Job Description

The HR Risk Operations Project Manager is responsible for leading complex HR risk, compliance, and operational programs from strategy through execution. This role partners closely with People Experience, Legal, Compliance, HRIS, Payroll, Finance, and business stakeholders to translate regulatory requirements, policy priorities, and operational risks into practical programs, standard operating procedures, tools, controls, reporting, and stakeholder guidance. The Manager serves as a consultative resource on employment policy and HR compliance matters, providing clear recommendations, drafting policy-related materials, and supporting consistent, defensible decision-making across the organization.

This role requires strong project and program management discipline, including the ability to develop project plans, manage timelines, coordinate cross-functional workstreams, identify dependencies and risks, and drive deliverables to completion in a fast-paced, matrixed environment. The ideal candidate will bring strong data analytics capabilities, including experience analyzing workforce data, identifying trends and risk indicators, building dashboards or tracking tools, and translating data into executive-ready insights and recommendations.

The HR Risk Operations Project Manager serves as a key member of the People & Culture team in support of firm-wide goals and objectives. This role will report to the Associate Director of HR Risk Operations.

Key responsibilities:

HR Regulatory Program Management

• Lead complex HR risk, compliance, and operational programs from planning through execution, including project plans, milestones, dependencies, risks, and deliverables.

• Translate legal, regulatory, and business requirements into scalable HR processes, controls, communications, training materials, and stakeholder guidance.

• Coordinate cross-functional workstreams by aligning stakeholders, clarifying roles and responsibilities, documenting decisions, and ensuring timely follow-through.

• Manage large-scale HR programs supporting multinational firms on the Grant Thornton platform, integrations, and business optimization initiatives.

• Support firmwide compliance initiatives, including workforce analysis, Respect in the Workplace training, compliance questionnaires, and other high-priority or confidential projects in partnership with P&C and Legal.

• Oversee the firmwide Affirmative Action program, including OFCCP audit response, vendor management, reporting, and program governance.

HR Risk Operations

• Partner with Global HR teams to strengthen HR compliance controls and risk frameworks aligned with firm risk appetite.

• Ensure HR risk monitoring frameworks remain effective, scalable, and responsive to regulatory changes and business needs.

• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures, research summaries, and guidance materials related to HR risk operations and emerging trends.

• Lead HR risk management priorities and develop practical short- and long-term solutions for complex business challenges.

• Serve as an escalation point for client-related onboarding, background investigation matters, and contract review.

• Collaborate with ICS functions, including Finance and Payroll, to improve operational consistency and advance risk management priorities.

• Provide day-to-day work direction to global data analytics team members supporting HR risk operations.

Policy Governance

• Own the development, implementation, maintenance, and governance of employment policies.

• Serve as a policy consultation resource for People Experience, Legal, Compliance, HRIS, Payroll, Finance, and business stakeholders.

• Provide practical guidance on employment policy interpretation, process application, and risk mitigation.

• Partner with Legal and Compliance to align policies with global requirements and firm standards.

• Drive policy harmonization across multinational firms, acquired entities, and evolving business models.

• Draft employee-facing policy communications, FAQs, and intranet content to support consistent understanding and application.

Training & Operational Excellence

• Monitor emerging labor and employment laws impacting firm policies; translate legal and business changes into practical process improvements and controls.

• Develop and manage firmwide HR compliance training programs, including planning, stakeholder coordination, deployment, tracking, and continuous improvement.

• Deliver internal training that addresses identified compliance risks, strengthens risk mitigation practices, and promotes a culture of compliance.

• Support execution of the P&C strategic plan by advancing operational excellence initiatives aligned with industry standards and business priorities.

• Recommend remediation actions, process improvements, and control enhancements based on audit results, monitoring findings, and identified risk trends.

• Manage AI-related HR risks by applying firm governance, monitoring regulatory developments, and refining guidelines to support compliant and responsible use.

