Position Overview
The Manager, Compensation and People Operations is a key position within Room to Read’s People Department and is responsible for managing the delivery and continuous improvement of key people operations across Room to Read’s global offices, which currently span more than ten countries. This role plays a central part in ensuring that core People processes are delivered effectively, consistently, and in alignment with Room to Read’s mission, values, and operating model.
The role serves as the organization’s primary lead for global compensation and total rewards practices. The People Operations Manager manages salary structures and pay practices across multiple geographies, conducts compensation analyses, benchmarks roles against relevant markets, and develops recommendations related to hiring salaries, promotions, internal equity adjustments, and compensation frameworks. The position also contributes to the design and administration of Room to Read’s total rewards approach, ensuring that compensation and benefits programs remain competitive, equitable, and aligned with the needs of a global nonprofit workforce.
In addition to leading compensation strategy and analysis, the People Operations Manager supervises a team of 2 staff members responsible for the day-to-day delivery of People operations across the employee lifecycle. This includes recruitment, onboarding and offboarding, benefit administration, payroll coordination with regional vendors, and employment compliance. The role ensures that these functions operate efficiently and in compliance with local regulatory requirements.
Reporting to the Vice President of Global People Operations based in India, the People Operations Manager partners with organizational leaders to strengthen global People practices, support effective workforce management, and ensure that operational HR systems and processes effectively support staff across diverse geographic contexts.
The position is based in the US (San Francisco or New York) in a hybrid working arrangement.
Responsibilities
Compensation & Total Rewards
Lead the implementation and continuous improvement of Room to Read’s global total rewards strategy, including compensation structures, benefits programs, and related policies.
Maintain global salary frameworks, including pay ranges and salary scales.
Maintain and update compensation guidelines, policies, and documentation to ensure transparency and consistency in pay decisions.
Serve as the primary People Operations lead for compensation including annual benchmarking and market analysis, salary scale maintenance, and making compensation recommendations for new hires, new positions, and promotions as well as for internal equity and cost-of-living adjustments.
Monitor compensation trends across the nonprofit sector and ensure compliance with statutory compensation requirements (e.g., minimum wage, mandated benefits).
Conduct global total compensation analysis—including salary, benefits, allowances, and leave policies—to ensure equitable, competitive, and sustainable compensation practices across all Room to Read locations.
Analyze and assess the effectiveness of total rewards offerings to ensure they support employee engagement, retention, and competitiveness within the local markets.
Review non-cash benefits such as time off, holiday and leave programs to ensure alignment with both total compensation philosophy and local regulatory requirements.
Partner with People Department leadership and Finance by providing compensation and benefits data to support workforce planning and budgeting.
Oversee the administration and evaluation of employee benefits programs across global locations, working with regional vendors and brokers where applicable.
Oversee payroll administration, ensuring timely, accurate and compliant practices.
Provide guidance and training to other supervisors on compensation philosophy, salary positioning, and total rewards practices.
Recruitment
Oversee global recruitment processes end-to-end, ensuring consistent hiring practices, strong candidate experience, and alignment with organizational hiring needs.
Manage the recruitment policy, process, and practice, and drive the talent pipeline.
Manage search firm contracting and relationship management.
Provide guidance on job descriptions and workforce planning across global offices.
Provide guidance and oversight to the recruiting team to develop and maintain recruiting-related departmental metrics and recommend changes to recruiting and onboarding aligned with Room to Read’s roadmap on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
Identify talent acquisition and retention strategies in collaboration with other stakeholders.
Lead innovations in hiring practices on the basis of external landscape analysis and emerging AI tools and resources.
Focus on leveraging process improvements in global hiring in partnership with people operations teams across different locations and enhance usage of internally available HRIS functionalities.
People Operations Dashboards & Employee Lifecycle
Oversee onboarding and offboarding processes to ensure smooth employee transitions.
