People Operations Senior Manager

Job Description

Job Description

From the beginning, our goal was to establish an advisory firm that stands apart from the rest – one that is grounded in our Core Values and dedicated to creating a positive experience not just for our clients, but for our people too. We firmly believe in the strength of collaboration, enthusiasm, generosity, and perseverance as the driving forces behind our success. With advisory solutions spanning accounting and risk, technology-enabled transformation, and transactions, we partner with our clients to solve today’s challenges and deliver present and future value.

Our commitment to our people has earned us numerous awards including Inc5000's Fastest Growing Companies and Glassdoor's Best Places to Work. Explore what our employees have to say about our unique culture by clicking here.

The People Operations Senior Manager serves as the primary link between practice leadership and the firm’s HR and Organizational Development functions, ensuring consistent, policy-aligned execution of people programs and processes. This role is the trusted practice advisor on performance management, promotions, onboarding, employee relations, and engagement, and requires sound judgment, strong relationship-building skills, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced consulting environment.

What You'll Do

• Performance Management, Calibration & Career Progression: Lead review cycles, manage timelines and participation, facilitate calibration sessions, coach managers on feedback, track PIPs and development plans, and oversee promotion processes, approvals, and communication of outcomes.

• Practice HR Advisory: Serve as the primary HR contact for consultants and managers, translate enterprise policies into practice-specific guidance, and partner with leaders on workforce, talent, and organizational matters.

• Onboarding, Transfers & Coach Assignments: Lead onboarding for new hires and transfers, coordinate consultant movement, and manage coach assignments and changes in Workday.

• Employee Relations: Serve as the first escalation point for personnel issues, conduct formal HR investigations and prepare written documentation of findings, advise managers on appropriate next steps, partner with HR and OD leaders and Legal as needed, and draft practice-level HR and OD communications.

• Engagement Programs & Operations: Administer spot bonus approvals, monitor PTO and Basic Expectations compliance, support engagement surveys and action plans, oversee Core Value nominations, and coordinate with the Immigration team on visa and work authorization tracking, and lead change management efforts.

• Talent Management & Succession Planning: Partner with practice leaders to identify high-potential talent, build internal pipelines, and support succession planning for key roles. Facilitate talent review discussions and ensure development plans are in place for top performers and emerging leaders.

• Compensation & Total Rewards Advisory: Advise managers and leaders on merit cycle participation and compensation positioning. Partner with the Compensation team on pay equity reviews, job leveling, and out-of-cycle adjustments to ensure competitive and equitable outcomes across the practice.

• Organizational Design & Restructuring: Support practice leaders in organizational design work, partnering with HR and OD leadership to ensure structural changes are executed effectively and aligned with firm strategy.

• Offboarding & Separations: Manage voluntary and involuntary separations, including performance-based terminations, reductions in force, and severance coordination. Conduct exit interviews, analyze departure trends, and share insights with leadership to inform retention strategies.

• HR Metrics & Reporting: Track and analyze key people metrics, including attrition, headcount, engagement, and performance data. Prepare regular reports and dashboards for practice leadership, translating data into actionable insights that support informed people decisions.

• AI Utilization & Development: Contribute to developing and implementing firm-approved, AI-enabled solutions for clients, in accordance with company policies on data protection, intellectual property, and professional standards. Stay informed about emerging AI tools and techniques and collaborate with firm leadership to identify compliant opportunities to enhance client solutions and internal processes.

What You'll Bring

• 8–10 years of progressive HR experience, including 5+ years as an HRBP or HR Manager in professional services or consulting.
• Experience leading performance review cycles, calibration, employee relations, and formal HR investigations, including coaching leaders and employees through sensitive and complex matters with discretion, sound judgement, and strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience with talent management practices, including succession planning, talent reviews, and high-potential identification, organizational design or restructuring efforts, and executive coaching that builds credibility with senior leaders and supports their growth as people managers.
• Working knowledge of compensation practices, including merit cycles, job leveling, pay equity principles, and advising managers on offers and out-of-cycle adjustments.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze HR data and people metrics, generate insights, present findings to senior leaders, and translate people metrics into clear narratives and recommendations; proficiency with HRIS reporting tools preferred, including Workday.
• Strong business acumen, relationship-building skills, and trusted advisor presence with consultants and leaders, with the ability to influence through data, sound reasoning, and strong judgment, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage competing high-stakes priorities with calm and polish, while demonstrating continuous improvement, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Comfort with AI: Demonstrated ability to responsibly explore and adopt firm-approved AI tools to enhance productivity and innovation.
• Continuous Learning Mindset: Openness to learning and applying emerging technologies including AI and automation in alignment with firm policies and client standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; PHR, SPHR, or SHRM-CP/SCP preferred.

For applicants located in New York, CrossCountry Consulting is required to include an estimate of the compensation range for this role. The following range takes into account a wide range of factors including but not limited to, skills, experience, education, licenses, certifications, business needs, and internal equity. An estimate of the current range is $168,000 - $245,000 per year + annual bonus + additional benefits.

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For applicants located in New York, CrossCountry Consulting is required to include an estimate of the compensation range for this role. The following range takes into account a wide range of factors including but not limited to, skills, experience, education, licenses, certifications, business needs, and internal equity. An estimate of the current range is $168,000 - $245,000 per year + annual bonus + additional benefits.

Benefits Summary

The CrossCountry total rewards package includes comprehensive healthcare options, including medical, dental, and vision coverage; flexible spending accounts; and a 401(k) with company matching. Additionally, employees can take advantage of generous parental and maternity leave policies, technology stipends, and wellness reimbursement programs, all designed to support both professional growth and personal well-being. For detailed information about benefits at CrossCountry, please visit our dedicated benefits site: - consulting.com/careers/benefits/.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)

CrossCountry provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment and believes that respect and fair treatment are critical to creating a productive and inclusive workplace. 

As an equal opportunity employer, CrossCountry is fully committed to comply with all federal, state, and local laws and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, pregnancy, genetics, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity or expression or any other protected characteristic. The company also complies with pay transparency and labor laws applicable to all terms and conditions of employment.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.