People Operations Lead

AfterQuery•San Francisco, CA

8d•$150,000 - $200,000•Onsite

About The Position

This is AfterQuery's first dedicated HR Operations hire, reporting to the Head of Business Operations & People. The role will own the operational backbone of the People function, including payroll, benefits, and HR compliance, and will serve as the company’s frontline for employee relations. This position is responsible for execution, recordkeeping, and day-to-day judgment calls to ensure the company remains compliant and employees are well cared for and equipped to perform their jobs effectively. The ideal candidate will be excited to build HR infrastructure from scratch at a fast-moving, talent-dense company, acting as a trusted, go-to person for employees. This role requires balancing strong people skills with the judgment needed to protect the company from compliance risks.

Requirements

5–8+ years in HR generalist, HRBP, or HR operations roles, with direct, hands-on ownership of payroll, benefits, and compliance (not just vendor oversight).
Deep working knowledge of California employment law and wage-and-hour rules; comfortable learning additional state laws as the company grows.
Demonstrated judgment in handling sensitive employee relations matters, balancing the company’s interests and an individual employee’s perspective.
Genuine empathy paired with discretion; ability to build trust for difficult conversations through active listening and fairness.
High ownership instincts; experience building or significantly rebuilding HR infrastructure at a small or fast-growing company.
Track record of leading change management for new policies, systems, or programs, including building buy-in and driving adoption without over-engineering.
Clear, calm, written-first communication style suitable for documenting decisions and policies without unnecessary process.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth environment with shifting priorities.
Prior experience working at a startup.
Comfortable in a 5-day in-office San Francisco environment that values speed and direct feedback.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting HR compliance for a workforce including both full-time employees and contractors/experts.
SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP or PHR/SPHR certification.

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end payroll operations, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance, including coordination with finance on payroll funding and reporting.
Administer employee benefits programs, including plan selection, open enrollment, vendor management, and day-to-day employee support.
Serve as the company’s HR compliance lead, covering employment law (California and other jurisdictions), visa sponsorship program management, leave administration, I-9 and recordkeeping, policy documentation, and audit readiness.
Act as the first point of contact for employee relations, including conflict resolution, performance concerns, and workplace investigations, handled with empathy, discretion, and sound judgment.
Build and maintain HR policies and the employee handbook, ensuring they are current with the law and reflective of AfterQuery’s culture.
Own the accuracy and integrity of HR and payroll systems (HRIS, payroll, benefits platforms) as the single source of truth for people data.
Champion HR/People's role within the company by proactively communicating the function's purpose, importance, and engagement methods, positioning People Ops as a resource.
Treat People Operations as a service function that is fast, accurate, and low-friction, without compromising on compliance.