Manager, People Systems

Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Nashville, TN, Sound Physicians is a nationally respected, physician-led medical group practicing in 400+ hospitals across 45 states. Our team of 4,000+ clinicians and 1,000+ business professionals is united by one mission: to build exceptional clinical partnerships that unlock quality, affordable, dignified care for everyone—no matter who they are or where they live.

About the Role

The Manager, People Systems is the technical owner of Sound Physicians’ People Systems ecosystem and a strategic partner to stakeholders across the organization. This role owns the architecture, configuration, optimization, and ongoing development of UKG Pro alongside the broader HR technology stack, translating People strategy into scalable, sustainable system solutions while protecting day-to-day platform reliability, data integrity, and the colleague experience. Reporting to the Director, People Operations & Systems, this is a working leader role on a small but mighty team. The Manager owns one direct report today, sets the pace for the People Systems function, and partners deeply with other People teams, Payroll, Finance, and IT.

Responsibilities

• Platform Ownership
  • Serve as the primary technical owner and subject matter expert for UKG Pro, including Core HR, Payroll, Time and Attendance, Benefits, Learning, Performance, Compensation, BI reporting, Bryte AI, and future modules.
  • Own platform health end-to-end. Anticipate issues before stakeholders raise them, catch errors during design and testing, and escalate risks with proposed solutions.
  • Define and maintain system architecture, configuration standards, governance, and technical guardrails to ensure scalability, data integrity, and long-term stability.
• Roadmap and Delivery
  • Own the technical UKG roadmap in partnership with the Director, People Operations & Systems, aligning system capabilities with People Operations priorities.
  • Act as product owner and project manager for the platform: intake and triage requests, prioritize transparently, and deliver on commitments with clear status.
  • Lead hands-on configuration, testing, and deployment of enhancements, workflows, and integrations, validating rigorously before release.
  • Serve as technical lead for UKG implementations, upgrades, and reconfigurations, coordinating vendors and consulting partners.
  • Partner with Finance on the WFM (Workforce Management) platform RFP and future system evaluations.
  • Use AI tools (Claude and Copilot 365) to complement the HRIS and accelerate documentation, testing, workflow automation, and analytics.
• Data Integrity, Insights & Enablement
  • Own UKG BI reporting architecture, including standard reports, dashboards, and ad hoc analytics.
  • Serve as system owner for UKG internal controls, including access, validation, and audit-ready configuration.
  • Partner with People Operations and People Support on data quality audits and People Analytics reporting.
  • Equip People Operations, Payroll, and Finance with system tools, documentation, and reporting for data integrity and audit processes.
• Partnership and Communication
  • Act as the primary technical liaison with UKG and external HRIS partners, driving issue resolution and accountability.
  • Build relationships proactively across the organization and provide impact assessments and technical guidance.
  • Communicate proactively: share status on active work and escalate risks early, with context and proposed next steps.
  • Train stakeholders and document workflows to ensure the platform remains supportable.
• People Leadership & Team Enablement
  • Manage and mentor the People Systems team as a leader, coach, and educator, building both technical capability and partnership skills.
  • Establish standards, documentation, and repeatable processes to support scalability and continuity.
  • Support hiring, onboarding, and growth planning as the team evolves.
• Values
  • Platform stewardship: Treats UKG as a system of record to be protected, favoring simplicity and sustainability.
  • Partnership-first: Removes silos through transparency and shared ownership.
  • Reliable & Accountable: Owns commitments end-to-end and communicates status proactively.
  • Data trust: Treats data accuracy as the foundation of every decision.
  • Continuous learning: Stays current on UKG functionality, HR technology, and AI, bringing ideas forward unprompted.
  • Colleague-centered: Considers the human impact of system decisions.

Requirements

• Deep, hands-on knowledge of UKG Pro across Core HR, Payroll, Time and Attendance, Benefits, Learning, Performance, Compensation, and BI reporting, plus experience with UKG WFM or a comparable time and attendance platform.
• Strong understanding of HRIS architecture, system design, and upstream/downstream data flows, with the ability to translate complex business needs into scalable, sustainable solutions.
• Testing and quality discipline, with a bias toward validating changes in a controlled way before release.
• Change management instinct: Plans how system changes impact users, including sequencing, communication, and training.
• Data fluency: A solid grasp of foundational data frameworks paired with curiosity about business problems and data-driven solutions.
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple concurrent requests without losing quality or responsiveness.
• Effective verbal and written communication, including translating technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to influence without authority: Moves work forward with Payroll, Finance, IT, and People teams who do not report to this role.
• Ability to document system standards, decisions, and workflows clearly for team support and continuity.
• Working knowledge of AI tools (Claude, Copilot 365) and demonstrated interest in applying them to HR technology workflows.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Information Systems, Business, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 7+ years of progressive HRIS or People Systems experience, with significant hands-on ownership of UKG Pro in a complex, multi-functional environment.
• Demonstrated experience as a technical system owner or platform lead over multiple release cycles, with a track record of stable operations and satisfied stakeholders.
• Experience leading UKG implementations, enhancements, or major system changes, including coordination with vendors and internal partners.
• Prior technical mentorship, coaching, or people leadership, ideally in a player-coach capacity within a small HRIS or People Systems team.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Health care and dependent care flexible spending account
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with company match
• Paid time off (PTO) accruing at 15 days per year, beginning immediately upon start date
• Ten company-paid holidays per year

Pay

This position offers an annual salary range of $90,000–$105,000. Exact salary will depend on the candidate’s experience, education, and geographic location. This position is eligible for additional compensation beyond base pay.