People Operations Manager

Remote | Full-Time | Reports to COO

Apply now: https://righteous-chestnut-b59.notion.site/345353fd5db581b28f54c30a77e6350a?pvs=105

About KNWN Local

We help real estate agents become the most known and trusted authority in their local market through media. We run YouTube channels, newsletters, and social content for 100+ real estate pros across North America.

We grew from a handful of people to 65+ in a short window. We’re scaling to 100+ in the next year. Every week clients text us things like “someone stopped me at the grocery store and said they love my videos” or “for the first time in 10 years I’m not stressed about where my next deal is coming from.”

We’re hyper-specialized in real estate. Nobody in this space does what we do at this level. The industry is decades behind on media. We’re ahead and we’re not done.

The Role

Build and own the people infrastructure that lets Knwn Local scale from 65 to 150+ team members without losing quality, culture, or our best people.

Our growth happened without a dedicated people function. Hiring was owned by whoever had bandwidth. Onboarding lived in people’s heads. HR infrastructure was built ad hoc. That worked at 20. It’s straining at 65. It breaks at 150.

You’re here to fix that. You’ll build the systems from the ground up, then run what you build.

What You’ll Own

1. HR Infrastructure and Systems

Everything else sits on top of this. If the foundation isn’t built, nothing else scales.

• Stand up a contractor compliance platform for our international team
• Implement an ATS and consolidate hiring with our systems (or improving them)
• Build role handbooks with documented expectations, KPIs, comp structure, and growth path for every role
• Roll out benefits and perks infrastructure (ICHRA, LSA, Ramp)
• Own the performance management framework and review cadence across departments

2. Retention, Growth, and Team Health

Losing great people is the most expensive failure mode we have.

• Build an early-warning system for at-risk team members (think of it like our client Green Flag framework, applied internally)
• Launch monthly development conversations separate from task check-ins
• Build clear growth paths (IC track and management track) for every role
• Run periodic skip-level 1:1s across departments so people come to you early, not late
• Own the team health dashboard: retention, average tenure, satisfaction, early-warning flags actioned

3. Hiring and Talent Acquisition

Hiring 10-15 people per quarter across editors, strategists, writers, managers, and leadership.

• Own the hiring pipeline end-to-end across multiple platforms, countries, and role variations
• Run group interviews and skill tests at scale (5+ candidates per group, 20-50 skill tests in parallel)
• Hit a 10-15 business-day timeline from application to offer
• Build the scorecards, rubrics, and metrics (time-to-fill, conversion rates, quality of hire)
• Partner with senior ICs and department leads who support hiring so their time stays on their craft

4. Onboarding and Training

A bad onboarding is the fastest way to lose a great hire.

• Build a standardized onboarding framework (30-60-90 day) per role
• Create pre-boarding packages: welcome pack, first-week calendar, Looms, buddy intros, clear expectations
• Run checks at 30/60/90 for every new hire with clear criteria to advance, extend, or flag
• Build a Loom library and knowledge base per role so training is repeatable without founder involvement
• Track time to productivity, new-hire 90-day retention, and onboarding NPS

How the Role Evolves

This isn’t an all-interviews-all-day role. Here’s the honest version:

• Months 1-6: Mostly building. Systems architect more than recruiter. Mornings in systems, afternoons on hiring support and HR.
• Months 6-12: Hiring ramps. Pipeline management, screening, interview coordination, and onboarding execution become a bigger piece.
• 12+ months: Stabilize around a rough 33/33/33 mix between building systems, recruiting and onboarding, and retention and development.

What We’re Looking For

Must-Haves

• 5+ years in People Ops, HR, or Talent with direct experience building infrastructure from scratch (not just running what already exists)
• Track record hiring at volume in a fast-scaling company (ideally 50-150 person stage)
• Systems-first thinker: you diagnose constraints, build long-term systems, and can hold multiple viewpoints (client, team, org) at once
• AI-ready: you default to technology first, test, experiment, and integrate AI into workflows
• Strong speed of learning (we define intelligence as speed of changing behavior)
• Comfortable with the emotional weight of people decisions and knowing when to set emotions aside
• Experience with international contractor models is a significant plus

How You’ll Be Measured

• Systems shipped and operational (ATS live, compliance platform live, role handbooks complete)
• Team retention rate trending up; average tenure at 18+ months
• New-hire 90-day retention and manager satisfaction at 30/60/90
• Time-to-fill and quality of hire across repeated roles
• Department leads see you as a resource, not a burden

Reporting and Structure

• Reports to the COO with weekly 1:1s
• Standing check-in with the CEO (people and product sit with the CEO; operations with the COO; you need both)
• Clear path to Director of People Ops as the function matures

Compensation and Benefits

• $84,000 to $120,000 + performance bonus
• Performance-based progression tied to Phase 1 (Learning and Building), Phase 2 (Implementation and Ownership), Phase 3 (Scale and Lead)
• Fully remote, core hours 8am-5pm ET
• Flexible time off plus company-wide holiday breaks
• Leadership development budget (books, courses, consulting calls, events)
• Looking to implement benefits with this new hire this year (health, wellness/lifestyle, etc.)

Who is Knwn Local

1. People First

Every person matters. Clients and teammates alike. We treat everyone with care, respect, and attention because when people succeed, we all win.

2. Always Dependable

We take ownership, solve problems resourcefully, and deliver consistently through solid systems. We are reliable. Our clients and team can count on us to follow through, every time.

3. Be The Best

We stay curious, learn fast, and adapt quickly. The best people change behavior rapidly and never stop improving. That's who we hire and who we become.

4. One Team, One Mission

We work as a unified team where every role matters. We support each other, speak up honestly, and win together because the team's success is everyone's success.

How to Apply:

Apply now: https://righteous-chestnut-b59.notion.site/345353fd5db581b28f54c30a77e6350a?pvs=105

$84K to $120K + performance bonus & potential benefits