Senior Manager, People Operations & Total Rewards
Tecovas · Austin · $125,000–$135,000 (stated in the posting)
Tecovas was founded with the simple goal of making the world's best western boots, apparel and leather goods - and selling them at a fair price. We are a brand revolutionizing a category and welcoming first-time boot buyers and western enthusiasts alike.
Tecovas is looking for a Senior Manager, People Operations & Total Rewards, to own our benefits programs, build scalable compensation practices and oversee the systems and processes that support our multi-state workforce through our next stage of growth. Reporting to the Senior Director, HR & Recruiting, you'll be our go-to expert on benefits and compensation data, translating insights into thoughtful, actionable recommendations. This role is part builder, part operator. You'll keep core processes running smoothly while improving and scaling how we support our people, all while preserving the culture that makes Tecovas special.
This role is based in Austin, TX. Candidates must live in or be willing to relocate to Austin, TX.
What you’ll do:
Benefits
- Own our benefits program end-to-end, including administration, carrier and broker relationships, and eligibility audits.
- Lead annual renewals and open enrollment, including cost modeling, contribution strategy, plan design, and system setup; Create clear, helpful communications that make benefits easier for employees to understand and navigate.
- Oversee COBRA, nondiscrimination testing, ACA compliance, and required plan filings.
- Own leave and disability policies and vendor relationships, and guide complex leave and accommodation cases with care, discretion, and clear communication.
Compensation
- Partner with the Finance team to model merit and promotion budgets and help run annual review cycles.
- Conduct regular pay equity reviews to support fair, consistent pay practices and prepare required state pay data reporting.
- Maintain clear compensation guidelines, support Talent Acquisition with offer guidance, and help leaders make and communicate informed pay decisions.
- Lead executive compensation benchmarking, including building and maintaining a peer group and working with external compensation consultants and survey providers.
- Prepare compensation analyses and materials for senior leadership and the Board.
- Strengthen documentation, approval workflows, and internal controls across compensation and payroll-related processes to support audit readiness.
People operations & compliance
- Own the employee handbook and policy updates across the states where we operate, in partnership with the field HR Business Partner and legal.
- Manage HR documentation across the employee lifecycle, ensuring accuracy, confidentiality, and timely completion.
- Own hiring, onboarding, and HR compliance for our team in Mexico.
- Maintain an HR compliance calendar covering filings, testing, notices, and new state requirements.
HR systems & people data
- Use approved AI tools and automation to simplify routine work, strengthen analysis, and improve employee support.
- Serve as system owner for our HRIS, covering configuration, workflows, data integrity, and upgrades, and lead HR technology implementations.
- Build and maintain people reporting on headcount, turnover, benefits enrollment, and compensation, and turn it into clear insights for the people team and leadership.
- Manage the systems, timelines, and workflows behind our annual performance review cycle alongside our People Strategy & Development team.
Experience we’re looking for:
- 6+ years of progressive HR experience, including 3+ years owning benefits and/or compensation programs, with direct experience in equity and executive compensation.
- Hands-on renewal experience and the ability to build a benefits or compensation cost model.
- Working knowledge of ERISA, ACA, COBRA, FMLA, Section 125, FLSA, and multi-state leave and pay laws.
- HRIS administration experience with Paycom, UKG, ADP, Workday, or similar.
- Experience in a public company or a late-stage, high-growth private company with mature compensation governance
What you bring to the table:
- Experience with a multi-state retail or hourly workforce, especially variable-hour ACA eligibility
- HRIS implementation or migration experience
- Ability to learn quickly, adapt as priorities shift, and adjust your approach as the needs of the business evolve in a fast-moving company.
- Sound judgment and a business-minded approach to decisions, weighing tradeoffs to recommend what’s best for Tecovas and our people, both today and as we grow.
Full Time Benefits & Perks:
- We offer insurance plans that pay 79-90% of your health premium coverage and 100% of your dental & vision insurance coverage for your family/dependents
- 401(k) match
- Paid Parental Leave
- Flexible PTO policy
- Corporate wellness program
- Competitive salary: $125,000-135,000/annum (commensurate with experience)
- Eligibility to participate in Corporate Bonus Program
- Generous employee discounts!
About Us:
Based in Austin, TX, Tecovas brings the spirit of the West to the modern consumer. Handcrafting the best Western footwear, workwear, apparel, and accessories, Tecovas has grown rapidly since its founding as the first digitally native Western brand in 2015, serving customers through www.Tecovas.com, Tecovas Stores from coast to coast, and select wholesale partners. We’re certainly growing- and hiring passionate, humble, positive, and talented people determined to help us continue to grow!
Important note: We strive to hire values-aligned people because we believe it takes each and all of us to be successful, and lead with grit, speed and a clear vision of where we’re headed. Interviewing at Tecovas may include phone interviews, virtual “on-site” interviews, and on-the-job mock cases. We are committed to run a thorough process for candidates with whom we identify a potential match, and we will do our best to follow-up with each and every applicant! If you’re on the fence, just give it a try!