Business Operations Associate

We're looking for a Business Operations Associate to cover a parental leave from approximately early/mid July through mid-November 2026. This is a temporary, full-time, fully remote role reporting directly to our CEO. You'll be stepping into an established set of systems and processes where your job is to keep things running smoothly. The ideal candidate is highly organized, independently operational, and comfortable context-switching between finance, HR, compliance, and general administration in a small startup environment. You'll work across four main areas: Finance & Billing – managing invoicing, client follow-ups, and contractor payments HR & People Ops – payroll coordination if needed, compliance, and team engagement Legal & Compliance – triaging contracts, vendor forms, and maintaining SOC 2 compliance tasks General Operations – vendor management, ad hoc administrative support for leadership Key Responsibilities Finance & Billing - Manage monthly billing cycle: client invoicing via Stripe, platform-based invoices (Coupa, Tradeshift, Tungsten), and accounts receivable follow-up - Process bi-weekly contractor payments via Justworks and Deel (US and international contractors) - Handle monthly vendor payments and reconciliation via Ramp Bill Pay - Support quarterly accounting review with transaction categorization - Manage MRR documentation and billing records in Airtable HR & People Operations - Process payroll actions and any benefits updates in Justworks/Deel (e.g., compensation adjustments, insurance changes) - Field HR-related questions from team members and escalate to leadership when appropriate - Manage birthday gifts and team engagement logistics (TryDays, team events, client gifts) - Support current HR processes & policy enforcement - Coordinate bi-monthly team event & team-wide HR communications Legal & Compliance - Triage inbound NDAs, MSAs, and vendor agreements, flagging items for leadership review and routing to appropriate signatories - Complete and submit vendor onboarding forms on behalf of Spate (W-9s, insurance certificates, banking details, etc.) - Maintain SOC 2 compliance tasks in Vanta: monitor monthly checklist items and flag any open tests or remediation items to the relevant team lead General Operations & Administration - Serve as the day-to-day operational point of contact for the team during the leave period 2+ years of experience in operations, office management, or a generalist business role Strong organizational skills and high attention to detail as this role touches a lot of moving parts simultaneously Comfortable operating independently with minimal hand-holding; you can figure things out from documentation and ask good questions when you can't Solution-oriented so that when you encounter a problem, you come with proposed solutions, not just the issue Experience with invoicing and billing workflows (Stripe or similar) Familiarity with payroll and contractor payment platforms (Justworks, Deel, Gusto or similar) Proficiency with Google Workspace and project management tools (Asana or similar) Strong written and verbal communication skills Based in EST Preferred Qualifications Experience at a startup or small company where you've worn multiple hats Familiarity with compliance or security frameworks (SOC 2 / Vanta a plus) Experience with Airtable, Notion, Ramp, or QuickBooks Background in HR coordination or people operations Prior experience in a temp or contract role requiring fast ramp-up This is a temporary full-time engagement (approx. 4-5 months). About Spate Spate is a trend intelligence platform used by top beauty and CPG brands including L'Oréal, Estée Lauder, and Unilever. We analyze billions of consumer signals to identify emerging trends, helping brands make smarter product development and marketing decisions. Founded in 2018 by two ex-Googlers and backed by Y Combinator and Initialized Capital, Spate is a profitable, fast-moving team of ~20 people. Why Spate? Work directly with the founders and leadership team Fully remote with a flexible, results-oriented culture Fast-moving, low-bureaucracy environment where things actually get done Always be on the cutting edge of beauty and consumer trends Spate is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.