Manager, People Operations

About DESRI

DESRI (formerly D. E. Shaw Renewable Investments) is a market-leading owner and operator of renewable energy projects throughout the United States. We have acquired or developed approximately 13 gigawatts of contracted capacity across a portfolio of over 85 renewable energy projects in 24 states.

At DESRI, our culture is grounded in rigorous analytics and thoughtful risk-taking, with a strong emphasis on creativity, intellectual curiosity, and continuous improvement. We operate with lean teams that prioritize efficiency and minimize unnecessary bureaucracy, enabling individuals to take ownership and move quickly. We value open, constructive dialogue and believe it leads to better outcomes. Above all, we are driven to go the extra mile and support one another, fostering a collaborative environment built on accountability, integrity, and care.

About the role

DESRI is seeking a talented and highly motivated individual to join its team as Manager of People Operations to support Human Capital operations and serve as a strong local presence for our Denver office. This role will focus primarily on benefits administration, HR systems ownership and optimization, payroll coordination, leave management, immigration support, and broader People Operations infrastructure initiatives. The individual will partner closely with Finance and the NY-based Human Capital team to ensure consistent execution and strong operational support across several critical Human Capital functions.

What you'll do

You will lead day-to-day People Operations execution, with primary ownership of health and welfare benefits administration, including 401(k) oversight, broker and vendor relationship management, benefits benchmarking and market analysis, renewal coordination, and serving as the primary employee resource for benefits matters. You will own our current HRIS (Rippling), serving as the primary point of contact and ensuring data integrity, system optimization, reporting functionality, and effective workflows across core Human Capital operations, while also helping evaluate and support future people systems enhancements and infrastructure scaling over time. Partnering closely with Finance, you will manage payroll from a Human Capital standpoint and support employees on payroll-related matters. You will also oversee leave programs (FMLA, state-specific leaves, disability) to ensure compliance and coordinate immigration processes for impacted employees. Additionally, you will drive process improvements, generate reporting and insights to inform leadership decisions, and serve as a trusted, Denver-based point of contact for employees. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys building scalable processes, improving operational infrastructure, and helping shape a growing People Operations function.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree required; strong academic and professional track record preferred.
• At least 5 years of experience in Human Capital/People Operations, with demonstrated expertise in benefits administration and HRIS ownership/administration (including data integrity, reporting, workflow optimization, vendor management, and process improvement). Experience supporting HR systems implementations, migrations, or evaluations is a plus.
• Strong knowledge of health and welfare benefits compliance, along with a solid working understanding of federal and state leave laws (including FMLA and state specific programs), and the ability to oversee compliance in partnership with third party administrators.
• Experience partnering with Finance on payroll coordination and review, with a strong operational understanding of payroll processes and controls, and the ability to deepen technical expertise as needed; exposure to employment-based immigration processes and coordination with external counsel is a plus.
• Strong analytical capabilities and advanced Excel proficiency, with exceptional attention to detail and precision; demonstrated intellectual curiosity, disciplined execution, clear communication, and the ability to partner cross-functionally while proactively identifying and improving processes when opportunities for greater clarity or efficiency arise.
• At DESRI, we consider a wide range of factors to determine your compensation. We rely on market indicators and consider your specific job family, background, location, skills, and experience. The expected annual base salary for this Denver-based position is $120,000 to $140,000.
• Our compensation and benefits package includes variable compensation in the form of a year-end bonus (guaranteed in the first year of hire), medical and prescription drug coverage, 401(k) matching, paid time off, wellness reimbursement, family-building benefits, and a charitable gift match program.