People Operations Manager

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About the Job

The Manager, People Operations serves as a trusted internal advisor and subject-matter expert on compensation strategy, total rewards, and HR operations at Fair Trade USA—a mission-driven, globally oriented nonprofit where the employee experience directly mirrors the values we champion in the supply chains we certify.

This role designs and stewards Fair Trade USA's people infrastructure—ensuring compensation is equitable, competitive, and mission-consistent; HR operations are scalable and legally sound; and every people practice reinforces the conscious capitalism model the organization exists to advance. Operating with a consultative mindset, this role partners closely with the Director, HRBP, to translate business needs into practical, data-informed people solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Total Rewards & Compensation Management—60%

Design, administer, and continuously improve compensation programs, including salary structures, job leveling, geographic differentials, and merit cycles.
Anchor the total rewards philosophy to Fair Trade USA's mission to ensure that compensation, recognition, and benefits programs actively reinforce the values of equity, dignity, and fair dealing that the organization certifies in global supply chains.
Lead annual compensation processes, including benchmarking, pay equity analysis, and merit planning.
Conduct and interpret compensation surveys (e.g., Mercer, Radford, WTW, or nonprofit benchmarks).
Perform regular pay equity analyses and recommend corrective actions where needed.
Partner with HRBP and Finance on compensation modeling for hiring, promotions, and workforce planning.
Develop and maintain job architecture frameworks (job families, levels, grades).
Advise hiring managers on offers to ensure equity, consistency, and budget alignment.
Own the total rewards communication strategy for four distinct audiences — executive leadership, managers, current employees, and candidates. Equip managers with answers before they need them.
Support design and administration of incentive and recognition programs.

Employment Law Compliance & Employee Relations—30%

Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws; maintain audit-ready processes and documentation.
Identify patterns or trends in employee relations matters and recommend proactive solutions to mitigate risk and improve manager capability.
Own HR compliance processes, including audits, documentation standards, and corrective actions.
Develop and maintain HR policies aligned with legal requirements and best practices.
Provide day-to-day guidance on employee relations matters, including policy interpretation, performance management support, workplace concerns, and documentation, escalating complex or high-risk issues as appropriate.
Partner with HRBP leadership on sensitive employee relations matters, contributing documentation, timelines, and fact-based analysis to support decision-making.
Support the consistent and fair application of HR policies across the organization, ensuring alignment with legal requirements and organizational standards.

HR Operations & Operational Excellence—10%

Advise and support hiring managers on recruitment processes, ensuring consistency, equity, and compliance.
Guide managers and employees on HR policies, processes, and compliance requirements, reinforcing consistency and accountability.
Evaluate and drive process improvements to enhance operational efficiency, accuracy, and employee experience.
Contribute to the onboarding experience as a total rewards educator to ensure new hires understand their compensation structure, benefits package, and the organization's compensation philosophy.
Ensure HRIS data integrity and reporting accuracy; conduct audits and resolve discrepancies to ensure reliable and compliant data management.
Generate and deliver workforce analytics and HR reporting, partnering with the Director, HRBP to develop dashboards and actionable insights.
Lead and contribute to People Operations initiatives that strengthen compliance infrastructure, scalability, and operational excellence.
Analyze workforce trends to identify issues early, providing leadership with actionable and people-first solutions.

Experience / Qualifications

Skills, Experience, & Knowledge

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
5+ years of progressive HR experience, with strong emphasis on compensation, employee relations, and HR operations.
Demonstrated genuine connection to Fair Trade USA's mission and values and the ability to design compensation and HR programs that reinforce what the organization stands for regarding fair pay, dignity, and equitable opportunity.
Demonstrated ability to move beyond data reporting to data interpretation by proactively identifying pay equity risks, ER patterns, and workforce trends.
Proven experience building a compensation structure, job architecture, or HR compliance framework, including a leveling framework, pay band structure, or pay equity methodology.
Comfort operating in an environment of increasing pay transparency and the judgment to proactively communicate compensation decisions to all audiences.
Demonstrated experience providing guidance on employee relations matters, including policy interpretation, performance management support, and documentation, with the ability to assess risk and escalate complex issues appropriately.
Strong knowledge of federal and multi-state employment laws and regulations, including FMLA, ADA, HIPAA, ERISA, DOL, and applicable state leave laws.
Experience administering benefits and leave programs in compliance with regulatory requirements.
Strong proficiency with HRIS systems and data management, with a focus on accuracy and reporting integrity, and business insight generation.
Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and sound judgment.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate complex requirements into clear, practical guidance for managers.
Exercises strong judgment about what requires immediate escalation versus independent resolution and has the confidence to proactively act on that judgment.
Summary

About Fair Trade USA

At Fair Trade USA, we’re leading the charge toward sustainable development and conscious capitalism by forming fair and honest partnerships across the globe. We believe in community, we’re excited about change, and we hire driven, talented change makers who share our vision.

Founded in 1998, we are the leading third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in North America. Our unique market-based model for sustainability links millions of farms and factories around the world to over 1,500 leading brands and retailers through more transparent, equitable trading partnerships. Impact is our North Star: to date, we have channeled over $1 billion in additional income to hardworking families and communities around the world.

Fair Trade has emerged as one of the most promising models of conscious capitalism today. We are recognized for improving the working conditions and living standards of farmers and workers while protecting the environment. At the same time, we strengthen global supply chains and enable sustainability to drive profitability for the business community. For the end consumer, Fair Trade is an easy way to align our values with our purchasing decisions, voting with our dollars for a better world.

Our model has incredible leverage: for every $1 that we invest in building the Fair Trade market and movement, we are creating $4 in increased income for farmers and workers. Because of this unprecedented 4x1 “social return on investment” and community impact, we are a four-time winner of Fast Company’s "Social Capitalist of the Year" award and have been recognized as a leading social venture by the Skoll Foundation, Clinton Global Initiative, Ashoka, and the World Economic Forum.

Our Workplace

At Fair Trade USA, we are a mission-driven organization and are deeply committed to fostering an environment that is built on the principles of JEDI; a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive community for all. We are committed to upholding an inclusive workplace where all people feel equally respected and valued, and where we can all thrive. We are a proud equal opportunity employer and welcome applicants from every educational background, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, race, ethnicity, national origin and ancestry, veteran status, marital or family status, and disability.

Benefits

We believe in empowering our teams to choose to do their best work and grow at Fair Trade USA. We offer a comprehensive compensation approach including salary, performance-based bonuses, and employee recognition awards, and a generous and thoughtful approach to employee benefits which include:

Fully Remote & Flexible Workplace with monthly Final Friday half days
Incentive compensation and Bonus awards
Generous Health, Dental, and Vision insurance
Up to 4% Employer 401k Match
Excellent PTO including 12+ Holidays / 15+ Vacations / 9 Sick Leave days annually
Annual Winter Break Week with Office Closure from 25th December through New Year
Six Weeks Sabbatical Leave after 7 years’ service
Parental Leave and Caregiver Programs
Mental Health and Wellbeing programs
Employee Recognition Awards
Employee Perks and Discount programs with Fair Trade Certified partners

Location: United States (Remote)