The People Operations Specialist builds and maintains HR infrastructure and systems for the PWHL's US and Canadian operations. This role manages day-to-day people operations including HRIS administration, cross-border compliance, employee lifecycle processes, and payroll coordination with Finance. The position supports both corporate staff and league-employed players across North America, requiring strong systems expertise (particularly ADP Workforce Now), attention to detail in managing multi-jurisdictional requirements, and the ability to establish and manage scalable processes in a growing organization.
Key Duties & Responsibilities:
HRIS & Payroll Operations
- Manage and optimize ADP Workforce Now for US and Canadian operations
- Partner with Finance on payroll processing to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and compliance
- Troubleshoot system issues and implement process improvements
- Maintain data integrity and generate analytics to inform strategic decisions
Cross-Border Compliance
- Navigate US and Canadian employment law, benefits administration, and regulatory requirements
- Maintain current knowledge of provincial and state-specific regulations
- Partner with legal and finance on compliance audits and reporting
- Manage work authorization and visa processes for international players and staff
Employee Lifecycle Management
- Coordinate onboarding for players and corporate staff across multiple locations
- Administer benefits enrollment, changes, and communications
- Process employment changes, leaves of absence, and offboarding
- Maintain personnel files and documentation per legal requirements
Operations & Infrastructure
- Build scalable processes and documentation for a growing organization
- Create templates, workflows, and self-service resources
- Serve as a key point of contact for employee questions
- Support special projects including policy development and benefits strategy
Required Qualifications:
- 3-5 years progressive HR generalist or people operations experience
- Demonstrated ADP Workforce Now expertise (implementation, administration, or power-user experience)
- Proven experience with multi-state or international payroll and compliance
- Strong systems aptitude with ability to learn new technologies quickly
- Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills
- Excellent communication skills with diverse audiences
- Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, or related field (or equivalent experience)
Preferred Qualifications:
- PHR, HRCI, or equivalent HR certification
- Canadian employment law knowledge or previous Canada-US HR experience
- HRIS implementation or optimization project experience
- Sports industry, entertainment, or startup environment background
- Bilingual (English/French) capabilities
- Experience supporting unique employee populations (athletes, remote teams, seasonal workers)
Skills & Competencies:
- Operational Excellence – Build systems that scale; document processes proactively; balance speed with accuracy in fast-paced environments
- Cross-Border Agility – Embrace complexity and navigate ambiguity with confidence; proactively learn new regulatory landscapes; communicate effectively across cultural and organizational contexts
- Startup Mentality – Comfortable wearing multiple hats and adapting priorities; take ownership and solve problems resourcefully; see infrastructure gaps as opportunities
- Relationship Building – Build trust through reliability and clear communication; partner effectively with employees at all levels; handle sensitive information with discretion
- Business Acumen – Understand how people operations drive business outcomes; translate data into insights and recommendations; align work to organizational priorities
Flexibility & Travel:
A flexible schedule may be required at times to accommodate employees in multiple time zones. Travel is not required.
Work Arrangement:
Remote position based anywhere in the United States or Canada.
Background check:
Successful completion of pre-employment comprehensive background check except where limited by applicable law.
EEOC:
The Professional Women’s Hockey League is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.
