People and Culture Manager, Total Rewards

Arnold Ventures is a philanthropy whose core objective is to maximize opportunity and minimize injustice. We are dedicated to tackling some of the most pressing problems in the United States. We invest in sustainable change, building it from the ground up based on research, deep thinking, and a strong foundation of evidence. We drive public conversation, craft policy, and inspire action through education and advocacy.

Position Overview

Arnold Ventures’ People and Culture team is responsible for harnessing the energy and expertise of the organization’s over 100 employees as they seek to solve some of the nation’s most intractable problems. The People and Culture team leads the organization’s efforts to hire and invest in the brightest minds, develop and implement strategies to engage and empower employees, strengthen and activate the organization’s operational power, and fuel Arnold Ventures’ values and principles in pursuit of sustainable policy change steeped in research and evidence.

The People and Culture Manager, Total Rewards will be based in the organization’s Houston, Texas office, reporting into the Director of People and Culture, Total Rewards & Employee Relations, and responsible for assisting with overseeing the onboarding process, all payroll functions, benefits-related matters, insurance billing, maintaining the HRIS systems and files, and ensuring compliance with government regulations.

Core Payroll Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Process semi-monthly, multi-state payroll for hourly, salaried, and temporary employees, including reviewing and importing hours from time and attendance system, entering tax and direct deposit information, administering regulatory requirements (e.g., garnishments, tax levies, and support orders), processing off-cycle checks and other adjustments to pay as necessary
• Implement and maintain payroll best practices to improve efficiency and consult with the People and Culture team to improve payroll and HRIS systems processes
• Ensure compliance and maintain up to date knowledge of all applicable local, state, and federal wage and hour laws
• Evaluate and implement payroll and HRIS systems upgrades and changes
• Respond to employee inquiries and resolve issues related to payroll, benefits, taxes, etc. 
• Respond to all unemployment claims in a timely manner
• Maintain employee records in payroll and HRIS systems
• Administer the time and attendance policy and paid leave policy for all employees
• Produce scheduled and ad-hoc reports pertaining to payroll and other relevant requirements
• Track hours worked for non-benefit eligible employees to assist management with Affordable Care Act reporting and compliance

Core Benefits Responsibilities

• Assist with the administration of all employee benefit programs including enrollments and terminations
• Conduct the new employee onboarding process and present one-on-one benefits presentations to ensure employees gain an understanding of benefit plans and enrollment provisions
• Lead the fulfillment of all governmental regulatory mandates and ensure filings are performed as required
• Assist with planning and administering annual open enrollment period, including surveying, researching and vetting benefits recommendations, preparation (or revision) and distribution of materials, conducting meetings to communicate changes to employees, arranging for on-site representation by providers, and processing changes within deadlines
• Lead the planning, conducting, and reporting of audit results to ensure all enrollments are accurate and that dependent information is correct for each employee and works closely with People and Culture and Accounting and Finance teams for quarterly and year end audits (payroll, Workers Comp, 401k, etc.)
• Address benefit inquiries to ensure timely and accurate resolutions, including maintaining contact with employees and beneficiaries to facilitate proper and complete utilization of benefits for all employees
• Process monthly billings from providers, including reviewing billings for accuracy and approving for payment in a timely manner and resolving any discrepancies 
• Address all leave requests including one-on-one conversations to ensure employees understand various leave types, develop and monitor leave tracking schedules and spreadsheets, and ensure accurate documentation is maintained
• Create employer documentation needed for state disability and family leave, FMLA, and short-term disability leave to distribute to employee and third-party provider
• Track and complete day-to-day administration of COBRA program

Core HRIS Responsibilities

• Lead all pre-employment paperwork and processes, including but not limited to general onboarding processes and launching and approving background checks
• Maintain complete electronic employee personnel files, records, and other documentation for employees, including processing new employees, forms for employment status changes and maintaining timely and accurate files
• Prepare files, statistical summaries, and reports from the HRIS systems 
• Research and recommend business process improvements having an onboarding, payroll, or HRIS systems component
• Liaise with HRIS partners to ensure optimal system functionality, address system inefficiencies or errors/​bugs, and continually improve processes

Required Qualifications

• 7 years of experience in the field of human resources
• Strong interpersonal skills to support sensitive and confidential situations 
• Strong understanding of onboarding, payroll, or benefits processes, procedures, and terminology, including eligibility and enrollment rules and benefit procedures
• Demonstrates exceptional analytical skills to create useful and actionable reports from data
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Exceptional project management and organizational skills
• Expert user level knowledge of Microsoft 365 applications including Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word as well as modern workplace collaboration tools (e.g. Zoom, Slack, etc.)

The salary range for this position will be $100,000-$125,000.

Benefits Overview

Arnold Ventures is committed to providing a robust and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our current benefits package includes 100% paid employee premiums for medical, dental, vision, basic life, and short- and long-term disability insurance; 20 days of paid time off, 16 paid holidays (including a winter break from December 24 to January 1), and a ⁹⁄₈₀ schedule from Memorial Day to Labor Day; paid parental leave; a 401k retirement savings plan with an employer match, profit-share contribution, and immediate vesting; pre-tax transit benefits; a professional development stipend; a charitable giving stipend; and an employee assistance program.

Our Culture and Core Values

Our culture seeks to inspire and empower our people to innovate and develop bold ideas that will help Arnold Ventures achieve lasting impact. Our culture, and the core values that support it, should create an environment that spurs our team to think outside the box, feel comfortable pushing the boundaries of what is possible, and signal confidence in our team’s ability to make change happen through our philanthropic efforts. Although not an exhaustive list, below you’ll find examples of Arnold Ventures’ work culture. 

• We are adaptable and comfortable with ambiguity
• We are intellectually curious, open-minded, objective, humble, collegial, and receptive to feedback
• We are action-oriented with strong self-direction and self-motivation skills with the ability to work simultaneously on multiple projects
• We are able to interact confidently and collaboratively with team members and navigate relationships with external experts, government leaders, advocates, and individuals 

Arnold Ventures’ values reflect who we are as an organization, help us accelerate our strategic goals, strengthen our resolve, anchor us to our mission, and guide our decision-making. The successful candidate will also demonstrate the following core values that inspire the Arnold Ventures team to make a difference.

• Respect for Ourselves & Others
• Audacious Action
• Collaborative Engagement
• Depth of Thought
• Clear Communication

Arnold Ventures is an equal opportunity employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, military/​veteran status, or any basis prohibited by applicable law. 

Acknowledging the importance of diverse perspectives, Arnold Ventures is committed to employing individuals from a variety of backgrounds and with a variety of experiences. Members of historically marginalized communities and candidates who have been impacted by the systems we are seeking to change are strongly encouraged to apply.