Senior Manager, People Services - Hybrid

Senior Manager Of People Services

At Commerce, our mission is to empower businesses to innovate, grow, and thrive with our open, AI-driven commerce ecosystem. As the parent company of BigCommerce, Feedonomics, and Makeswift, we connect the tools and systems that power growth, enabling businesses to unlock the full potential of their data, deliver seamless and personalized experiences across every channel, and adapt swiftly to an ever-changing market. Simply said, we help businesses confidently solve complex commerce challenges so they can build smarter, adapt faster, and grow on their own terms. If you want to be part of a team of bold builders, sharp thinkers, and technical trailblazers, working together to shape the future of commerce, this is the place for you.

We are seeking a strategic and experienced Senior Manager of People Services to lead our People Services and Payroll functions. This role will oversee the team responsible for ensuring seamless execution of core people services operations, accurate payroll processing, and strict adherence to employment regulations. In addition, the Senior Manager will provide leadership in compliance, including oversight of SOX and SOC audit requirements, ensuring strong controls, data integrity, and operational excellence. The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader who thrives at the intersection of HR, compliance, and payroll, driving efficient, scalable, and employee-centric processes while maintaining rigorous governance standards.

What You'll Do:

• Provide direction, mentorship, and development for the People Services team, establishing clear priorities and ensuring consistent delivery of best-in-class operational support.
• Partner with People Experience, Finance, and Legal leaders to align People Services initiatives with organizational goals and compliance requirements.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts by driving process optimization, automation, and system enhancements that enable scalability and efficiency.
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships with HRIS, HRBPs, Talent Acquisition, and business leaders to ensure alignment and successful execution of people operations initiatives.

• Provide strategic oversight of global payroll operations, executed through the Manager of Global Payroll, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with federal, state, and international regulations.
• Partner closely with Finance and Accounting teams to reconcile payroll data, support audits, and deliver accurate payroll-related reporting.
• Collaborate with the Payroll Manager to evaluate and manage payroll vendor relationships, driving service quality, efficiency, and value.
• Maintain organizational compliance with wage, tax, and reporting obligations across all jurisdictions.

• Proactively monitor evolving federal, state, and international labor laws and regulations, ensuring organizational compliance across all jurisdictions and mitigating potential risks.
• Lead internal compliance audits and partner with external auditors to support SOX and SOC compliance requirements, including the preparation of documentation, remediation of findings, and continuous improvement of controls.
• Safeguard employee data accuracy and integrity while ensuring compliance with data privacy and security requirements, including GDPR, HIPAA, SOX, and SOC standards.
• Develop, implement, and maintain compliant policies, processes, and procedures related to payroll, leave administration, timekeeping, and other HR operations, ensuring alignment with internal controls and external regulations.
• Partner with Legal, Finance, and HR leadership to assess compliance risks, strengthen governance practices, and ensure readiness for regulatory and audit reviews.

• Own and oversee all immigration-related processes, including visa sponsorship, work authorization, and compliance with global immigration laws and regulations.
• Partner with external immigration counsel and internal stakeholders to manage case strategy, filings, renewals, and audits, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Provide guidance and support to employees and candidates navigating immigration processes, ensuring a positive and transparent experience.
• Monitor evolving immigration regulations and assess potential business impacts, advising leadership on risks, opportunities, and workforce planning considerations.
• Ensure accurate record keeping and audit readiness for immigration-related documentation in alignment with SOX, SOC, and broader compliance requirements.

• Lead the People Services team in delivering core operational functions, including onboarding and off-boarding for employees and non-employees, vendor management, records management, data governance, and SOX audit compliance.
• Ensure data accuracy, integrity, and consistency while providing analytics and reporting to support strategic decision-making.
• Oversee the seamless execution of employee lifecycle processes, driving efficiency, compliance, and a positive employee experience.
• Partner with leadership to design, optimize, and implement People Services solutions that strengthen records management, vendor oversight, and data management practices.

Who You Are:

Required:

• 8+ years of progressive experience in HR/People Operations, HCM data management, employee records management, vendor management, case management, onboarding and off-boarding practices and SOX compliance.
• 3+ years in a leadership or people management role.
• Proven track record of leading compliance initiatives and managing SOX and SOC audits, including the development, testing and remediation of controls to ensure ongoing compliance
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, identify trends, and recommend solutions.
• Experience with HRIS and payroll systems (Workday, ADP).
• Change agent mindset to effectively develop communication plans, assess impacts, create communications, and embrace stakeholder feedback
• Capability to apply discretion and sound judgment in managing complex processes, decisions and handling sensitive information.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and build cross-functional relationships.
• Experience supporting a distributed/global workforce.
• Strong influencing skills leveraging business acumen, expertise and data.
• Ability to work within compressed timeframes and embrace the sense of urgency, innovation and resourcefulness required in a fast-paced company
• Demonstrated curiosity and interest in emerging technologies, including AI, with a willingness to explore and apply innovative solutions to enhance People Services operations.

Preferred:

• Knowledge of U.S. payroll practices, tax requirements, and employment law; global payroll.
• Experience managing immigration programs, including visa sponsorship, work authorization, and compliance with U.S. and global immigration regulations, in partnership with external counsel and internal stakeholders.

Competencies & Attributes:

• Detail-oriented with a commitment to accuracy and compliance.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and coaching skills.
• Problem-solver with a continuous improvement mindset.
• Employee-first approach, balancing compliance with a positive employee experience.

The exact salary will be dependent on the successful candidate's location, relevant knowledge, skills, and qualifications.

Inclusion and Belonging:

At Commerce, we believe that celebrating the unique histories, perspectives and abilities of every employee makes a difference for our company, our customers and our community. We are an equal opportunity employer and the inclusive atmosphere we build together will make room for every person to contribute, grow and thrive. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the interview process, to perform essential job functions and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. If you need an accommodation in order to interview at Commerce, please let us know during any of your interactions with our recruiting team.

Learn more about the Commerce team, culture, and benefits at https://www.commerce.com/careers/.

Protect Yourself Against Hiring Scams: Our Corporate Disclaimer:

Commerce, along with many other employers, has become the subject of fraudulent job offers to hopeful prospective job seekers. Be advised: Commerce does not offer jobs to individuals who do not go through our formal hiring process. Commerce will never:

• require payment of recruitment fees from candidates;
• request personally identifiable information through unsanctioned websites or applications;
• attempt to solicit money from you as part of the hiring process or as part of an employment offer;
• solicit money to complete visa requirements as part of a job offer.

If you receive unsolicited offers of employment from Commerce, we urge you to be extremely cautious and avoid engaging or responding.