Manager, HR Operations

About Canopy Aerospace & Defense Canopy A&D is built to accelerate the future of advanced materials for space, defense, and maritime systems. Canopy delivers specialized materials and components that carry customers from concept through sustainment. Canopy A&D’s advanced signal attenuation technologies and production-scale manufacturing accelerate the fielding of platforms that are faster, cooler, and quieter. Our adaptive approach ensures solutions evolve at the pace of shifting challenges, keeping our customers ahead of the curve. Role Summary Canopy Aerospace and Defense is seeking a Manager, Human Resources Operations to join its team working in a hands-on, fast-paced, collaborative environment. This role designs and runs the systems and processes behind the Human Resources function. The incumbent is the primary owner of the HRIS on the Human Resources side — configuration, workflows, data, reporting, and integrations with connected systems such as the applicant tracking system, background check vendors, benefits carriers, and Information Technology provisioning — and will work closely with Payroll to build the workflows, handoffs, and controls between the two teams. A large part of this job is root cause analysis: something is broken or slow, and this person figures out why and partners with the right function to implement the fix. Partnership is essential, and this role will work cross-functionally with nearly every function in the business to design processes that work for everyone who touches them. The successful candidate must be a strategic thinker who also executes, be familiar with a manufacturing environment, and have impeccable attention to detail and accuracy. This is an individual contributor position with no direct reports and no supervisory authority over other employees; the incumbent reports to the Director, Human Resources, works under general supervision along specialized and technical lines requiring particular training and experience, and customarily and regularly exercises discretion and independent judgment on matters significant to the business. Key Responsibilities Act as the primary owner of the HRIS on the Human Resources side, including configuration, workflows, security and permissions, and release managementOwn the Human Resources side of integrations between the HRIS and connected systems, including the applicant tracking system, background check vendors, benefits carriers, and Information Technology provisioningPartner with Payroll to design the workflows, handoffs, and controls between the Human Resources and Payroll teamsPerform root cause analysis on process and system failures: define the problem, determine why it is happening, and partner with the right function to implement and verify the fixDesign and build the processes and workflows that run inside Human Resources and those that intersect Human Resources with other functionsPartner cross-functionally with Finance, Payroll, Information Technology, Operations, Quality, and site leadership so processes work for everyone who touches themLead system implementations, module rollouts, and major reconfigurations through go-liveSet and maintain data governance standards across operating companies, including field standards, identifiers, and organization structureRun data integrity audits and reconciliations across operating companiesServe as the technical escalation point for system issues the generalist team cannot resolveManage vendor and implementation partner relationships against defined deliverablesBuild and maintain Human Resources reporting and dashboards for leadership and FinanceMap, diagnose, and redesign Human Resources processes that break, duplicate effort, or differ across operating companiesDesign employee lifecycle workflows from requisition through onboarding, changes, transfers, leaves, and offboardingBuild automation and manager and employee self-service to remove manual work from the Human Resources teamWrite and maintain the Human Resources process library, including standard operating procedures and job aidsOwn the operational side of recurring cycles, including open enrollment and performance and compensation cyclesSupport compliance operations, including audit readiness, required reporting, and records retentionProject manage Human Resources initiatives with a plan, named owners, dates, and status reporting to the Director, Human ResourcesRun change management on new processes and systems, including communication, training, and adoption trackingTrain the Human Resources team and people leaders on new processes and systemsAssess and integrate people systems and data when the Company acquiresApply artificial intelligence tools to Human Resources workflows where they reduce manual effort, and evaluate new capabilities as they become availableResponsible for the creation, maintenance and control of all personally identifiable information or any other information protected by Confidentiality and Privacy Standards and HIPAAResponsible for special projects and assignments as business dictates Required Qualifications Minimum 8 years' experience across Human Resources operations, HRIS or Human Resources systems, Human Resources project management, or a comparable mixDemonstrated ownership of an HRIS as the system owner or primary administrator, not solely as an end user or report requesterExperience leading at least one full system implementation, migration, or major reconfiguration from requirements through go-live, with accountability for the outcomeDemonstrated root cause analysis and problem solving skill: the ability to take an ambiguous problem, find the actual cause, and drive a fix to completionDemonstrated experience partnering cross-functionally with Payroll, Finance, Information Technology, and operating teams on shared processes and dataDemonstrated process design skill: the ability to map a current-state process, diagnose where it fails, redesign it, and drive adoptionExperience managing integrations between an HRIS and connected systems such as an applicant tracking system, background check vendor, benefits carrier, or identity and provisioning toolsStrong project management skill, with the ability to run several workstreams at once across stakeholders in different businessesDemonstrated credibility with executives: experience presenting recommendations, business cases, and project status to senior leadership and defending themWorking comfort with artificial intelligence tools and a demonstrated willingness to adopt new ones. Canopy expects its Human Resources team to use AI to reduce manual work and move faster, and candidates should be able to describe how they have used these tools or how they would approach learning themBachelor's degree or equivalent from a 4-year college or university; or equivalent combination of education and experienceGeneral computer knowledge and working experience with Microsoft Suite, including strong Excel skills for analytical work such as data manipulation, lookups, pivot tables, and reconciling data setsAbility to explain a technical decision in plain language to a non-technical leaderAbility to exercise discretion and independent judgment on matters significant to the business while working under general supervisionAbility to work with others in a fast-changing environment and employees with various skillsets Preferred Qualifications Experience with UKG Ready. Deep experience in another enterprise HRIS is equally welcome if the candidate can point to a time they learned a new system quickly and well; systems judgment matters more here than any one platformExperience in a private equity backed or holding company environment where processes must work across several businessesExperience applying artificial intelligence tools to Human Resources work, such as drafting, data analysis, document review, content production, or process automationExperience supporting organizational change, including growth initiatives, restructuring, or integration effortsExperience supporting manufacturing, aerospace, or defense environments, including shop floor time and attendance, is a plusBenefits administration experience, including carrier feeds and eligibility rulesExperience with a reporting or business intelligence tool beyond the HRIS's native reportingLean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement trainingHRIP, PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP certification Additional Requirements Ability to communicate effectively in verbal and written EnglishAbility to sit or stand for extended periods while working at a computer workstationFrequent use of hands and fingers for data entry, keyboarding, and mouse useAbility to view computer screens for prolonged periodsAbility to communicate effectively in person, by phone, and via emailAbility to use a computer to complete assignmentsWhile performing the duties of this job, the employee will typically work in an office environment, with regular time spent in manufacturing areasAbility to safely lift at least 25 lbsVision abilities required by this job include near vision, distant vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, or skills required. Management may modify or assign additional duties as needed. Job Details Type: Full Time - Exempt, Salaried Hours: Core business hours; Monday - Friday; Additional hours or weekend work as needed, including occasional off-hours system cutovers Base Salary Range: $120,000 - $160,000 Base Location: Irvine, CA Travel: Up to 15%; As needed to various company facilities in Riverside, or Ontario, CA facilities based on business needs Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience. Total compensation will also include a comprehensive set of benefits including but not limited to: Company paid employee medical, dental and vision insurance. 401K company match (eligibility required), paid sick leave, paid vacation, paid holidays and discretionary bonuses. EXPORT CONTROL REQUIREMENTS: To conform to US Government export regulations, the applicant must be a (i) US Citizen, (ii) lawful permanent resident of the U.S. (aka green card holder), (iii) protected individual as defined by U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or (iv) eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Canopy A&D is an Equal Opportunity Employer, employment with Canopy A&D is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status. 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.