Manager, People Services

Manager, People ServicesCompany Overview:Hiline is a rapidly scaling, tech-forward outsourced financial operations company serving the SMB community. We deliver accounting, finance, tax, and people services with a clear mission: to make small business finances stress-free so founders and operators can focus on building great companies.We see a significant opportunity to lead an industry that has yet to establish a clear market leader, backed by top-tier Silicon Valley investors who share that vision. Our values aren't wall art: being Authentic, Humble, Brave, and Driven shapes how we hire, how we work, and how we lead the industry forward. If you thrive in dynamic environments, are passionate about innovation, and want to make a lasting impact, Hiline is the place for you. This isn’t just a job, it’s an opportunity to change the whole game.Position Overview:The Manager, People Services is a true player-coach role, responsible for both directly managing a portfolio of clients and leading the team that delivers outsourced HR and payroll services to our SMB clients. You’ll serve as a senior HR partner to clients while building the team, systems, processes, and standards that enable consistent, high-quality delivery at scale.This role is ideal for a systems thinker and builder who can move seamlessly between client delivery, team leadership, and business management. You see patterns across clients, identify opportunities to improve how we work, and translate them into repeatable processes and scalable delivery models.Success in this role means building an autonomous, high-performing team while personally delivering exceptional client service and driving strong business outcomes, including client retention, operational efficiency, and healthy margins.What You’ll Do:Team Leadership & People ManagementLead, develop, and retain a team of HR professionals, fostering a culture of accountability, ownership, inclusion, and continuous growth.Set clear performance expectations; conduct regular 1:1s, ongoing feedback conversations and performance reviews.Lead team operating rhythms, including standups and check-ins, to align priorities, surface client and delivery risks, manage capacity, and remove roadblocks.Identify skill gaps and create development plans that strengthen the team’s technical capabilities and client delivery skills.Model Hiline’s values (Authentic, Humble, Brave, and Driven) in all interactions.Client Advisory & Relationship ManagementDirectly manage a portfolio of client accounts, serving as a trusted HR partner and owning the quality, responsiveness, and overall success of those relationship.Provide expert-level guidance across the full HR lifecycle: onboarding, offboarding, employee relations, performance management, benefits, and compliance.Ensure all client work adheres to federal, state, and local employment regulations across multiple jurisdictions; stay current on employment law.Advise clients and team members on sensitive HR matters with professionalism, confidentiality, and sound judgment.Lead the onboarding experience for new clients, ensuring a smooth, exceptional start that sets the foundation for long-term retention.Act as the escalation point for complex client issues, including employee relations matters, terminations, and compliance questions, ensuring timely and sound resolution.Serve as the team’s internal subject matter expert on HR best practices, tools, and compliance requirements.Business Performance & GrowthOwn the operational and financial performance of the People Services business, including revenue, gross margin, client retention, and delivery capacity.Monitor and manage against budget with a clear understanding of where the business stands and where it's headed.Own Gross Dollar Retention (GDR) for the People Services business, driving client retention through strong delivery and proactive relationship management.Own capacity planning and resource allocation, balancing team bandwidth, client needs, service quality, and profitability as the business scales.Identify expansion opportunities within existing client relationships and partner with the Sales team to scope and close.Partner with leadership on services development, packaging, and pricing to ensure a scalable, competitive, margin-positive People Services offering.Delivery Excellence & Operational StandardsOwn the quality and consistency of People Services delivery across the client portfolio, ensuring work meets expectations for accuracy, timeliness, responsiveness, and compliance.Design and implement standardized workflows, SOPs, and delivery frameworks that ensure consistent, repeatable quality across all clients.Identify opportunities to reduce manual work, improve efficiency, and leverage technology while maintaining strong client outcomes.Maintain strong working knowledge of HRIS platforms, payroll tools, and compliance systems used across the client base.Drive a mindset of operational excellence across the team, balancing quality, speed, and scalability.Cross-Functional CollaborationPartner closely with Accounting and Tax teams to ensure seamless delivery and coordination across services.Collaborate with Sales to assess People Services fit and scope for prospective clients.What You've Got:Experience and Credentials7+ years of progressive HR experience, with at least 2 years in people management or team lead capacity.Experience working in an outsourced, fractional, or PEO HR model, with a strong understanding of the dynamics of serving multiple clients simultaneously and delivering HR as a service.Demonstrated track record of owning client retention in a service delivery context, including experience with GDR or similar metrics, and leading onboarding processes that build the foundation for long-term client relationships.Demonstrated expertise in employee relations, multi-state compliance, and HR operations across the full employee lifecycle.Experience supporting SMB or founder-led businesses strongly preferred.PHR or SPHR certification preferred (or equivalent demonstrated expertise).Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, or a related field; or equivalent professional experience.Skills and QualificationsStrong working knowledge of HRIS platforms (e.g., Gusto, Rippling, Justworks, or similar).Proficiency in multi-state employment law compliance; ability to advise on federal, state, and local requirements across diverse client jurisdictions.Comfort working in tech-forward, tool-driven environments; experience with project management or workflow tools a plus.Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop a team in a fast-paced environment.Exceptional client relationship management skills, clear communicator, proactive, and solution-oriented.Strong systems thinker with the ability to identify patterns, design scalable processes, and translate complexity into clear, repeatable workflowsHigh attention to detail with the ability to manage competing priorities across multiple client accounts.Strong judgment on sensitive, complex HR matters; able to balance empathy with sound, defensible decision-making.Self-directed and entrepreneurial, comfortable with ambiguity and energized by building in a scaling organization.