# Founding Senior HR Generalist / People Operations Lead

**Company:** [Giga](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/giga)
**Location:** San Francisco, CA, California
**Role:** People Ops
**Salary:** $160k – $185k/yr
**Experience:** 4+ years
**Skills:** Rippling, HRIS, Payroll, California Employment Law, Employee Lifecycle Management, Onboarding, Offboarding, Benefits Administration, Performance Management
**Posted:** 2026-03-06

> Owns full employee lifecycle, HR operations, compliance, and systems like Rippling as first HR hire at AI startup. Requires 4-7 years HR experience, California law familiarity, and startup scaling expertise in onsite San Francisco role.

## Job Description

## What You Will Do

### HR Ownership and Execution
- Own the full employee lifecycle, including onboarding end to end (equipment, accounts, orientation, first-week experience), role changes, offboarding, and terminations
- Maintain employment documentation and records, such as offer letters, employment agreements, and separation materials
- Ensure Rippling is clean and up-to-date
- Serve as the primary internal owner for HR processes, including when working with external vendors or outside counsel

### Employee Relations and Compliance
- Apply strong working knowledge of California employment law and in-person workplace requirements to guide HR decisions
- Handle employee transitions, including terminations and severance, with consistency, care, and good judgment
- Partner with employment counsel as needed, translating guidance into practical, repeatable processes

### Benefits, Payroll, and Programs
- Serve as go-to person benefits administration, including health plans and retirement programs, and manage relationships with brokers and providers
- Partner closely with Finance, and sometimes take the lead, on payroll accuracy and compliance
- Monitor and implement evolving compliance requirements across states as the company grows

### Process and Systems
- Build and document clear HR workflows that scale with the business
- Introduce structure where processes are currently informal or evolving

## What We’re Looking For

### Experience
- 4-7 years of experience in HR
- Experience as an early or first HR hire of an early stage, venture backed startup
- Deep familiarity with HRIS systems (Rippling experience is a plus)
- Experience supporting teams in California, including familiarity with employment law and in-person workplace considerations
- Comfortable being the primary HR owner in a fast-moving environment
- Demonstrated experience handling employee transitions and terminations in a thoughtful, compliant way
- Strong understanding of payroll fundamentals and experience partnering with payroll providers

### Working Style
- Practical, steady, and solutions-oriented
- Comfortable operating autonomously while knowing when to bring in partners
- Comfortable operating with ambiguity and adjusting priorities as business needs evolve
- Enjoys building structure and clarity as a company grows

### Bonus Points
- Experience building or supporting performance management processes
- Exposure to broader People Ops initiatives such as manager enablement, engagement, or culture programs
- Multi-state or scaling company experience

## Perks & Benefits
- Catered lunch daily
- Dinner stipend
- $150/month wellness benefit (gym, fitness classes, mental health)
- 401(k) plan
- Commuter benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage

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