Senior People Ops Generalist

540 is looking for a Senior People Ops Generalist to own the operational backbone of our People function. We're about 100 people across 25+ states, building software for federal missions including the Army, Air Force, and USCIS. Keeping our processes light and our culture strong only works when the machinery underneath is airtight — payroll lands, benefits work, employees get answers, managers get good guidance, and we stay compliant everywhere we operate. That's where you come in. You'll own the day-to-day operation of People Ops: benefits and 401(k), payroll, culture and employee experience, compliance, leave, employee relations, HR systems. You'll report directly to our Chief People Officer (CPO), and the two of you will make up the core People Ops team. You'll also work closely with our Ops Coordinator, Director of Talent, and Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist across the employee lifecycle — from offer and onboarding through promotions, internal talent mobility, and offboarding. You're joining at an important moment. 540 is transitioning from a PEO to Rippling ASO, which means we're taking greater ownership of our benefits, payroll, compliance, and employment risk. Rippling will handle a lot of the mechanics; the judgment calls will belong to us — and many of them will belong to you. You'll step into an active migration involving a new benefits stack, state account transitions, and our first in-house payroll runs, with the opportunity and authority to help shape what the People Ops function becomes. Our benefits plan year renews January 1, so you'll join at a meaningful point in the annual cycle and help own the renewal that shapes our plans for the year ahead. You won't inherit a finished function. You'll inherit a real one, in motion, with the authority to make it better. Location: Hybrid — Arlington, VA (1-2x per month) Citizenship & Clearance Requirement: Must be eligible to work in the United States without sponsorship Education Requirement: Bachelor's Degree 540 Internal Thrive Level: Senior People Ops Generalist WHY 540? 540 is a forward-thinking company that the government turns to in order to #getshitdone. We don't just talk about innovation – we deliver it. We break down barriers, build impactful technology, and solve mission-critical problems. HOW YOU'LL DRIVE IMPACT Own benefits administration across medical, dental, vision, life, disability, FSA/HSA, our Medical Expense Reimbursement Plan (MERP), and voluntary benefits, including enrollments, qualifying life events, and terminationsManage carrier invoice reconciliation, along with eligibility and claims escalationsOwn open enrollment - HRIS configuration, employee communications, and post-enrollment auditsAdminister our 401(k) program, including contribution funding, eligibility, and loans, and ACA measurement tracking, 1094-C/1095-C filing, COBRA, and state continuation requirementsRun end-to-end semi-monthly payroll for approximately 100 employees across 25+ states with support from Rippling ASO, including regular payroll, off-cycles, retroactive pay, bonuses, and final payDirect and verify Rippling's work on state and local payroll tax registrations, withholding accounts, and unemployment insurance accounts as we hire into new jurisdictions; Rippling handles the filings, and you'll be the one who confirms they're rightUnderstand and apply state-specific employment and government contracting requirements, including pay frequency, final pay deadlines, expense reimbursement, wage and hour requirements, and pay transparencyOwn onboarding as an employee experience rather than a checklist, with particular attention to the first 90 days, when 540's culture transfers to new employees Partner with the CPO on employee engagement surveys and own their administration, analysis, and translation into visible, meaningful changesOwn the perks and benefits program as a program: understand what employees actually use, retire what they don't, and bring the CPO a recommendation at each renewalOwn day-to-day employee experience programs including Great Place to Work certification, Fortune/Inc submissionsSupport the recognition day to day (Red Hot Awards) program, and make sure it stays fast and realPartner with the Ops Coordinator on 540 Week and company culture initiativesAdminister FMLA, state paid family and medical leave, paid sick leave, parental leave, and other company leave programs across the states where we operateRun and document the ADA interactive process and coordinate workers' compensation claims, injury reporting, and return-to-work processesCoach managers through performance concerns, including expectations, documentation, and difficult conversationsRun the operational side of our employee feedback cycle, including timelines and set-upServe as a trusted first point of contact for employee questions, concerns, and conflicts, handling sensitive information with judgment and discretionMaintain our employee handbook and state-specific addenda, and monitor legislative and regulatory changes across every state where we operate, flagging what needs to change before it becomes a problemOwn compliance requirements including EEO-1, OSHA 300/300A, VETS-4212, state new-hire reporting, pay transparency, pay-data reporting, employment verifications, unemployment claims, and classification reviewsServe as an administrator and power user of Rippling, owning data integrity, workflows, permissions, audits, and People reportingUse AI and automation to eliminate repetitive People Ops work, improve accuracy, and create more time for work that requires human judgment REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE 5+ years of progressive People Operations/HR experience, including at least 2 years of hands-on multi-state payroll experience and a strong understanding of how wage and hour, leave, disability, final pay, reimbursement, and other employment requirements vary by jurisdictionA thoughtful, creative approach to People Ops — you design policies, processes, and programs around 540's people and culture rather than copying a template, and you can explain the reasoning behind what you buildHands-on benefits administration experience, including open enrollment and experience supporting 401(k), leave, and employee lifecycle programsWorking knowledge of FLSA, FMLA, ADA, wage and hour requirements, and relevant state-level employment requirements — plus the ability to research and apply requirements when entering a new jurisdictionDemonstrated manager coaching and employee relations experience, including guiding managers through performance concerns, documentation, difficult conversations, warnings, and/or performance improvement plansProficiency with a modern HRIS/payroll platform such as Rippling, Paylocity, GustoStrong operational discipline and attention to detail when working with payroll, benefits, employee data, and compliance deadlinesSound judgment under ambiguity and the ability to handle highly sensitive employee and company information with complete discretionStrong plain-language communication skills — you can explain something like an HDHP or HSA to someone who has never selected a health plan without hiding behind HR jargonComfort operating in a lean People function where you'll work throughout the full employee lifecycleComfort using AI and automation as part of your day-to-day work NICE TO HAVE PHR/SPHR, SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP, CPP, or FPC certificationPeople Operations experience within a mid-sized government contractor, including familiarity with federal contractor reporting requirements such as VETS-4212Experience supporting an HRIS implementation, PEO transition, or payroll migration; Rippling experience is a plusExperience administering a Medical Expense Reimbursement Plan (MERP)Experience supporting a high-growth, geographically distributed organizationDemonstrated experience delivering successful employee engagement, recognition, and/or employee experience programs, such as earning or maintaining Great Place to Work certification BENEFITS & PERKS Flexible PTO + all Federal holidays offHealth, dental and vision insurance plansFlexible Spending Account (FSA)401k with employer matchCompany-sponsored life insurance, short- and long-term disability Professional development (training, certifications, conferences)Paid cloud developer accountsReferral bonusesHQ office perks (parking / metro reimbursement, nitro coffee & lunches) Annual social events (540 Week, hackathon, charity golf tournament, etc.)Access to 540's Washington Capitals & Nationals tickets EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO) 540's policy is to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.