About the role

Rippling is seeking a highly organized, operationally rigorous Associate Program Manager, HR to help drive critical HR programs and cross-functional initiatives that improve the support of Rippling's continued scale and HR execution.

This role will report to the VP of HR and serve as a core operator across several high-impact and varied work streams, including new hire onboarding, benefits, HR PMO projects, AI-enabled HR initiatives, OKRs/QBRs, M&A readiness and integration work, IPO-related HR projects, and Rippling Rituals.

The ideal candidate is a strong program manager and operator who can create structure in ambiguity, drive stakeholders to decisions, translate complex work into clear plans, and ensure execution does not stall. You are comfortable operating across strategic HR priorities and tactical details. You can support executive-level work streams while also rolling up your sleeves to improve processes, manage dashboards & tooling, track issues & analytics, prepare materials, and ensure project completion.

This is a high-impact role for someone who brings judgment, discretion, analytical orientation, and an incredible bias for getting sh!t done!

What you will do

• Lead and operationalize HR programs and projects from intake through execution, ensuring clear scope, owners, milestones, dependencies, risks, decisions, and success measures.
• Own Rippling's global new hire onboarding program to deliver a consistent, high-quality onboarding experience, ensuring seamless coordination with regional onboarding hubs.
• Support benefits-related programs and operational improvements, including employee education, partnering with product to ensure issue resolution, stakeholder coordination, communications, process documentation, and cross-functional execution.
• Serve as a PMO partner to the VP of HR across priority initiatives, including AI in HR, OKRs/QBRs, M&A readiness and integration, IPO readiness, Rippling Rituals, Rippling product feedback, and other HR work streams.
• Build and manage project plans, trackers, dashboards, executive updates, decision documents, and enablement material that create clarity, accountability, and momentum.
• Identify opportunities to improve HR processes through automation, better data, clearer ownership, and stronger operating discipline.
• Anticipate risks and dependencies, surface issues early, and drive resolution without waiting for perfect direction.
• Maintain strong documentation, project hygiene, and communication loops so stakeholders know what is happening, what is needed, and who owns next steps.
• Handle confidential HR, employee, business, and executive information with discretion, sound judgment, and appropriate care.

What you will need

• 3+ years of experience in program management, project management, people operations, HR operations, consulting, business operations, or HR-related project delivery.
• Strong program and project management fundamentals, including scoping, planning, governance, milestone tracking, risk management, stakeholder management, and execution.
• Experience supporting complex, cross-functional initiatives in fast-moving, high-growth environments.
• Comfort working across HR domains such as onboarding, benefits, HR operations, and internal communications.
• Strong analytical/technical skills and the ability to use AI, data, dashboards, and issue trackers to identify themes, monitor progress, and drive action.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to facilitate meetings/presentations and synthesize complex information into clear updates with practical recommendations.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and the ability to build trust across a variety of partners and leaders
• High judgment and discretion when handling confidential employee, HR, business, and executive-level information.
• Strong attention to detail, follow-through, and ownership; you close loops and make sure work does not drift.
• Comfort with ambiguity and shifting priorities; you clarify the goal, build the plan, align the right stakeholders, and keep execution moving.
• Low-ego, hands-on operating style with a bias for action and a willingness to jump in wherever needed.

What makes you successful

• You can operate at multiple altitudes: understanding the strategic intent behind HR priorities while managing the details required to execute well.
• You bring structure to ambiguous work and help leaders make faster, better decisions.
• You are proactive about risks, dependencies, and stakeholder alignment.
• You communicate crisply and know how to make complex work easy for executives and cross-functional partners to understand.
• You improve the operating system around you - better dashboards, clearer owners, stronger cadences, tighter follow-through, and more scalable processes.
• You care deeply about employee experience, but you pair that with operational discipline and business judgment.
• You have a deep passion for AI, automations, and a self-service culture.

Additional Information

This role will receive a competitive salary + benefits + equity. The salary for US-based employees will be aligned with one of the ranges below based on location; see which tier applies to your location here.

A variety of factors are considered when determining someone's compensation-including a candidate's professional background, experience, and location. Final offer amounts may vary from the amounts listed below.