Senior manager, people technology & operations

Job Description:

Cityblock is looking for a Senior Manager, People Technology & Operations to own and evolve that ecosystem, with Workday at its core. This is a hands-on, execution-focused role for someone who is equally comfortable in the weeds of business process design and security configuration as they are shaping a roadmap with senior leaders. You'll turn People strategy into working systems, automate the manual work that slows our teams down, and bring a curious, responsible approach to AI across everything we do.

You'll lead the People Technology & Operations team, partner closely with People Team Leadership, IT, Security, and business stakeholders, to ensure the tools behind the employee lifecycle are optimized, compliant, and built to scale. If you love making complex systems simple, and you're excited about what automation and AI can do for the employee experience, we'd love to meet you.

About the Role:

The Senior Manager, People Technology & Operations is responsible for managing and evolving the organization's People technology ecosystem, with Workday as the core platform. This role owns the day-to-day execution of the People technology roadmap, drives automation and AI-enabled solutions across People Operations, and ensures People systems are reliable, secure, and optimized to support the employee lifecycle. This is a hands-on, execution-focused role reporting into People leadership, balancing technical systems expertise with team leadership.

Key Responsibilities:

• People Technology Strategy & Execution
  • Manage and execute the People technology roadmap in partnership with senior People and business leaders, translating strategic priorities into actionable project plans.
  • Own Workday administration and configuration, including module optimization, business process design, security groups, and release management.
  • Lead evaluation and implementation of new People technology modules and third-party integrations, ensuring alignment with existing architecture.
  • Oversee data integrity, integration, and flow across Workday and connected People systems (e.g., recruiting, payroll, benefits, performance).
  • Serve as a key point of contact for Workday-related escalations, troubleshooting, and vendor management.
• People Operations Strategy & Execution
  • Manage the People Operations function, setting clear processes, procedures, and SLAs.
  • Drive automation of manual People Operations workflows to reduce administrative burden and improve turnaround time.
  • Champion self-service tools and resources to improve the employee and manager experience.
• AI & Innovation
  • Identify and pilot AI and automation opportunities across People Technology & Operations to improve efficiency, decision-making, and employee experience.
  • Evaluate emerging AI tools (e.g., Workday AI/ML capabilities, generative AI for People use cases) and lead responsible adoption, including risk and compliance considerations.
  • Champion a culture of continuous innovation within the People Technology & Operations function, staying current on People tech and AI trends and proactively bringing recommendations to leadership.
• Data, Reporting & Governance
  • Maintain and enhance People analytics and reporting capabilities to support data-driven decision-making.
  • Establish and enforce data governance standards, system configuration protocols, and user access controls to protect data integrity and security.
  • Ensure compliance with data privacy and security regulations across all People systems.
• People Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Manage the day-to-day work of the People Technology & Operations team, setting clear roles and responsibilities across the function.
  • Proactively identify growth opportunities and provide coaching and guidance to support the development of each team member.
  • Partner across the People team, as well as with IT, Security, Finance, Payroll, and business stakeholders, to ensure technology solutions meet business needs and compliance requirements.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Information Technology, or related field; relevant certifications a plus.
• 7+ years of experience with Workday, including hands-on configuration, module selection/expansion, and third-party system integrations. Workday certification(s) strongly preferred.
• 5+ years in a leadership role managing HRIS, People Operations, or HR Shared Services teams.
• Demonstrated experience leading HR technology projects, system implementations, and process improvements.
• Familiarity with AI/automation tools applied to HR technology or People Operations, with genuine enthusiasm for evaluating and piloting new solutions.
• Strong understanding of HR business processes, data management, and compliance/data privacy requirements.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills across technical and non-technical audiences.
• Detail-oriented with a strategic mindset, comfortable both setting direction and executing hands-on work.

We take into account an individual’s qualifications, skillset, and experience in determining final salary. This role is eligible for health insurance, life insurance, retirement benefits, participation in the company’s equity program, paid time off, including vacation and sick leave. The actual offer will be at the company’s sole discretion and determined by relevant business considerations, including the final candidate’s qualifications, years of experience, skillset, and geographic location. The expected salary range for this position is: $130,000 - $150,000.

Cityblock values diversity as a core tenet of the work we do and the populations we serve. We are an equal opportunity employer, indiscriminate of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic.

We do not accept unsolicited resumes from outside recruiters/placement agencies. Cityblock will not pay fees associated with resumes presented through unsolicited means.