Senior Manager, People and Culture

Scout’s Senior Manager, People and Culture, will play an important role in building our dynamic People and Culture team. The primary focus of this role is to execute the strategic plan to attract, empower, and advance Scout team members who will achieve Scout’s Mission and Vision in alignment with our Values. You will serve as a key team member and hands-on business partner across every department at Scout:  

• Execute Scout’s strategy for company-wide and cross-functional People and Culture initiatives.  

• Manage and provide day-to-day support for our payroll and benefits administration and compliance efforts.  

• Incorporate compliant innovation in our team’s approach to identifying opportunities and developing solutions (both programmatic and bespoke, depending on the need) and implementing the tactics necessary to increase the company’s enterprise value.  

• Integrate quickly into the Scout team, enabling you to implement emerging programs in the near term and offer data-driven solutions that support overall organizational growth.  

You have experience with payroll and benefits administration, compliance with employment law, program delivery, employee relations, and customer service and will bring dynamic interpersonal skills to bear on all of Scout’s People and Culture-related matters. You understand the importance of attracting, empowering, and advancing a strong team of professionals committed to Scout’s Mission and are prepared to build a high-functioning team that is positioned to serve Scout well into the future.   

Responsibilities

You will play a pivotal role on the People and Culture team. As a People and Culture team, we apply our professional expertise and integrate knowledge and feedback from other teams at Scout to develop programmatic and bespoke solutions that meet the needs of our company and our people.   

Our Sr. Manager, People and Culture, will play an instrumental role in the following areas, which are listed in the order of importance:  

Lead the strategic development and day-to-day administration of payroll, benefits, and People-related compliance matters:  

• Serve as the internal payroll lead. Communicate with our HRIS vendor, Paylocity and address employee questions, submit payroll (bi-weekly), and ensure that Paylocity completes all state- and federal-level compliance filings in a timely manner.  

• Serve as the internal benefits lead and in-house expert. Work with Scout’s benefits brokers to review benefit options that are competitive within the industry and sustainable for our business. Review and improve communication materials about benefits.  

• Prepare and submit compliance filings and ad hoc reports related to payroll and benefits (including 401k) as needed. Leverage your quantitative analysis (i.e., Excel) skills when required.  

Develop and/or refine, launch, and execute comprehensive, innovative programmatic offerings that leverage Scout strengths to meet team member needs, including the following: 

• Total Rewards: Analyze trends in compensation and benefits. Research and design compelling total rewards offerings to ensure that we attract, advance, and retain our top performers. Lead updates to program documents, delivery and tracking of annual award letters and payouts, provide input to the compensation review process. 

• Biannual All Hands Meeting: Lead the planning and execution, including agenda development, speaker recruitment, and oversight of the logistics. 

• New programs: Lead user needs and market assessment, program design, and launch / delivery of new programs that arise as Scout continues to scale. 

Develop and/or refine, launch, and implement targeted P+C-related policies and procedures related to payroll, benefits, and key programs (by researching, drafting content, and refining based on Scout team feedback).  

• Stay up to date on developments related to compliance requirements, employment laws, and proven practices. Ensure we adhere to those requirements.  

• Coordinate with Scout’s employment law advisors to leverage expertise and content; solicit feedback from Scout staff when appropriate to optimize policies. Ensure the policies put Scout's values to work.  

Build collaborative relationships with other teams at Scout in order to:  

• Understand People and Culture dynamics and effectively position Scout as an employer of choice.  

• Serve as a trusted partner to Scout’s managers and department leaders as you work together to address a range of personnel matters.  

• Build a robust, collaborative, productive team that enjoys working together.  
    

Provide general administrative support to People and Culture-related matters.  

• Manage key systems needed to support P+C programs (e.g., HRIS, employer of record, SharePoint, process management tools).   

• Lead the contract review and management for external vendors for payroll, benefits, compliance, and other programmatic needs.  

• Develop and lead training on P+C-related items, including programs and systems.  

• Lead employee on- and off-boarding processes, including conducting the People and Culture meetings for first-day onboarding.  

Provide structural support to ensure industry-leading delivery of P+C initiatives:  

• Provide top-flight written, verbal, and visual communication materials that effectively motivate their target audiences, which will have varying levels of technical expertise and seniority.  

