People Operations Manager

SSA Group at Milwaukee County Zoo is looking for a talented People Operations Manager to join our team!

All applications should be submitted within 7-days following posting of the job; applications will be prioritized based upon time submitted and may not be reviewed beyond this time. The employer reserves the right to shorten or expand this time frame as necessary to the job scope.

Who are we:

At SSA, we're Unapologetically Family - It's who we are and how we show up for each other, for our 90+ cultural attractions partners, and for the more than 100 million guests we welcome each year. We laugh, we celebrate our wins, and we learn from our mistakes.

That family mindset shapes 452 Hospitality, the heartbeat of everything we do: creating special moments of hospitality that have a lasting impact, before, during, and after every guest visit. We bring together admissions, culinary, and retail- to shape one seamless guest experience across the full Hospitality Experience Journey.

Whether you're looking for your first job, building your career, or bringing years of experience to a new role, you'll be part of a team that values your ideas, supports your growth, and encourages you to make an impact. More than 54% of our leaders are promoted from within - proof that when we say we invest in people, we mean it.

Position Overview

The People Operations Manager is the primary on-site people leader for their location, owning the full team member lifecycle from recruitment through separation. This role operates through direct, hands-on execution — leading recruiting, onboarding, employee relations, investigations, training coordination, and compliance at the site level — while serving as the trusted people advisor to the General Manager and site leadership. The People Operations Manager exercises independent judgment on employee relations matters, disciplinary action, and hiring decisions, escalating only where policy, legal exposure, or precedent requires partnership with the People Operations District Manager. Their core responsibility is translating SSA's people practices and compliance standards into a consistent, values-aligned employee experience for every team member at their site.

Responsibilities

Employee Experience, Engagement & Retention

The People Operations Manager owns the on-site employee experience end to end, directly leading engagement and retention efforts rather than administering someone else's program.

• Champion the on-site employee experience from hire to exit, building a culture where team members feel valued, heard, and motivated to grow
• Design and lead local engagement initiatives — recognition programs, team events, and feedback-driven action planning — in addition to executing HQ-led programs
• Serve as the on-site resource for EAP, leave, and benefit programs, directing team members to the appropriate point of contact for accurate guidance
• Analyze turnover data and exit interview themes to identify root causes and recommend targeted retention strategies
• Build trust and accountability with site leadership in how employees are treated, communicated with, and supported
• Reinforce 452 Hospitality principles across every team member interaction

Training & Development

This role coordinates and directly delivers site-level training, ensuring practical application rather than passive compliance tracking.

• Coordinate and deliver site-level training for new hires, frontline team members, and people leaders on policy, compliance, and operational people practices
• Ensure required training is completed accurately and on time, maintaining training records to company standard
• Identify site-level skill or knowledge gaps and partner with the People Operations District Manager on targeted development resources

Recruiting & Talent Attraction

The People Operations Manager owns the full recruiting cycle at the site, building pipelines proactively rather than filling requisitions reactively.

• Own the full recruiting cycle — posting, pipeline management, screening, interview coordination — partnering with site leaders on staffing plans
• Build and maintain relationships with schools, workforce organizations, and community partners to sustain a qualified candidate pipeline
• Ensure job postings comply with employment law and track recruiting metrics, spend, and hiring event outcomes

Onboarding & New Hire Compliance

This role owns onboarding compliance directly, with accountability for federal and state documentation accuracy.

• Own end-to-end onboarding — offer letters, pre-employment paperwork, background checks, orientation, and start-date readiness
• Ensure I-9 and minor work compliance documentation is complete, accurate, and timely under federal, state, and local law
• Coordinate uniforms, badges, and site access credentials ahead of each start date

Employee Relations & Compliance

The People Operations Manager is the primary on-site HR advisor, exercising independent judgment on employee relations matters and escalating to the People Operations District Manager only where policy or legal exposure requires it.

• Serve as the primary on-site advisor for employee concerns, conduct, performance, and policy application, guiding managers through corrective action and documentation
• Lead impartial workplace investigations into complaints and misconduct, documenting findings and escalating appropriately
• Manage employee separations and exit interviews, ensuring compliant, respectful offboarding
• Ensure site-level compliance with employment law, recordkeeping, and safety standards, partnering with Payroll and HQ on audits

Team Leadership

Lead by example, modeling accountability, professionalism, and a strong work ethic for the team.

