People Operations Lead

Success Matcher Recruitment; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Success Matcher Recruitment is assisting a fast-scaling AI startup in San Francisco with a founding Senior HR Generalist / People Operations Lead, the first dedicated HR hire. The role is on-site in the Dogpatch district and reports to the executive team.

You will own full HR lifecycle, manage Rippling and Google Workspace, apply California employment law, and partner with Finance on payroll. This is a greenfield opportunity to shape culture, compliance, and people operations from the ground up.

Qualifications

• 4–7 years of HR/People Ops experience in a high-growth tech startup.
• Strong knowledge of California labor laws and compliance.
• Proficiency with Rippling (HRIS) and Google Workspace.
• Maturity handling sensitive employee relations and terminations with care.
• 5-day-a-week on-site role in the Dogpatch district of San Francisco.

Responsibilities

• Full lifecycle ownership: onboarding, offboarding, role changes, offer letters, and all employment documentation.
• System management: own Rippling data quality and act as power user.
• Ensure compliance with California employment law across transitions and terminations.
• Manage benefits administration and collaborate with Finance on payroll accuracy.
• Build scalable onboarding and performance review processes as the company scales.

Skills

Rippling

Google Workspace

California employment law

HR operations

Tools

HRIS

Job description

Our client is a fast-scaling AI startup that recently secured a $61M Series A backed by industry titans like YC President Garry Tan and Nexus Venture Partners. They are currently building real-time AI agents that handle massive operational workflows for global enterprises like DoorDash, processing over 40,000 tickets daily.

As the company scales toward 100+ employees, they are looking for a Founding Senior HR Generalist / People Operations Lead. This is a true "greenfield" opportunity. Currently, HR functions are handled by the CEO; you will be the first dedicated hire to step in, take ownership, and build a professional HR infrastructure from the ground up.

The Role

You will earn trust by mastering the operational fundamentals, eventually unlocking the ability to design the company’s long-term people strategy.

Full Lifecycle Ownership: Own onboarding, offboarding, role changes, offer letters, and all employment documentation.

System Management: Serve as the "power user" and owner of Rippling, ensuring all HRIS data is clean and actionable.

Compliance & Law: Apply expert knowledge of California employment law to manage transitions, terminations, and compliance with high integrity.

Benefits & Payroll: Manage benefits administration (health, 401k, broker relations) and partner with Finance to ensure 100% payroll accuracy.

Scalable Infrastructure: Transition the company from "startup hustle" to "professional scale" by introducing structured onboarding and performance review cycles.

Requirements

Experience: 4–7 years of HR/People Ops experience, ideally within a high-growth tech startup.

California Expertise: Deep, functional knowledge of California labor laws and compliance.

Tech Savvy: Professional experience with Rippling (HRIS) and Google Workspace.

Maturity: The ability to handle sensitive employee relations and terminations with care and consistency.

Presence: This is a 5-day-a-week on-site role in the Dogpatch district of San Francisco.

Why Join?

This isn't just an HR job; it’s a founding role at a company with massive enterprise traction and elite venture backing. You will have a direct seat at the table as the company enters its most significant growth phase.