Manager, Business Operations & People

NKPR

$70K — $95K *
Business Services
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 7-10 years in business operations, people operations, or agency operations.
  • Preferred experience in PR, communications, or creative agencies.
  • Proven expertise in leading recruitment and day-to-day HR functions.
  • Strong skills in staffing, resourcing, and workforce planning.
  • Exceptional organization and project management abilities.
  • Proactive problem solver with independent execution capabilities.
  • Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
  • Solid financial acumen for budgeting and forecasting.

Responsibilities

  • Lead recruitment and hiring processes across the agency.
  • Manage onboarding and offboarding for employees.
  • Coordinate performance reviews and employee development.
  • Maintain HR policies and ensure legal compliance.
  • Foster a high-performing workplace culture and employee engagement.
  • Oversee agency staffing and monitor team workloads for effective resource allocation.
  • Drive efficiency improvements through technology and AI.

Benefits

  • Collaborative in-office work environment in Toronto headquarters.
  • Opportunities to shape employee experience and agency culture.
  • Visibility with agency leadership and involvement in key operational decisions.
  • Supportive workplace with a strong focus on mentorship and team dynamics.
Full Job Description
As we continue to grow, we're looking for an exceptional Manager, Business Operations & People to help ensure our agency operates with the same level of excellence behind the scenes as the work we deliver for our clients.

This is a full-time, in-office position based at our Toronto headquarters. We believe collaboration, mentorship and culture are built by working together, and this role is instrumental in helping create that experience every day.

About the Role

The Manager, Business Operations & People is responsible for ensuring the day-to-day operations of NKPR run seamlessly. Working closely with the President and leadership team, this role oversees people operations, recruitment, agency resourcing, office operations and the internal systems and processes that support the agency.

This is a highly visible role that requires exceptional organizational skills, sound judgment and the ability to anticipate needs before they arise. The successful candidate enjoys creating structure, improving processes, supporting people and ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks.

The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced professional services environment, takes ownership, follows through consistently and is equally comfortable managing people, processes and priorities. This is an opportunity to play a meaningful role in shaping the employee experience while helping ensure the agency operates efficiently every day.

Key Responsibilities

People Operations & Human Resources
  • Lead recruitment and hiring across the agency.
  • Manage employee onboarding and offboarding.
  • Coordinate performance reviews and support employee development initiatives.
  • Maintain HR policies, employee documentation and ensure compliance with employment legislation.
  • Support employee relations with professionalism, discretion and sound judgment.
  • Foster a collaborative, accountable and high-performing workplace culture.
  • Lead employee engagement initiatives, internal communications and team recognition programs.


Operations & Agency Resourcing
  • Lead agency staffing and resourcing across all client teams in partnership with department leaders.
  • Monitor workloads, utilization and team capacity to ensure resources are allocated effectively.
  • Partner with leadership on workforce planning and future hiring needs.
  • Continuously improve internal workflows, systems and operational processes.
  • Identify and implement opportunities to improve efficiency through technology and AI.
  • Ensure operational priorities, projects and initiatives remain on track and are executed effectively.


Leadership Support
  • Partner closely with the President and leadership team on operational priorities.
  • Coordinate leadership meetings, agendas and follow-up actions.
  • Track agency-wide initiatives and ensure commitments are completed.
  • Improve communication, accountability and collaboration across departments.
  • Proactively identify challenges, recommend practical solutions and drive execution.
  • Serve as a trusted operational partner who helps keep the agency organized, aligned and moving forward.


Communications, Technology & Brand Stewardship
  • Oversee internal agency communications, ensuring employees are informed about key business updates, client wins, agency initiatives and operational priorities.
  • Help maintain and continuously improve NKPR's internal processes, documentation and operational playbooks.
  • Ensure the NKPR website and key brand touchpoints remain current and accurately reflect the agency's capabilities, team and work.
  • Partner with internal teams to ensure external communications and agency materials remain current, consistent and on brand.
  • Champion the thoughtful adoption of technology and AI tools that improve efficiency, collaboration and the employee experience.


Office Operations
  • Oversee the day-to-day operations of the Toronto office.
  • Manage office facilities, vendors and building relationships.
  • Coordinate office maintenance, technology, supplies and external service providers.
  • Ensure the office environment reflects the professionalism and culture of NKPR.
  • Coordinate internal meetings, agency events and office initiatives in partnership with the administrative team.
  • Act as the primary operational contact for facilities, emergencies and business continuity, ensuring the agency continues to operate smoothly.


Qualifications

We're looking for an exceptional organizer, a proactive problem solver and someone who naturally creates structure in fast-moving environments.

The ideal candidate will have:
  • 7-10 years of experience in business operations, people operations, office management or agency operations.
  • Experience working within a PR, communications, marketing, advertising, creative agency or other professional services environment is strongly preferred.
  • Demonstrated experience leading recruitment, onboarding and day-to-day HR operations.
  • Strong experience managing agency staffing, resourcing and workforce planning.
  • Exceptional organizational, project management and follow-through skills with outstanding attention to detail.
  • A proactive mindset with the ability to anticipate needs, solve problems independently and consistently deliver results.
  • Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.
  • Proven ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining a high standard of execution.
  • Strong financial acumen with experience partnering closely with finance to support budgeting, forecasting, reporting and operational decision-making.
  • Proficiency with Google Workspace, Microsoft Office and modern workplace technologies, along with a genuine interest in leveraging AI to improve productivity and operations.


If you're someone who enjoys building systems, supporting people, creating structure and helping an organization perform at its best, we'd love to hear from you.

Compensation: Competitive and commensurate with experience.

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