People Operations Lead

Fireworks AI•San Mateo, CA

About The Position

The People Operations Lead owns the operational backbone of our People team. You'll be responsible for HRIS, payroll, benefits, and compliance — making sure the fundamentals are accurate, scalable, and always improving. Working closely with HR and Finance, you'll be the connective thread that keeps people data, payroll outputs, and operational processes in sync across teams. It's a high-ownership, high-impact role for someone who takes pride in the work that keeps everything else running well.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in HR or People Operations, with hands-on ownership across core HR functions
Demonstrated experience working with HRIS platforms and managing HR operations within a PEO or EOR model
Solid experience managing payroll processing and benefits administration
Familiarity with state-specific benefit mandates, especially if the company operates across multiple states

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with US employment compliance requirements; exposure to global compliance frameworks is a plus
Experience managing benefits and vendors, including healthcare funding models and 401(k) plan design
Experience with cross-border or international cases is a plus
You take deep ownership of your work — when something is yours, you see it through completely
You naturally notice what's missing, what's breaking down quietly, and what others haven't spotted yet
You're always thinking about what can be improved, not just what needs to get done today
You're obsessed with operational excellence — timeliness and quality aren't trade-offs to you, they're both non-negotiable
You're energized by building and improving, not just maintaining

Responsibilities

Own and optimize HRIS infrastructure, people data quality, and system workflows — establishing standards for data integrity, reporting, and audits across all HR systems, including reconciliation between internal systems and PEO/EOR platforms
Lead employee lifecycle operations end-to-end within the PEO/EOR system, ensuring high accuracy, timely execution, and a consistent employee experience
Own payroll operations in partnership with our PEO/EOR — managing inputs, auditing outputs, coordinating off-cycle runs, and serving as the primary point of contact for payroll-related issues and escalations
Own multi-state payroll tax compliance — track active state registrations, monitor new-state expansion triggers, and ensure the PEO/EOR is filing accurately and on time; proactively flag and resolve discrepancies before they become liabilities
Own health and benefits and 401(k) administration within the PEO/EOR and other vendor platform — including open enrollment, life event changes, invoice reconciliation, carrier escalations, and employee inquiries
Ensure HR compliance and audit-readiness through accurate documentation, record keeping, and monitoring of federal, state, and local employment law requirements across all states where we have employees
Serve as the operational connective tissue between HR, Finance, Recruiting, and HRBPs — ensuring data accuracy and process continuity across teams, particularly where PEO/EOR data flows intersect with internal systems