About the roleWe are hiring a People Ops Manager to build the people function for our next stage of growth. You will own the full employee lifecycle across our US, UK and remote teams, from hiring and onboarding through performance, compensation, and culture. This is a hands on leadership role: you will set strategy and do much of the work yourself, partnering closely with the CFO, CEO, and leadership team.
The right person is equal parts operator and culture builder. You care about getting payroll, compliance, and policy exactly right, and you also know how to help a mission driven team do the best work of their careers.
What you will doPeople strategy and leadership- Build and own the people roadmap aligned to company goals, headcount plans, and budget
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the leadership team on org design, team structure, and leadership development
- Partner with Finance on workforce planning, headcount forecasting, and people cost modeling
- Report on people metrics (retention, engagement, time to hire, compensation benchmarks) to leadership and the board
Talent acquisition- Manage, coach, and develop our Recruiter, setting clear priorities and hiring goals
- Own the hiring process end to end, including role scoping, sourcing strategy, interview design, and offer management
- Build a consistent, inclusive, and efficient hiring experience that reflects the Gaia brand
- Manage recruiting partners and tools, and build our employer brand
Performance, growth, and engagement- Design and run performance review cycles, goal setting, and feedback practices
- Build career frameworks, leveling, and development programs
- Measure and act on employee engagement, and champion a culture of ownership, care, and accountability
- Lead onboarding and offboarding so every transition is thoughtful and well run
Compensation and benefits- Own compensation philosophy, salary bands, and equity guidelines in partnership with the CFO
- Run annual compensation reviews and benchmarking
- Manage benefits programs, broker relationships, and open enrollment, including our own family building benefits for employees
People operations and compliance- Oversee HRIS, payroll inputs, and PEO relationships (Justworks in the US, and UK payroll providers)
- Ensure compliance with US federal and state employment law and UK employment law for our London team
- Maintain employee handbooks, policies, and documentation for both entities
- Handle employee relations matters with sound judgment, discretion, and fairness
- Support audit, diligence, and fundraising processes with accurate people data
What we are looking for- 8+ years of experience in People or HR roles, with at least 3 years leading the function or a meaningful part of it at a venture backed startup (Series A to C)
- Experience supporting teams across the US and UK, or across multiple US states and at least one international entity
- Strong working knowledge of US employment law; familiarity with UK employment practices is a strong plus
- Track record of building people programs from scratch (performance, compensation, leveling, onboarding)
- Experience managing and developing direct reports, ideally including recruiters
- Comfortable with data: you can build a headcount model, run a comp analysis, and present people metrics clearly
- Excellent judgment and discretion with sensitive information
- A builder mindset: you are energized by ambiguity and happy to roll up your sleeves
- Genuine connection to our mission of making family building accessible
Nice to have- Experience in healthcare, benefits, fintech, or another regulated industry
- Experience with HRIS and ATS tools such as Justworks, Rippling, BambooHR, Greenhouse, or Ashby
- SHRM, CIPD, or similar certification
What success looks likeIn your first 90 days- Audit current people processes, policies, and tools across the US and UK
- Build relationships with every leader and understand team needs
- Align with your Recruiter on open roles, pipeline health, and hiring priorities
- Deliver a prioritized people roadmap for the next 12 months
In your first year- Launch a consistent performance and career framework company wide
- Establish compensation bands and a repeatable comp review process
- Stand up a scalable, well run hiring engine that supports our headcount plan
- Improve engagement and retention against a clear baseline
What we offer- Competitive salary and meaningful equity
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Fertility and family building benefits through Gaia
- The chance to build a people function at a mission driven company at a pivotal stage
