky Talkie's sole HR professional. On any given day, that means answering a benefits question, scheduling interviews, and updating records in Gusto. It also means sitting with leadership to shape org design, compensation philosophy, and how we grow. You'll own the full people function: day-to-day people operations, recruiting and onboarding, employee relations and manager support, and culture and engagement. You'll be a trusted partner to leaders and teammates whenever people decisions need to be made. Rocky Talkie is a distributed company. We have offices in Denver and San Francisco, but much of our team works remotely. Day-to-day collaboration happens over video, Slack, and shared docs, with in-person time during office visits, leadership meetings, and our annual retreat. Ideally, you will enjoy the unique challenges of helping a remote-first team thrive. What You'll Do Strategy & Leadership Partnership Serve as the people voice in leadership conversations and advise the COO and leadership team on people opportunities and risks as we grow. Partner with senior leadership to strengthen cross-functional teamwork Build a practical people roadmap that fits a small, scaling company: right-sized policies, programs, and systems Regularly assess our benefits offerings against team needs, market benchmarks, and budget, and recommend changes to leadership Core HR & People Operations Own employee lifecycle management from onboarding to offboarding Own payroll and benefits administration in Gusto, partnering with Accounting to keep both accurate and on time Manage HR systems (Gusto, benefits platforms, performance tools, etc.) Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws across a team spread over multiple states Support internationally based employees engaged through our Employer of Record (EOR) provider, partnering on onboarding, payroll, benefits, leave, employment changes, and offboarding Maintain accurate employee records, documentation, and policies Employee Relations & Manager Support Be the first point of contact for employee questions, concerns, and guidance, navigating sensitive situations with empathy, clarity, and consistency Coach managers through performance conversations, feedback, and development plans Run performance review cycles and ongoing feedback processes Recruiting, Onboarding & Growth Own the full recruiting lifecycle, from an approved opening through a new hire's first day Partner with hiring managers to define needs, write job descriptions, design interview plans, and create a consistent, thoughtful candidate experience Own our applicant tracking system: postings, pipelines, interview stages, communications, and documentation Manage day-to-day recruiting logistics: reviewing and advancing candidates, scheduling interviews, collecting feedback, and keeping processes moving Coordinate offers, pre-employment steps, and the transition from candidate to employee Own an onboarding experience that leaves remote and in-office new hires alike feeling welcomed, prepared, and clear on expectations from day one Support career development frameworks, learning opportunities, and internal growth Culture, Engagement & Connection Bring Rocky Talkie's values to life through programs, rituals, and communication that work for a distributed team Lead and plan company retreats, team gatherings, and culture initiatives, including Camp Rocky Talkie Summer Jam Keep a pulse on team engagement and morale, and help turn insights into action Contribute to internal communications that feel human, clear, and on-brand What We're Looking For Must-Haves 5+ years of hands-on HR or People Operations experience Experience independently managing full-cycle recruiting, including ATS management, candidate communication, interview coordination, offers, and onboarding Strong knowledge of multi-state employment law and HR best practices Experience supporting managers and navigating employee relations, balancing empathy with accountability. Comfortable working in a fast-growing, evolving environment Nice-to-Haves A track record as the sole or primary HR professional in a small or growing company, comfortable handling both day-to-day tasks and strategic work without a larger team behind you Demonstrated success supporting a distributed or remote-first workforce, including building engagement, culture, and trust when most people aren't in the same room International or EOR experience Familiarity with Gusto, Workable, or similar HRIS, payroll, and ATS platforms Experience supporting hourly and salaried employees Background in outdoor, retail, consumer goods, or startup environments Someone who genuinely loves building healthy teams Why Rocky Talkie Mission-driven, outdoor-loving company Small, collaborative team where your work matters The opportunity to shape how HR shows up as the company grows Flexible, remote-first work with meaningful in-person time A place that values balance, adventure, and doing right by people Salary Range: $100,000 - $120,000 annually , plus eligibility for a performance-based bonus. Final compensation will depend on experience, skills, and alignment with the role. We offer health insurance, short term/long term disability, 401K matching, PTO and more! Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We anticipate accepting applications until November 6, 2026 , though the position may close earlier if a strong candidate is identified. Applicants are not required to disclose their age or dates of schooling in their resumes. #J-18808-Ljbffr Rocky Talkie