Director of People, Operations & Communications

Radical Numerics•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

We are looking for a Director of People, Operations & Communications to be the operational and organizational backbone of our US team. You will be the first dedicated people hire and will own the full employee lifecycle - from recruiting and onboarding through performance management and retention - while simultaneously building the operational infrastructure and communications capability a fast-growing AI lab needs to move at maximum speed. This role carries a unique communications dimension: Radical Numerics operates at the frontier of AI and biology. External messaging requires someone who can think carefully about responsible disclosure, dual-use implications, and narrative precision. You will own the drafting and coordination of both internal and external communications, with leadership providing final approval on sensitive content. You will also work closely with our Japan-based operations lead to ensure company-wide alignment. This is not a support role. You will be a builder - designing systems, policies, processes, and narratives from scratch for a company scaling rapidly through its present and beyond.

Requirements

5+ years of experience spanning people operations, HR, general operations, or a combined people + ops role
Deep expertise in at least one core HR domain: recruiting operations, employment law/compliance, compensation & benefits design, or organizational development.
Strong written communication skills with demonstrated ability to produce polished, externally-facing content - blog posts, press materials, executive communications - with attention to nuance and audience.
Comfort with sensitive and regulated communication environments. You understand that not everything can or should be made public, and you exercise judgment about what to say, how to say it, and when to say nothing.
Demonstrated ability to build HR, operational, and communications systems from the ground up - not just inherit and manage existing ones.
Strong command of multi-state (especially California) employment law, with working knowledge of I-9, visa support processes, and contractor classification.
Comfort with ambiguity and the pace of an early-stage company - you will make judgment calls daily with incomplete information.
Genuine interest in our mission to advance human health through AI. You do not need a biology background, but you need to care about why we exist.

Nice To Haves

Experience at an AI/ML, biotech, or deep-tech startup.
Background in communications and PR.
Experience supporting international teams.
Experience managing SOC 2 audits, cyber insurance procurement, or government contract compliance.
SHRM-CP, PHR, or equivalent certification.

Responsibilities

Design and operate end-to-end recruiting workflows: sourcing, screening, interview coordination, and offer management across highly competitive technical and non-technical roles.
Own the full employee lifecycle: onboarding, benefits administration, performance management, employee relations, and offboarding.
Build and maintain HR compliance infrastructure across California and any additional states - employee handbook, policies, employment law adherence, and audit readiness.
Draft, edit, and manage all public-facing content - website copy, blog posts, social media, press materials, and partnership announcements - with sensitivity to dual-use implications.
Design and maintain internal communications cadence: all-hands agendas, leadership updates, milestone announcements, and internal knowledge management.
Develop media strategy and prepare leadership for press interactions with talking points, Q&A prep, and messaging guardrails.
Enforce the company's preferred terminology framework and ensure consistency across all external touchpoints.
Drive SOC 2 certification and manage security/compliance tooling, insurance requirements, and partner-specific compliance obligations.
Manage operational vendor relationships and evaluate new tools as the company scales - workspace, IT, benefits brokers, and more.
Design repeatable internal processes (expense workflows, PTO, internal communications) that scale from 20 to 50+ people.
Coordinate cross-border with our Japan operations lead on company-wide policies, benefits parity, and employee experience consistency.