• Maintain oversight of the unit's People & Revenue staff, serving as a secondary point of accountability for department performance, compliance, and coverage matters.
• Coach and train assigned team members to help them perform consistently, escalating performance concerns to site leadership
• Monitor workload and process execution to maintain efficiency, consistency, and responsiveness across the location
• Assist the business with operational duties in the absence of operational managers or during times of need

Attendance & Timekeeping Oversight

The People Operations Manager owns attendance and timekeeping integrity at the site, directing the accuracy of the process and resolving escalated issues rather than performing routine time-entry tasks.

• Oversee site timekeeping systems and processes, ensuring managers and team members are equipped to record time accurately and resolving system-level issues as they arise
• Direct the timecard approval process, holding managers accountable for reviewing and submitting accurate records within payroll deadlines
• Analyze attendance trends, absences, and recurring punch discrepancies to identify root causes and direct corrective action with managers
• Escalate unresolved attendance patterns and policy violations to site leadership and the People Operations District Manager, and determine appropriate disciplinary follow-up

This is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, or working conditions associated with this position. The People department reserves the right to revise the job description or require that other or different tasks be performed when circumstances change (i.e., emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, rush jobs, or technological developments).

Education & Experience

• Three or more years of progressive HR experience in a site-based, hospitality, retail, or frontline workforce environment
• Demonstrated experience leading employee relations, recruitment, onboarding, training coordination, and corrective action
• Experience conducting workplace investigations and managing employee documentation end-to-end
• Experience supporting a high-volume, hourly, or seasonal workforce preferred
• Experience with international workforce programs (e.g., J-1 Exchange Visitor programs) a plus
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field preferred; equivalent combination of education and demonstrated leadership experience considered

Position Requirements

• Must be 18 years of age or older
• Physical ability to stand and walk for extended periods and to move and handle boxes up to 35 lbs as necessary
• Ability to work varied hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays as business requires

Work Environment

The People Operations Manager works on-site in an active hospitality environment, balancing office-based administrative work with regular presence on the operations floor. The role requires the flexibility to shift between confidential employee relations conversations, live training delivery, and hands-on onboarding logistics within the same day, all while maintaining the consistency and composure the position's advisory function requires.

Compensation & Benefits

• Full-Time, Exempt
• $75 monthly cell phone stipend
• Flex Time Off: no accruals; employees are encouraged to schedule time off as needed within business scope.
• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance and other voluntary benefits for you and your family; employee premiums applicable.
• Participation in a 401(k) program with a 15% company match (must be 21 years or older, eligible after one year of employment with 1,000 hours worked, available to enroll during Open Enrollment Periods).
• Short-Term Disability and Long-Term Disability, employer sponsored; scaled-salary pay following submission and approval of leave.
• Parental Benefits: Birthing Parent Plan covers up to 6-8 weeks of fully paid leave, based on the birthing event.
• SSA Paid Benefit: Up to 120 hours of Paid Leave for qualifying reasons, including Parental Leave and your or your family’s serious medical conditions.
• Up to 5 days of Paid Bereavement.
• On-Demand Pay Program: Get access to a portion of earned wages before payday.
• Meal Plan & Employee Discounts where applicable
• Paid sick leave is provided in accordance with applicable state and local laws. Accrual rates, caps, and usage rules vary by location.

Locations include: Arizona, California, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Washington, D.C.. Colorado: Employees accrue 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours per year, under the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA). Maryland: Employees accrue at least 1 hour of paid sick and safe leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours per year, as required under the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act. Washington: Employees accrue 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked, in accordance with the Seattle Paid Sick and Safe Time.

SSA Holdings and its affiliated companies, including SSA Group, A&F Souvenir, Cinchio Solutions, and Behavioral Essentials, are equal opportunity employers. We are committed to diversity and inclusion in our hiring practices and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. A diverse team strengthens our collective impact.

All California Residents: By submitting your job application, you agree you have reviewed the SSA Group California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Candidate and Employee Privacy Notice ("Notice").

San Francisco Residents: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Please see the "Fair Chance Ordinance - Know Your Rights" document for more information. By submitting your job application, you agree you have reviewed the "Fair Chance Ordinance - Know Your Rights" document.