Manager, Human Resources and People Operations

Title: Manager, Human Resources and People Operations (Part-Time) Supervisor: Chief Operating Officer Exempt/Non-exempt: 25 hours per week Salary Range: $55,000-$70,000 Location: Remote, Philadelphia area (with ability to come into the office when needed) Job Description: About Gratz College: Founded in 1895, Gratz College is the oldest independent and pluralistic Jewish college in North America. Its mission is to advance both education and applied Jewish wisdom for the benefit of a diverse student population, the Jewish community, and all people. The College achieves this mission through accredited degree programs, scholarships, and public engagement. Evolving from its roots as a Hebrew teacher’s college, Gratz today enrolls students of all backgrounds from across the world in a diverse range of online degree and certificate programs. Position Summary Gratz College seeks an experienced HR/People Operations professional to build and manage HR foundation, systems, and core HR processes on a part-time basis. This role will prioritize designing practical systems, structures, templates, and workflows that managers and staff can use easily and efficiently, especially for hiring/onboarding, compensation structure, benefits communications, and performance evaluation. As this is a new position, the ideal candidate will be a highly organized, strong communicator comfortable operating independently, prioritizing based on impact, and partnering with leadership to establish priorities and a corresponding workplan. Responsibilities (Initial 6 months)

• Build, implement, and manage a consistent and effective recruitment, and onboarding, engagement, and offboarding processes (role intake, job postings, interview process, reference checks, offers, onboarding checklists, engagement initiatives, and new-hire orientation).
• Review and recommend updates to the employee handbook and HR policies for clarity, consistency, and best practice alignment, support implementation and communication across the organization.
• Develop and implement a practical performance evaluation system and annual cycle, including employee self-evaluations and supervisor evaluations, documentation standards, and manager support.
• Establish consistent practices for coaching, corrective action, and performance improvement plans (PIPs), aligned with a fair and equitable approach to performance management and documentation.
• Assess current compensation practices and recommend a compensation philosophy, baseline job structure/levels, and salary ranges/bands; improve the offer/salary approval workflow for new hires in partnership with leadership.

Responsibilities (ongoing)

• Strengthen, create and/or maintain core HR templates and tools (job descriptions, offer letters, onboarding materials, performance review forms, PIP templates, manager guides).
• Advise leadership on performance evaluation and compensation best practices (recognizing that increases are not automatic and must align with budget and other factors).
• Oversee and improve benefits administration coordination and employee-facing benefits communication, partnering with the Business/Finance office and external providers as applicable.
• Provide consistent HR guidance to managers and employees on policies, employee relations, and documentation, maintaining appropriate confidentiality.
• Support culture-building and engagement through user-friendly, high-impact initiatives like manager coaching, and training on skills such as feedback practices and giving recognition.
• Serve as the staff liaison to the Board of Governors' Human Resources Committee, preparing updates/materials as needed and supporting implementation of committee recommendations in alignment with Board-established personnel policies.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive HR/People Operations experience or equivalent experience building HR systems in a small-to-midsize organization. Bachelor's degree is required; HR certification (e.g. SHRM, HRCI) preferred.
• Demonstrated experience implementing at least two of the following: performance management systems, compensation structures/bands, benefits administration oversight, employee relations/performance improvement processes, hiring/onboarding infrastructure.
• Strong working knowledge of HR compliance fundamentals and best practices, including maintaining documentation and handling sensitive matters with discretion.
• Ability to operate independently in a “one-person HR” environment with strong prioritization and a pragmatic, service-oriented approach.
• Excellent writing and communication skills; able to create clear templates, policies, and manager toolkits and communicate benefits and HR processes to employees.
• Comfort partnering closely with senior leadership and Finance/Business Office to align HR systems with budget and operational realities.