Founding Senior HR Generalist / People Operations Lead

Founding Senior HR Generalist / People Operations Lead

HireNow Staffing is actively recruiting a seasoned Founding Senior HR Generalist / People Operations Lead to join one of our valued client partners. This full-time opportunity is designed for an experienced HR professional who thrives in high-growth startup environments and enjoys building scalable people operations from the ground up.

The successful candidate will become the organization's first dedicated HR leader, own day-to-day People Operations while establishing processes that support long-term organizational growth. This role requires an execution-focused professional who is equally comfortable managing compliance, employee relations, HR systems, payroll coordination, and benefits administration while serving as a trusted advisor across the business.

As the organization continues to scale, this individual will help shape employee experience, manager enablement, performance management, and operational excellence across the company.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the complete employee lifecycle including onboarding, role changes, promotions, transfers, offboarding, and separation processes.
• Maintain accurate employment records, offer documentation, employment agreements, policy acknowledgments, and HR compliance documentation.
• Serve as the primary owner of the organization's HRIS, ensuring employee data remains accurate, compliant, and audit ready.
• Partner with external employment counsel, benefits providers, payroll partners, and HR vendors to support daily operations.
• Apply California employment law to support compliant employee practices and workplace decisions.
• Coordinate employee transitions, performance-related actions, terminations, and severance processes with professionalism and sound judgment.
• Lead benefits administration including healthcare, retirement plans, vendor management, and employee communications.
• Partner closely with Finance to ensure payroll accuracy, compliance, reporting, and operational efficiency.
• Design, document, and continuously improve HR workflows that support company growth.
• Expand People Operations initiatives including manager enablement, employee engagement, performance management, culture development, and organizational effectiveness.

Required Qualifications

• 4–6 years of Human Resources or People Operations experience.
• Previous experience serving as the first or second HR hire within a Series A or Series B venture-backed startup.
• Experience supporting organizations that have raised $10M or more in venture funding.
• Strong working knowledge of California employment law.
• Experience independently managing employee lifecycle programs.
• Strong HRIS experience; Rippling experience is highly desirable.
• Working knowledge of payroll administration and payroll compliance.
• Experience administering employee benefits and vendor relationships.
• Demonstrated experience managing employee transitions, corrective actions, terminations, and separation processes.
• Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Comfortable operating independently with minimal supervision.
• Must currently reside within the San Francisco Bay Area and be available to work onsite five days per week in Dogpatch, San Francisco.
• Authorized to work in the United States.
• No visa sponsorship available.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience administering Rippling as the primary HRIS.
• Experience supporting rapidly growing sales organizations with commission structures, OTE plans, and compensation administration.
• Multi-state and international employment experience.
• Experience implementing or improving performance management programs.
• Background supporting employee engagement, manager development, and organizational culture initiatives.
• Experience building scalable HR processes from the ground up.
• Stable career progression demonstrating increasing HR ownership and leadership.

HireNow Package

• Compensation: $160,000–$185,000 annual base salary
• Equity: Competitive equity package.
• Benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage; 401(k); commuter benefits; daily catered lunch, dinner stipend, $150 monthly wellness benefit, and additional company-sponsored benefits.
• Employment Type: Full-Time
• Work Location: Onsite – Dogpatch, San Francisco, California (5 days per week)
• Applicant Requirements: U.S.-based applicants only. Candidates must currently reside within the San Francisco Bay Area. No visa sponsorship available.
• Headcount: 1

HireNow Checklist

HireNow Staffing is recruiting a Founding Senior HR Generalist / People Operations Lead who demonstrates the following:

• Possesses 4–6 years of progressive Human Resources or People Operations experience.
• Has successfully served as the first or second HR professional within a venture-backed startup.
• Demonstrates strong expertise in California employment law and HR compliance.
• Has experience managing HRIS systems, payroll coordination, benefits administration, and employee lifecycle programs.
• Excels at creating structure, documenting processes, and building scalable HR operations.
• Communicates effectively with employees, executives, Finance, legal counsel, and external vendors.
• Thrives in fast-paced startup environments while operating independently.
• Resides within the San Francisco Bay Area and meets all required qualifications while demonstrating several preferred qualifications.

HireNow Standout Candidates

Candidates will receive the strongest consideration if they demonstrate:

• Experience building a People Operations function from the ground up within a Series A or Series B startup.
• Advanced experience administering Rippling HRIS.
• Strong understanding of California employment law and HR compliance best practices.
• Experience supporting technical, engineering, and high-growth sales organizations.
• Success implementing scalable HR workflows, performance management systems, and employee engagement initiatives.
• Strong partnership with executive leadership while maintaining operational excellence.
• Stable employment history demonstrating increasing ownership and leadership within Human Resources.

HireNow Disqualifiers

The following will prevent candidates from moving forward in the hiring process:

• Jumpy resumes will not be accepted or interviewed.
• Less than four years of Human Resources or People Operations experience.
• No experience supporting venture-backed startup environments.
• No experience serving as the primary or secondary HR owner.
• Limited knowledge of California employment law.
• No experience managing employee lifecycle programs, HR compliance, or payroll coordination.
• Applicants requiring visa sponsorship.
• Applicants who do not currently reside within the San Francisco Bay Area or cannot work onsite five days per week.
• Candidates who do not meet the core qualifications required for this position.

HireNow Staffing Disclaimer

HireNow Staffing is acting as a direct placement partner for this Founding Senior HR Generalist / People Operations Lead opportunity. All candidate information is handled confidentially and evaluated against defined requirements. This job description outlines the general scope of responsibilities and qualifications. Duties may evolve based on client needs and business growth. Only candidates meeting the core qualifications will be considered for interview. Client-specific information will be shared only with qualified candidates during the interview process.