HR Workforce Analytics, Risk Strategy & Workforce Management

• Develop and maintain dashboards, trackers, heat maps, and reporting tools to monitor HR risk, compliance activity, workforce trends, and program effectiveness.

• Analyze workforce and operational data to identify trends, emerging risks, control gaps, and opportunities for automation or process improvement.

• Prepare executive-ready summaries, insights, recommendations, and status updates to support leadership review and decision-making.

• Partner with HRIS, Technology, and analytics teams to improve data quality, reporting processes, automation, and integration of risk operations tools.

• Identify and implement automation and reporting enhancements using Power Automate, Power Query, Power BI, and related tools.

• Conduct adverse impact analyses as requested and summarize findings for leadership review.

• Build automated tracking and reporting tools that integrate multiple data sources, streamline workflows, improve data integrity, and enable real-time reporting.

Health & Safety

• Oversee management of health and safety procedures and policies, including infectious disease and workplace violence safety programs

• Monitor ongoing regulatory updates including OSHA standards, injury and illness prevention programs and government contractor compliance

• Assist with real-time response during crisis matters such as natural disasters, including drafting employee-facing communications and compiling resources for impacted employees

The ideal candidate will be:

• A business-minded HR Risk &Compliance professional who excels at statistical workplace analysis, internal/external HR compliance, project and process management with impeccable planning, coordination, and follow-through.

• Operationally rigorous, detail-accurate, and deadline-reliable in a fast-moving, matrixed environment.

• Analytical, comfortable with metrics and translating data into clear executive summaries , timelines, and stakeholder guidance.

• A concise, audience-aware communicator who can write, edit, and sequence communications that drive clarity and action.

• A strong collaborator across Legal/Compliance, People & Culture, Technology/HRIS, People Experience and Inclusion teams; adept at role clarity and RACI management.

• Comfortable and integrity driven professional with experience in handling highly confidential information, sound judgment, and executive-facing professionalism.

The Ideal Candidate Will Possess:

• 6-8 years of progressive experience in HR Compliance, HR program management, PMO/operations, or organizational effectiveness (professional services experience a plus).

• Hands-on experience building and managing complex program plans (e.g., Smartsheet), SOPs, process documentation, and trainings.

• Advanced data and reporting skills (Excel/Power BI or similar) Experience with Power Queries, look-ups, pivot tables and experience supporting various systems

• Proficiency with MS Office, SharePoint/Teams, and content maintenance on intranet site.

• Strong written and verbal communication; experience drafting broad-reach communications, policies, FAQs, research papers and leader talking points and briefings.

• HR regulatory reporting experience

• People management experience preferred.

The base salary range for this position is between $112,000 and $160,000. Placement within the pay range is at Grant Thornton's discretion, and it is based on multiple factors, including but not limited to, job -related knowledge/skills, experience, business needs, progression within the role, geographic location, and internal equity. At Grant Thornton, compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.

Benefits:

We understand that your needs, responsibilities and experiences are different, and we think that's a good thing. That's why we support you with personalized and comprehensive benefits that recognize and empower all the identities, roles and aspirations that make you, well, you. For an overview of our benefit offerings, please visit: https://www.grantthornton.com/careers/rewards-and-benefits

• Benefits for internship positions: Grant Thornton interns are eligible to participate in the firm's medical, dental and vision insurance programs and the firm's employee assistance program. Interns also receive a minimum of 72 hours of paid sick leave and are paid for firm holidays that fall within their internship period.

• Benefits for seasonal employee positions: Grant Thornton seasonal employees are eligible to participate in the firm's medical, dental and vision insurance programs and the firm's employee assistance program. Seasonal employees may also be eligible to participate in the firm's 401(k) savings plan and employee retirement plan in accordance with applicable plan terms and eligibility requirements. Seasonal employees receive a minimum of 72 hours of paid sick leave.

Grant Thornton employees may be eligible for a discretionary, annual bonus based on individual and firm performance, subject to the terms, conditions and eligibility criteria of the applicable bonus plan or program. Interns and seasonal employees are not eligible for bonus compensation.