Description
People Operations is the backbone of the employee experience at Riggs Cat, from a new hire’s first day and throughout their Riggs career. This leader runs that function hands-on: setting standards for the team, handling the situations that call for experience, compassion, leadership and good judgment, while building processes that scale as the company grows. Everything here lives the Riggs Way — Urgent. Selfless. Excellent.
What you will do
Lead the People Operations team
• Set priorities, standards, and service expectations for the Specialist and Generalist; coach, develop, and develop both through respective career paths
• Build cross-training and documented procedures so payroll, benefits, and associate support never depend on one person
• Step in hands-on during peak periods such as open enrollment, year-end payroll, and high-volume hiring and spikes in day-to-day employee questions
• Develop an updated catalog of job roles and levels within roles while working across departments to update salary / hourly ranges by level and criteria for job role level movement
Own hiring and onboarding
• Work with department and branch managers: workforce needs, job postings, compliance, employee support and disciplinary matters
• Run a consistent onboarding program for office and skilled hires alike, from paperwork and orientation through the first 90 days
• Build hiring and onboarding processes that can scale quickly, including bringing on entire teams at once as Riggs Cat grows
Guide employee relations and separations
• Serve as the go-to resource for managers and associates on concerns, conflict, coaching, and corrective action
• Conduct and document workplace investigations, and recommend fair, consistent outcomes
• Handle terminations where necessary: review documentation, prepare the conversation, conduct or support the meeting, and complete separation steps
• Make exit feedback actionable through addressing needed improvements while determining a way to spot and address retention risks
Draft and enforce policy
• Assist in drafting new policies and updating existing policies and handbook language working with in-house counsel
• Communicate policy changes in plain terms and train managers to apply them consistently
• Maintain a working understanding of current federal and state employment regulations (e.g., FLSA, FMLA, ADA, EEO, I-9), flag risks early, and know when to involve in-house or employment counsel
• Maintain accurate, confidential personnel records and audit-ready documentation
Oversee benefits, payroll, and reimbursements
• Ensure benefits administration, payroll, and reimbursements are accurate, on time, and handled according to the handbook
• Partner with Finance and benefits vendors on renewals, enrollment, and payroll issues
Improve the function
• Report on headcount, turnover, hiring progress, and other people metrics for leadership using both leading and lagging measures
• Streamline HR processes and make better use of the HRIS and tracking tools
Requirements
What you will need
• 5+ years of progressive HR or People Operations experience, including at least 2 years managing HR staff
• Hands-on experience with recruiting, onboarding, employee relations, investigations, and terminations
• A working understanding of current employment regulations and HR compliance
• Experience drafting or revising policies and handbook language
• Enough familiarity with payroll, benefits, and reimbursement processes to oversee the work and troubleshoot exceptions
• The ability to communicate effortlessly with professional office teams and skilled trades and technician groups
• Sound judgment and discretion with sensitive and confidential information
• Proficiency with an HRIS and standard office software
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field
• SHRM-CP / SHRM-SCP or PHR / SPHR certification
Preferred
• Experience in an equipment dealership, construction, manufacturing, or other…