People Operations & Compliance Manager

About BoxPower 

BoxPower helps utilities, communities, and critical infrastructure deploy resilient, cost-effective distributed energy systems. We combine planning/design software (EASI), turnkey hardware “kits,” and execution services (EPC + O&M) to make DER deployments repeatable and scalable. 

About the Role 

The People Operations & Compliance Manager serves as the strategic leader for all human capital, workforce planning, compliance, and organizational effectiveness initiatives at BoxPower. This role partners directly with the CEO, CFO, and executive leadership team to design scalable people systems that support growth, regulatory compliance, safety standards, and company culture. This is both a strategic and hands-on leadership role in a dynamic startup environment. This role reports to the CFO (or VP Business Operations). Direct reports currently include 1 part time HR support role. This role is required to be in person in Grass Valley, CA 3 days each week.   
 

Core Responsibilities 

Strategic Leadership & Organizational Design 

Partner with executive leadership on workforce planning and org design
• Develop scalable people infrastructure aligned to growth strategy
• Lead succession planning and talent calibration (9-Box process) 
• Manage quarterly performance management frameworks (QPR cycles) 
• Advise leadership on restructuring and/or headcount strategy 

Compliance & Risk Management 

Oversee multi-state employment law compliance
• Lead FLSA classification reviews and wage/hour audits
• Manage Workers’ Compensation strategy and WCIRB audit processes 
• Partner with external employment counsel as needed 
• Lead internal investigations and ensure risk mitigation protocols 
• Partner with operations leaders for safety compliance and EHS vendor partnerships 
• Maintain employee handbook and policy architecture aligned to state and federal laws 

Total Rewards & Compensation Strategy 

Design and maintain compensation bands and pay equity frameworks 
• Lead annual merit planning and compensation modeling 
• Oversee payroll strategy, tax compliance, and audit readiness 
• Manage 401(k), benefits, and COBRA administration  
• Partner with Finance on payroll forecasting and budget planning 

Talent Acquisition & Workforce Development 

Own full-cycle talent acquisition strategy and employer branding
• Advise hiring managers on workforce planning and role design
• Ensure compliant and inclusive hiring practices 
• Manage and develop onboarding frameworks and “First 90 Day” integration planning 

Culture, Engagement & Change Management 

Lead employee engagement strategy, exit interviews and eNPS measurement 
• Develop retention initiatives aligned to survey insights 
• Build leadership capability through coaching and training 
• Lead change management efforts for organizational transitions 
• Design communication strategies for workforce initiatives 

People Analytics & Reporting 

Manage HR metrics dashboards (retention, engagement, turnover, compensation) 
• Support strategic planning with data-driven insights 

Qualifications 

8+ years progressive HR leadership experience
• Experience in multi-state compliance environments
• Demonstrated experience in compensation strategy & pay equity analysis 
• Experience advising executive leadership in high-growth environments 
• Strong working knowledge of CA employment law 
• Experience managing risk, audits, and regulatory compliance 
• Strategic thinker with hands-on execution capability 
• Exceptional communication and executive presence