People Operations Lead, AI Access Initiative

Role Description

The AI Access Initiative is at an early and critical juncture. We’re building a high-performing, globally distributed team from the ground up. We are hiring a People Operations Leader who can make this possible. In this role, you will have the opportunity to define and scale people operations for our team. This includes building lean systems to hire, onboard, and retain top talent to unlock meaningful upside for people in poverty globally.

This role sits at the intersection of talent, performance, and organizational design. You will partner closely with the leadership team, act as a strategic thought partner and tactical operator on people decisions, and proactively look around corners on talent risk. You care deeply about the mission. You want to support the humans on this team including their growth, wellbeing, and ability to focus on work that matters, while building the systems and culture that make achieving our ambitious mission possible. You are excited to drive the engine behind the growth of a fast-scaling organization - growing by 20+ people in the coming year, and scaling meaningfully from there.

Level: We are open to considering exceptional candidates at the Senior Manager, Associate Director, and Director levels, depending on experience and fit. We will adjust the scope of the role based on the job level.

Responsibilities

• Recruitment
  • Own high-quality recruiting end-to-end, not coordinate it.
  • Run every stage of the hiring process, in partnership with program teams: sourcing, pipeline development, structured assessment design, offer construction, and close.
  • Build pipelines before you need them.
  • Design structured hiring processes with rigorous assessments.
  • Design creative processes to assess AI engagement in candidates.
  • Build hiring capacity in the organization.
• Talent Density
  • Build and maintain high talent density.
  • Train managers to have the conversations that matter.
  • Navigate performance issues with good judgment.
  • Connect talent insights to organizational planning.
• People Operations Infrastructure
  • Own the cultural formation arc across the organization.
  • Source and manage a PEO or EOR to handle employment contracts, salary administration, and benefits across multiple jurisdictions.
  • Design a performance system that drives growth and accountability.
  • Design onboarding that actually sets people up for success.
  • Build compensation frameworks that are equitable and defensible across geographies.
  • Use data to drive people decisions.
  • Ensure compliance across operating jurisdictions.
  • Champion the strategic use of data, technology, and AI to strengthen people processes and outcomes.
• Strategic Thought Partnership
  • Be brought in early on people decisions.
  • Push back when something doesn’t feel right.
  • Handle sensitive employee situations with discretion and judgment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in HR, people operations, or talent roles, with meaningful time spent in organizations that required you to build rather than inherit.
• Demonstrated experience in full-cycle recruiting, including sourcing and closing senior hires in competitive or thin-talent markets.
• Strong analytical instincts; you build tools and analyze data yourself rather than waiting for a dedicated analyst.
• Experience working in or across low- and middle-income country contexts.
• A track record of credibility with senior leaders.
• Comfort with ambiguity and fast iteration.
• Curiosity and creativity with AI tools.
• Balances high EQ, rigor, and strong throughput with levity and humility.

Requirements

• Currently at The AI Access Initiative, no two days are the same.
• Handle various tasks such as creating structured hiring processes, presenting salary benchmarking analyses, and coaching candidates.

Benefits

• The expected role range for this US position is $110,000 - $155,000 per year.
• Evidence Action provides comprehensive benefits including international health care, HSA/FSA options, life insurance, disability coverage, retirement plans with a matching component, and generous leave options.

Company Description

Evidence Action is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to diversity. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply.