HR and Office Operations Manager

Wilson Kester, The Empowered Divorce Source In person, downtown Traverse City Full-time $70,000 to $80,000 a year Exempt

Build the HR function of a growing statewide law firm, without leaving Traverse City.

If you enjoy both people work and operations, we would like to meet you. In this seat you will build or improve upon the HR systems a growing law firm needs, serve as the on-site lead for the operations of our headquarters office, and keep every employee’s pay and records accurate.

You will be the HR Manager for everyone at Wilson Kester, including our team in the Traverse City office and team members who work hybrid or remotely from our other locations across Michigan. You will report to our Controller, and to our Chief Operating Officer once that seat is filled, and you will be part of our management team.

Wilson Kester is a Michigan family law firm founded in 1998. Our mission is personal empowerment through the law, so that children grow up in homes where they thrive. The people you support carry that work for families every day.

We have been named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in 2025 and 2026. Our headquarters is in downtown Traverse City, and our lawyers and staff work across Michigan, so the systems you build will reach every part of the state.

Why This Seat Matters

Our team helps families through some of the hardest moments of their lives, including divorce, custody, and the changes that follow. That work is demanding, and our people do it best when they feel supported, are treated fairly, and know what is expected of them. In this seat, you take care of the people who take care of our clients.

When our team is well supported, every family we serve receives better help.

What You Will Do

• You will make our Traverse City office run smoothly, from the building and vendors to the front desk, and you will lead our Receptionist.
• You will make sure every employee is set up correctly in our HRIS system and has a trusted person for questions about pay, benefits, and leave.
• You will build or improve upon our HR systems, audit our HR operations regularly, and look for ways to make the department better as the firm grows.
• You will work closely with our Controller and with our Finance Manager, who works in the office with you, so every employee is paid accurately. We are also hiring an HR Internal Recruiter who will handle recruiting, so you can focus on the people already here and the people just joining us.
• You will coordinate onboarding for every new hire, managing the schedule and working with each department so new employees learn what they need for their role and how it connects to the work of others, and you will coordinate offboarding when an employee leaves.
• You will coordinate our quarterly and annual reviews with each manager so they happen on time and help each person grow, manage any performance improvement plan with the employee’s manager, and help our managers lead well through current policies and the training they need.
• You will work with our insurance agents and the other vendors and advisors who provide HR services to our team, and you will keep our HR files and confidential HR information secure and complete.
• You will lead our firm events when we hold them, such as a holiday party, with support from our Marketing team.
• You will keep our leadership team informed with clear, regular updates on how our people are doing, and you will keep our HR policies and systems ready for the firm’s growth, so every employee receives the same support wherever they work.

What Success Looks Like

In your first 90 days: you know every manager and department, the office’s operations issues each have an owner, payroll changes meet every cutoff, and every employee file is complete.

By the end of your first year: the office runs smoothly, reviews finish on schedule, manager training is running, and employees know where to go with a question. Your measures include strong retention, payroll that never needs a correction because of employee data, zero compliance penalties, and a front desk that is covered every business day.

What You Get

• $70,000 to $80,000 a year, based on experience, paid every two weeks on Fridays.
• Paid time off, provided at the start of the year and prorated in your first year, plus paid holidays.
• Medical, dental, and vision from your first day, short-term disability, and a 401(k) with a firm contribution.
• Support from the firm to earn your SHRM-CP certification after your first two quarters with us.
• Monday through Friday, 8:00 to 5:00, in our downtown office at 627 W Front Street, with evenings and weekends your own.

Who We Hope to Find

• We hope to find someone with five or more years of HR experience, including at least three years of hands-on HR generalist work, in a setting where confidentiality matters, including payroll, benefits, reviews, and an HR information system. Law firm or accounting firm experience is a plus.
• Working knowledge of federal wage, leave, and disability laws and Michigan’s Earned Sick Time Act, and an understanding of SHRM practices through certification, coursework, or professional training.
• Experience with Paycom, including employee setup, payroll changes, and benefits administration.
• A bachelor’s degree in human resources, business, or a related field, or equivalent experience. SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, or PHR certification is a plus.
• Someone who enjoys running an office, builds systems and finishes them, and gets names, numbers, dates, and records right the first time.
• Someone with a professional presence who is warm, accessible, emotionally intelligent, authentic, and credible, and who communicates clearly and respectfully and builds good rapport with people at every level of the firm.
• Someone with management experience and sound judgment, who has supervised staff and handles sensitive matters with discretion.
• Someone who collaborates across departments rather than working in a silo, is quick to respond, looks for ways to lighten the load of others, and whose work reflects our core values of empowerment, excellence, truth, collaboration, and respect.

In Fairness, Who This Is Not For

• This seat does HR work directly, so it may not suit someone who prefers to hand the work to others.
• This seat is the on-site lead for the operations of our Traverse City office every day, so it is not a remote role.

How to Apply and What Happens Next

• We are curious about how you build things that last. Please apply through Indeed and include a short note about an HR system you built or improved and what changed because of it. If your experience is a match for this role, we will reach out to you to schedule a conversation.
• At every step we will tell you when to expect to hear from us next.
• Next comes a short video conversation, then a visit to our Traverse City office that includes time with our CEO, and then reference calls with your former supervisors.

Thank you for considering Wilson Kester. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we welcome people of every background.

Pay: $70,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Application Question(s):

• Include a short note about an HR system you built or improved and what changed because of it.

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Experience:

• Human resources: 5 years (Required)
• Hands-on HR Generalist: 3 years (Required)

Work Location: In person