Founding HR Generalist | People Operations

Founding Senior HR Generalist / People Operations LeadSan Francisco, CA · On-site (5 days/week) · Full-timeAbout the OpportunityA fast-scaling AI startup "” recently closed a $61M Series A and serving enterprise customers "” is hiring its first dedicated HR leader. This is a true greenfield role: HR has been run on the side by the CEO, and you'll be stepping in to bring professional structure, best practices, and full ownership to the function.You'll be a team of one, reporting directly to leadership. The first 30-60 days are about earning trust through operational excellence; from there, the runway to shape everything from onboarding to performance management is wide open.What You'll DoOwn the full employee lifecycle "” onboarding, offboarding, role changes, offer letters, and employment documentationServe as the internal owner of Rippling and all HR systems, keeping data clean and processes tightApply strong working knowledge of California employment law to employee transitions, terminations, and day-to-day complianceManage benefits administration (health plans, 401(k), broker relationships) and partner with Finance on payroll accuracyBuild trust across the team early, then introduce scalable processes "” structured onboarding first, performance review cycles as the company growsWhat We're Looking For4-7 years of HR generalist or people operations experienceBackground at venture-backed technology startups (Series A or later, $10M+ raised) strongly preferredDeep, hands-on knowledge of California employment law and complianceProficiency with Rippling or comparable HRIS platformsTrack record of building HR processes from scratch or significantly maturing an early-stage functionStrong judgment on when to formalize a process vs. keep things lightweight at startup speedBachelor's degree preferredExcellent communication and the maturity to assess the function, identify gaps, and surface staffing needs as the team scalesCompensation & LogisticsBase salary: $140,000 - $185,000, plus equityOn-site in San Francisco, 5 days per week (no hybrid or remote)Must be authorized to work in the U.S.; visa sponsorship and relocation are not availableImmediate start

Created: 2026-05-16