Oversee continuous improvement and usage of internal systems for accurate maintenance of employee records to maintain dashboards for management information and decision making.
Provide support for maintaining workforce multiplier systems related to independent contractors, temporary staff, interns and volunteers etc. across multiple jurisdictions.
Compliance & Risk Management
Oversee monitoring of employment law updates to ensure People Operations policies and employment practices comply with applicable labor laws across operating countries.
Oversee documentation, processes, and controls related to employment compliance.
Team Leadership
Manage and mentor People Operations team responsible for recruitment, benefits and payroll, compliance and general administrative functions.
Foster a culture of operational excellence, collaboration, learning and knowledge sharing within the team.
Required:
7+ years of progressive HR experience, including significant experience in compensation and recruitment management on a global scale
3+ years’ experience managing direct reports
Demonstrated experience developing or managing salary structures, job leveling frameworks, and compensation benchmarking processes
Experience using compensation survey data and benchmarking tools to inform pay decisions
Experience overseeing full-cycle recruitment processes including sourcing strategies, interviewing practices, and offer development
Demonstrated experience in employee lifecycle management, benefits administration, payroll coordination, and HR compliance
Strong stakeholder management skills and experience partnering with senior leaders and hiring managers.
Experience supporting HR operations across multiple countries or regions with differing employment regulations
Strong project management and process improvement skills
Strong analytical and quantitative skills, with the ability to interpret compensation data and provide actionable recommendations.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and drive process improvements in a complex environment
Strong communication skills with the ability to explain compensation practices and HR policies clearly to managers and employees
Preferred:
Experience working in an international nonprofit or mission-driven organization
Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Management, or related certifications (SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, etc.)
Strong use of Workday
Compensation and Benefits:
The salary range for this role is $86,285 to $97,115. Compensation may vary depending on several factors including, but not limited to, experience, skill set, and relevant education or certifications.
100% employer-paid premiums for medical, dental, and vision coverage
22 days of PTO + 11 paid holidays
Immediate enrollment in a 401(k) plan with up to a 6% match
Flexible work hours and a supportive, human-centered workplace
Child Protection Principles
Room to Read is committed to the education and welfare of children and protecting them from abuse and exploitation
Room to Read has zero tolerance for child abuse and exploitation.
All children have the right to be free from abuse and exploitation, including neglect, maltreatment, and physical, mental or sexual violence, injury or abuse.
All children should be treated with respect and dignity.
The well-being of the child is Room to Read’s first priority when dealing with all identified or suspected cases of child abuse.
Room to Read shall integrate child protection into all its organizational strategies, structures and work practices.
Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Principles
Room to Read Representatives must create and maintain an environment that prevents sexual exploitation and sexual abuse.
Room to Read has zero tolerance for adult sexual exploitation and abuse.
Sexual exploitation and abuse are serious violations of fundamental human rights and will not be accepted or tolerated.
All adults should be treated with respect and dignity.
Room to Read implements a survivor-centered approach, putting the survivor’s rights and dignity at the forefront.
Survivors referred to available professional assistance (e.g. mental health counselling), upon consent.
About Room to Read:
Founded in 2000 on the belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children®, Room to Read envisions a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality, where all children have room to read, learn and grow – creating lasting change. Through our Literacy Portfolio, we train and coach teachers of the early grades in literacy instruction; create and publish quality books and curricular materials in local languages; and establish children’s libraries filled with diverse children’s books that can be enjoyed at school and home. Our Gender Equality Portfolio supports adolescents, particularly girls, in developing life skills that promote gender equality, helping them to pursue lifelong learning and make informed decisions.
We support young people of all genders to overcome gender biases and build the knowledge and skills to create a gender-equal world. Room to Read collaborates with local communities, partner organizations, publishers, and governments to test and implement innovative models that can be integrated into the education system to deliver positive outcomes for children at scale. To date, Room to Read has benefited more than 50 million children in 28 countries.
Learn more at www.roomtoread.org.