HR & Payroll Generalist

GrayMatter Robotics•Carson, CA

1d•$120,000 - $180,000•Onsite

About The Position

GrayMatter Robotics is seeking a hands-on HR & Payroll Generalist to build and manage the employee experience and HR infrastructure at its Carson headquarters. As the sole HR Generalist, this person will own employee lifecycle processes, payroll and benefits administration, compliance, employee relations, and HR systems. The role is suited to someone who enjoys building processes from the ground up in a fast-paced startup, balancing tactical work with process improvement, and helping shape company culture. The position is onsite in Carson four days per week. The Generalist will run payroll, administer benefits and leave, maintain compliance and audit documentation, advise managers on difficult personnel matters, and serve as the UKG power user. They will improve HR workflows, use automation and AI tools to streamline routine work, and provide HR metrics and insights to support decisions. The role may also assist with recruiting logistics, candidate hosting, employee events, and other HR projects as needed.

Requirements

At least 6 years of industry experience in HR, people operations, or similar roles.
At least 2 years building company-wide processes from scratch within the same company.
At least 2 years working at a technology startup or technology company.
Knowledge of multi-state employment compliance, especially California, and risk mitigation, including rules governing hourly, contractor, and salaried employees.
Power-user proficiency in UKG or a comparable HRIS, including system configuration, reporting, and email or workflow template management.
Demonstrated fluency using AI tools to accelerate day-to-day HR work, including reporting and communications.
Demonstrated ownership of payroll administration and benefits reconciliation.
Proven ability to guide managers through terminations, layoffs, and other difficult personnel decisions.
Excellent communication, project management, and interpersonal skills.
Ability to build relationships and collaborate effectively with stakeholders at all organizational levels.
Ability to think strategically and develop innovative solutions to HR challenges.
Authorization to work in the United States and maintain ongoing work authorization from hire through the duration of employment.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's or master's degree in Psychology, Business Administration, Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Organizational Development, Human Resources, or a related field.
Experience in both startup and enterprise environments, ideally with a recent transition from enterprise to startups.
HR certification such as PHR or SHRM-CP.
Experience using WEX, Ashby, Ethena, ClickUp, and other HR or project-management tools.
Expertise using efficiency and automation tools such as Notion, Scribe, Airtable, Slack integrations, and HR automation platforms to streamline workflows and scale operations.

Responsibilities

Lead employee engagement efforts, including surveys, recognition, and internal communications.
Plan company events, offsites, and culture-building initiatives.
Oversee employee onboarding, offboarding, and exit processes.
Coordinate with cross-functional partners to provide employees with required tools, software access, and devices.
Optimize new-hire orientation and onboarding, automating processes where possible.
Run payroll end to end each cycle, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance for hourly, salaried, and contractor populations.
Reconcile benefits enrollment and billing against carrier invoices and resolve discrepancies.
Administer and track employee leave, including FMLA, parental leave, PTO, and disability leave, ensuring compliance and clear communication.
Ensure employment-law compliance across multiple states, including rules for hourly, contractor, and salaried classifications.
Prepare reports and documentation for internal and external audits and maintain audit readiness.
Maintain the employee handbook and update HR policies as needed.
Lead investigations and handle employee relations issues responsibly.
Guide managers through terminations, layoffs, and other difficult personnel decisions.
Own HRIS systems, serving as the UKG power user and managing configuration, workflow automation, reporting, data integrity, and analytics.
Build and maintain UKG email templates and lifecycle communications, including welcome emails and manager reminders.
Optimize people processes for scale, including onboarding, transitions, and documentation.
Deliver HR metrics and insights to support decision-making.
Use AI and automation tools to streamline reporting, audits, and repetitive HR workflows.
Assist with other HR projects and tasks, including interview scheduling, hosting candidates onsite, and employee events.