Founding HR & People Operations Lead

Thomas Talent Network•San Francisco, CA

17h•Onsite

About The Position

We’re looking for our first dedicated HR hire to own and build the People Operations function from the ground up. This is a zero-to-one role responsible for creating the systems, processes, and infrastructure that support the full employee lifecycle as the company scales. The role is highly hands-on at the start, with a focus on operational execution and building strong HR foundations. Over time, it expands into broader people initiatives including performance management, manager enablement, and employee experience.

Requirements

4–6 years of HR / People Operations experience
Experience as an early HR hire in a Series A–B startup (first or second HR seat strongly preferred)
Strong understanding of California employment law
Experience with HRIS systems (Rippling a plus)
Comfortable managing employee relations, transitions, and sensitive HR processes
Strong operational mindset and ability to bring structure to ambiguity
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area and able to work onsite 5 days/week

Nice To Haves

Experience with payroll systems and vendor management
Exposure to multi-state or international HR
Experience building performance management or employee engagement programs
Experience supporting sales organizations with commission or OTE structures

Responsibilities

End-to-end employee lifecycle (onboarding, role changes, offboarding, terminations)
HR systems and data integrity (HRIS ownership, ideally Rippling)
Benefits administration and vendor management
Payroll coordination with Finance and external providers
Compliance support, with emphasis on California employment practices
Building scalable HR processes, policies, and documentation
Acting as the primary owner of People Operations internally and with external counsel