People Strategy & Operations Manager

Valence Agency • New York, NY

129d

About The Position

This is a rare opportunity to architect from scratch the AI-powered talent operating systems that will shape how Valence hires, ramps, and scales extraordinary teams as we build the infrastructure for our next phase of hypergrowth. You will design and deploy first-principles solutions that replace traditional playbooks with seamless, automated experiences, enabling us to move at the velocity and quality needed for a multi-billion-dollar AI-native company. You will join a cohort of top strategy and operations professionals at Valence confronting some of the toughest growth questions: How do we reimagine hiring, onboarding, and team management using AI and automation while preserving the essential human judgment and culture that set us apart? You will be empowered to own high-impact projects, lead experiments, and pilot new approaches, delivering outcomes in a high-stakes, data-driven, and ambiguous environment. With direct executive visibility, you will collaborate closely with the VP of People & Operations to run core systems and rhythms, shape company-defining hiring decisions, and report outcomes to our leadership. For the right builder, this is a career-defining role that blends strategic influence, hands-on ownership, and the opportunity to fundamentally rewrite the playbook for how AI-first organizations scale teams at speed without losing what makes them great.

Requirements

• 5-7 years in high-growth operations, consulting, or strategy roles (startup experience preferred).
• Passion for leveraging AI technology to design workflows, automate processes, and reimagine how organizations operate.
• Proven ability to manage high-stakes, complex workstreams with executive visibility, delivering outcomes backed by data and clear metrics.
• Clear communicator who can align busy executives, build trust across teams, and drive consensus in fast-paced environments.
• Self-motivated and highly driven, with the ability to thrive in ambiguity, push through challenges, and deliver even when the path isn't obvious.
• Willingness to experiment, embrace feedback, and continuously evolve through new responsibilities and workstreams.
• Strong personal motivation to join and shape an early-stage, AI-first team.

Responsibilities

• Build, architect and optimize AI-powered talent systems end-to-end, using automation and analytics to enhance sourcing, selection, and overall candidate experience.
• Lead dynamic workforce planning: partner with Finance to create adaptable, data-driven headcount models directly aligned with business milestones.
• Own searches for multiple high-impact roles at once, ensuring the right talent lands at the right time.
• Design quality of hire as a product: implement automated, personalized onboarding journeys with outcome tracking and iterative improvement.
• Build AI-enabled performance enablement, feedback, and manager development systems.
• Rapidly experiment: lead fast pilots and A/B test new people systems and workflows.
• Develop and own Valence's talent intelligence engine.
• Deliver actionable, predictive people analytics: build scalable dashboards, live reporting suites, and executive-ready insights.
• Partner directly with the CEO and VP to drive strategic org design and culture-shaping projects.

Benefits

• Competitive salary including base + bonuses.
• Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, vision) from day one.
• Generous PTO, company-wide R&R shutdowns, and paid parental leave.
• Retirement plan support for US and global employees.
• Meaningful ownership in a venture-backed company at a growth inflection point.
• Top-up grants as we scale and you deliver exceptional performance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Industry: Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing