People Operations Specialist Jobs in New Jersey
People Operations Specialist jobs in New Jersey are consistently active across the state's pharmaceuticals, financial services, and professional services sectors, with openings at every level from coordinator and generalist through senior business partner. The heaviest hiring concentrates in Newark, Princeton, and Parsippany, where anchor employers such as Johnson & Johnson, Cognizant, and Prudential Financial maintain large people operations teams. The most in-demand specialties right now are HR technology administration, employee relations, and talent program management. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Company introduction:
Compass Pathways plc (Nasdaq: CMPS) is a biotechnology company dedicated to unlocking urgently needed new treatment options in mental health care.
The Company is headquartered in London, UK, with a U.S. office in New Jersey. We believe mental health patients deserve the possibility of a better future. Our initial focus is developing COMP360 psilocybin, a proprietary, investigational, synthetic psilocybin treatment under evaluation for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). COMP360 is a potentially first-in-class treatment and has Breakthrough Therapy designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP) designation in the UK for TRD.
We are leading the world's largest classic psychedelic clinical program in TRD, and building upon that robust foundation, we are executing a late-stage trial evaluating COMP360 for PTSD, another condition with high unmet need. Our goal is to advance treatments that move the field of psychiatry towards treatment options that offer rapid onset and sustained durability with infrequent dosing. - Compass Pathways
Job overview:
The Associate Manager, People Systems & Operations is the People Team's HRIS subject matter expert and is responsible for the day-to-day administration, optimisation and continuous improvement of BambooHR and other people systems. This role partners closely with Payroll, Benefits, IT and business leaders to ensure the integrity of employee data, support business processes, implement system enhancements and deliver an outstanding employee experience across the entire employee lifecycle.
Location: Hybrid in our Jersey City, NJ office.
Reports to: Executive Director, People Operations.
Roles and responsibilities
(Include but are not limited to):
- Serve as the People Team's HRIS subject matter expert, managing, configuring, and optimizing HR systems and related processes
- Configure and maintain workflows, approvals, security roles, permissions, and system settings to support business requirements
- Lead HRIS implementations, integrations, system enhancements, and upgrades in partnership with internal and external stakeholders
- Lead user acceptance testing (UAT) for new functionality, system enhancements, and upgrades
- Troubleshoot HR system issues and work with IT, and vendors to resolve them
- Build, maintain, and analyze HR reports, dashboards, and metrics to support business decision-making
- Own all People Team data entry activities, ensuring employee records are maintained accurately, consistently, and in a timely manner
- Conduct regular data audits and quality checks to ensure the integrity of employees, compensation, organizational, and reporting data
- Oversee onboarding, offboarding, employee record management and employee lifecycle changes
- Maintain data governance, change control, and compliance with employment legislation, internal policies, audit requirements, and data privacy standards
- Identify opportunities for automation, process improvement, and operational efficiencies across the People function
- Develop, document, and continuously improve HRIS processes, workflows, controls, and user guides
- Provide first-line support, training, and guidance to employees, managers, and the People Team on HR systems and processes
- Partner with IT on system security, single sign-on (SSO), integrations, and access management
- Support People Team projects, organizational change initiatives, and continuous improvement activities
Candidate Profile:
- Experience configuring and administering HR systems
- Experience with HRIS implementations and integrations
- Strong knowledge of HR processes across the employee lifecycle
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including PivotTables, XLOOKUP, and data analysis
- Experience with BambooHR and ADP Workforce Now a plus
- Excellent attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data
- Highly discreet, trustworthy, and experienced in handling confidential employee data
- Strong awareness of compliance, governance, and risk management
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and work independently
Benefits:
For an overview of our benefits package and compensation information, please visit "Joins us - Our Benefits".
These include flexibility & generous time off, parental & reproductive support, health & medical, mental health & wellbeing and Financial health.
Equal opportunities:
Reasonable accommodation
We are committed to building a workplace where everyone's wellbeing matters. If you need reasonable accommodation during the interview process to be at your best, please let our recruiting team know.
