Sr. Manager, People Operations

Who is Bird

Bird is on a mission to make cities more livable by reducing car usage, traffic, and carbon emissions. Our cleaner, affordable, and on-demand micromobility solutions are available in cities around the world. We partner closely with the communities we serve to offer a reliable, eco-friendly transportation option that helps people move freely and sustainably.

About the Role

Bird is seeking a strategic and hands-on Senior Manager, People Operations to lead the day-to-day and operational excellence of our global People Operations and Payroll functions. Reporting to the VP, People, this role will play a critical part in scaling and streamlining our systems, policies, and programs in support of Bird’s global workforce.

This leader will oversee two key teams—Payroll and People Operations—and serve as the operational backbone of the People function. The ideal candidate is a collaborative builder with a passion for people, systems, and process improvement. They thrive in complexity, bring structure to ambiguity, and lead with a service-oriented mindset.

Reporting Relationship: The role reports to the Vice President, People, who reports to the CEO.

Team Overview:

This role leads the Payroll and People Operations globally across Bird with teams across N. America & Europe.

• The team this role oversees is as follows:

Total Team: 5 Payroll Team:

• Sr. Manager, Global Payroll (US)
• Sr. Payroll Specialist (US)
• Sr. Payroll Specialist (Portugal)

People Operations Team:

• People Operations Associate (US)
• Dotted line: People Operations Associate (Portugal)

Key Responsibilities

1. People Operations Leadership

• • Lead and evolve the global People Operations function, ensuring exceptional employee experience from onboarding to offboarding
  • Own and continuously improve core HR processes, systems, and policies that support Bird’s global employee base.
  • Manage employee lifecycle workflows (onboarding, offboarding, employment verification, contractor support) with a strong focus on efficiency and compliance.
  • Ensure timely and accurate handling of People-related queries through Zendesk and functional mailboxes (e.g. payroll@, talent@).

1. Payroll & Timekeeping Oversight

• • Lead and support the Global Payroll function to ensure timely, accurate, and compliant payroll processing across all regions.
  • Manage and improve payroll operations across multiple systems including ADP, Dayforce, and localized tools.
  • Oversee timekeeping systems and processes to support hourly and salaried populations globally.
  • Partner with Finance and Legal to ensure alignment on payroll, tax, and compliance matters.

1. HR Systems, Data & Analytics

• • Partner with internal stakeholders to ensure data accuracy and integrity across systems and integrations.
  • Build and deliver people analytics dashboards and reporting that support strategic workforce decisions.
  • Lead efforts around automation, data flow, and process documentation.
  • Own the HR tech stack and drive system optimization across tools:

• • • HRIS & People Systems: BambooHR, ADP, Ceridian Dayforce
    • Compensation & Benchmarking: Radford, Pave
    • Recruiting & Performance: Greenhouse, Lattice
    • Service & Knowledge Management: Zendesk, Confluence
    • Collaboration & Analytics: Google Suite (Sheets, Slides, Docs), custom dashboards and reporting tools.

1. Policy, Compliance, Training & Process Improvement

• • Maintain and evolve global HR policies to ensure consistency, compliance, and clarity across all regions.
  • Continuously assess and improve People Operations processes to enhance efficiency, scalability, and the employee experience—particularly across onboarding, offboarding, data management, and contractor support.
  • Lead training initiatives related to Payroll and People Operations to ensure People Managers and employees are well-versed in key processes, systems, timelines, and responsibilities.
  • Coordinate compliance-related training and documentation across all geographies.
  • Own communication and change management efforts for People Operations and Payroll programs—ensuring transparency, consistency, and adoption of new or updated initiatives.
  • Partner with Legal to ensure continuous adherence to local labor laws, documentation requirements, and data privacy regulations.

1. Team Development & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• • Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team with a culture of accountability, service, and continuous learning.
  • Collaborate closely with Legal, Finance, and IT to ensure seamless execution of People programs.
  • Act as a strategic partner to the VP, People and People Business Partners, aligning operational strategy with business needs.

What You Bring

• REQUIRED: 10+ years of progressive experience in People Operations, HR, and Payroll functions, including 3+ years in a people management role.
• REQUIRED: Experience at both large-scale public companies and smaller-scale start-up private environments required
• Experience leading cross-functional and cross-regional teams.
• Deep understanding of HR systems, tools, and data—especially BambooHR, Dayforce, ADP, Greenhouse, and Lattice.
• Proven ability to build and scale processes in fast-paced, high-growth, and global environments.
• Knowledge of employment compliance across North America and EMEA regions.
• Strong analytical mindset with experience building dashboards and leveraging people data to drive decisions.
• Excellent communication and project management skills.
• A passion for people, process improvement, and building great internal experiences.

Culture at Bird

We're an ambitious, smart, and open-minded team that is passionate about our mission. Each day is unlike the last, as we constantly move forward, challenge each other, and work together to create the future of micro-mobility.

Benefits & Perks

We want people to succeed at Bird, so we give our teams plenty of time off to relax and recharge. We also offer a work-from-home stipend, an employer-paid healthcare package, and Bird ride credits to get you where you need to be.

Inclusion at Bird

Bird stands for a culture of inclusion. We celebrate different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives —encouraging everyone to bring their authentic selves to work. We have a diverse environment that empowers our team to feel comfortable when they voice their opinions. For these reasons and more Bird is a proud equal employment opportunity employer. We welcome everyone regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or genetics, and we are dedicated to providing an inclusive, open, and diverse work environment.

Sounds like a place you’d like to work? Sweet. Let’s chat.

#Remote - LI