• Develop timelines for all payroll, benefits, and compliance initiatives that achieve goals set by senior team members; engage all necessary stakeholders (internal and external) to ensure they are met.   

• Mentor more junior staff to support continued team development.   

• Identify and elevate increasingly complex issues or concerns to more senior staff, accompanied by recommendations for resolution. Implement solutions.  

Your Background May Look Something Like This:  

You are a solution-oriented team player who is passionate about developing others. You have a high capacity for work and have a reputation for getting things done in a way that makes others feel supported and heard. You are a builder who wants to see your work succeed at scale in an organization that makes a difference in the world. Every day, you bring your best self to work and support others in doing the same through tactful, positive communications that maintain discretion as needed.   

Work Experience and Skillset  

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited university.  

• 7+ years of experience with front-line responsibility for payroll and benefits administration.  

• Demonstrated use of advanced functions in technological solutions and systems (e.g., dashboard development in HRIS) that enhance People and Culture service delivery. Experience evaluating and implementing new systems is preferred.  

• Exceptional verbal, written, and visual communication skills that are deployed to enhance employee engagement and uptake of P+C-related programs.  

• Interest in making the world a better place through clean energy.  

• Demonstrated ability to independently lead problem-solving efforts with interdisciplinary groups to identify solutions that concurrently address issues across multiple projects/programs and concerns identified by more junior staff.  

• Ability to deliver high levels of accuracy in a very detail-oriented workflow.  

• Demonstrated ability to achieve results while maintaining discretion in sensitive situations.  

• Growth mindset with the ability to learn skills on the job as needed.  

• Ability to conduct straightforward quantitative analysis in Excel. Advanced capabilities in Excel are a plus. 

• Proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, and Excel and willingness to develop advanced skills, proficiency in the rest of the Microsoft Office Suite. Ability to type at least 60 words per minute.  

• Experience working within Canada-based employment frameworks is a plus. 

Organizational Fit:  

Strong communication, project management and team-building skills. Experience working with cross-functional internal and external technical advisors and stakeholders.   

• Ability to multi-task and prioritize work by setting targets and following through in a fast-paced work environment.   

• Success in using influence rather than authority to achieve desired outcomes.  

• Successfully in leveraging the expertise of multiple colleagues in different reporting lines.  

• Authorized to work in the United States.  

• Able to work from our office in Boulder, Colorado. 

Desired Personal / Leadership Characteristics  

• Confidence and leadership, character, and strong principles.  

• Low ego and collaborative working style.  

• Ability to inspire confidence and create trust.  

• High emotional IQ – very strong interpersonal skills.  

Scoutʼs Values 

• Mission-Orientation. High achievers who want to make a difference in this world and contribute to Scoutʼs stated mission. 

• Teamwork. Respectful and appreciative colleagues with strong interpersonal skills and a commitment to fostering positive relationships across organizational boundaries to deliver on shared team goals. 

• Safety. Uncompromising advocates for the health and safety of fellow employees, contractors, customers, and community members. 

• Integrity. Ethical professionals who do the right thing even when it is difficult. 

• Initiative. Resourceful self-motivators who thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment because of their exceptional leadership, work ethic, and organizational skills. 

• Intelligence. Problem-solving learners who can make informed decisions quickly and create innovative and pragmatic solutions to challenging problems. 

Timeline and Location 

Must be located in or willing to relocate to a commutable distance to our Boulder, CO office. We are planning to start this position in May - June 2025.

Invitation to Women and U.S. Underrepresented Groups 

We encourage applications from all demographics and especially those that are traditionally underrepresented in the energy industry. Consistent with our core values, Scout celebrates the diversity of thought and experience that comes from a range of backgrounds including, but not limited to, gender, race, and ethnicity. 

Invitation to Veterans 

Scout welcomes veterans of the United States Armed Forces to apply for this position. Scout includes veterans of all branches and a diverse set of occupational specialties. We value the independent thinking, problem solving, leadership, and teamwork that our veterans have developed through their service. We welcome applications from any service and any military occupational specialty. 

Target base salary: $130,000- $150,000 (Negotiable for the right candidate.)   

Attractive bonus potential.   

Scout offers a full range of benefits, including medical/dental/vision insurance with attractive premiums, 401(k) match, STD, LTD, an Employee Assistance Program, and a range of optional supplemental insurance coverage.