UK applicants
We are proud of our commitment to diversity and equality (pursuant to the Equality Act 2010). We do not discriminate based upon race, religion or belief, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender, pregnancy or maternity, marital or civil partner status, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, age or disability.
US applicants
Compass Pathways is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, military service, genetic information, familial or marital status, or any other status, category, or characteristic protected by applicable law.
Sponsorship:
Unfortunately, we cannot sponsor employment visas and can only accept applications if you have employment rights in the country to which you are applying.
Data Privacy:
All data is confidential and protected by all legal and data privacy requirements, please see our recruitment Privacy Notice to learn more about how we process personal data.
See All 78 People Operations Specialist Jobs in New Jersey
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Find JobsPeople Operations Specialist Jobs by City in New Jersey
Where New Jersey roles are concentrated, by current openings.
People Operations Specialist Job Market in New Jersey
A snapshot from current New Jersey openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Medical Devices
What New Jersey Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in people operations specialist jobs across New Jersey.
- Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, or a related field required
- Working knowledge of HRIS platforms such as Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, or BambooHR
- Experience supporting full-cycle employee lifecycle processes including onboarding and offboarding
- Familiarity with New Jersey state employment law, leave statutes, and wage-payment regulations
- Strong data analysis skills with the ability to build and interpret HR metrics dashboards
- SHRM-CP or PHR certification preferred for mid-level and senior people operations roles
People Operations Specialist Jobs in New Jersey: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a people operations specialist in New Jersey?
People operations specialist roles in New Jersey do not require a state-issued license, but most employers expect a bachelor's degree in human resources, business, or organizational psychology. Earning a SHRM-CP or PHR credential strengthens your candidacy significantly in this market. New Jersey's dense concentration of pharmaceutical and financial services firms means candidates with HRIS implementation experience or compliance knowledge tied to New Jersey employment law move through hiring processes faster than generalist applicants.
How much do people operations specialists make in New Jersey?
People operations specialists in New Jersey earn a median of about $80,690 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $56,420 for the lowest 10% to over $132,770 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire people operations specialists in New Jersey?
Employers hiring people operations specialists in New Jersey right now include Target, Genesis Global, and BD, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. New Jersey's mix of global pharmaceutical headquarters, major financial institutions, and large professional services firms keeps steady demand for people operations talent across both shared-services teams and embedded HR business partner roles.
Which New Jersey cities have the most people operations specialist jobs?
Newark, Camden, and Iselin have the most people operations specialist openings in New Jersey. Newark and its immediate metro draw the most volume because of the concentration of financial services, insurance, and corporate headquarters there, while Princeton and Parsippany serve as hubs for pharmaceutical and technology employers that run large centralized HR functions for their mid-Atlantic operations.
Are there remote people operations specialist jobs in New Jersey?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 24% of people operations specialist openings tied to New Jersey are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, reflecting how much of the role's core work, including HRIS administration, policy development, and employee communications, can be done off-site. Roles that involve in-person onboarding, employee relations investigations, or office-based HR business partnering tend to require at least a hybrid schedule.
How can I get hired as a people operations specialist in New Jersey with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through an HR coordinator or HR associate role at one of New Jersey's large pharmaceutical or financial services employers, many of which run structured rotational programs or post-graduate associate tracks designed for candidates without full HR experience. Johnson & Johnson, Prudential Financial, and Cognizant all recruit for early-career people operations roles from New Jersey universities. Moving laterally from recruiting coordination, payroll administration, or office management is also a common route, especially when paired with an active SHRM student membership or an enrolled PHR candidate status.
Where can I find and apply to people operations specialist jobs in New Jersey?
You can find and apply to people operations specialist jobs in New Jersey on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings across the state's major hiring metros and industries. Find roles that fit your experience level and location preference and apply directly from the listing.
See All 78 People Operations Specialist Jobs in New Jersey
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