Why this role existsAs our first People Partner & People Operations member based in New York, you have a rare builder's opportunity. You won't just execute an off-the-shelf playbook; instead, you will partner closely with our VP People in our headquarters in Dusseldorf/Germany to jointly architect, establish, and launch vivenu's first People Partner role from scratch.
Acting as the trusted on-the-ground anchor for our New York and Tampa teams, you will collaborate directly with our US-& Germany-based Leaders in Sales and Customer Experience (CX). This role is perfect for a pragmatic expert who loves the duality of driving local people programs while keeping a sharp, hands-on eye on our US operational and compliance foundation.
Because we believe true people partnership and deep cultural roots are built face-to-face, this is a fully on-site role based out of our vibrant Manhattan hub.
In this role, your responsibilities will include:Functional & Cross-Border People Partnering - Leadership Advisory & Business Acumen: Act as the trusted, commercially-minded, go-to People Partner for our US and Germany-based Revenue and CX leaders. By understanding our business model and commercial challenges, you will help them navigate team dynamics, structure their departments to meet business goals as they scale, and equip them with the practical tools and confidence to lead independently.
- Global People Team Collaboration: Seamlessly align and collaborate with our Dusseldorf-based People Team for Germany-specific HR and legal topics, as well as with the Talent Acquisition Team to ensure a seamless, high-velocity hiring experience for all Revenue & CX hires.
- Multi-Hub Presence: While New York City is your main office anchor, you thrive on personal connection. You will maintain a regular presence at our Tampa hub to support leaders and teams on the ground, and travel periodically to our Dusseldorf/Germany headquarters to build close ties with the local German People Team and our European Revenue/CX managers.
- Program Execution: Drive the seamless, end-to-end execution of core people programs within your functions - such as our quarterly performance reviews, calibration cycles, robust talent assessment frameworks, and leadership enablement programs.
- Performance Management: Partner proactively with managers to set clear standards, identify underperformance early, and co-create actionable development plans.
- Employee Relations & Support: Serve as an empathetic, go-to people contact for US-based ICs, guiding them through HR queries, and sensitive Employee Relations topics with calm judgment and discretion.
US People Operations & Compliance (Hands-on Execution)- Employee Lifecycle Management: Manage the complete US employee journey, executing flawless onboarding, offboarding, and transactional lifecycle changes (promotions, salary adjustments).
- Compliance: Ensure US compliance foundation, including I-9 verifications, adherence to state labor laws, and regular policy updates.
- PEO & Systems Ownership: Act as the main payroll and benefits liaison with our PEO (Rippling), ensuring accurate payroll inputs and smooth administration of Health and 401(k) plans.
- Data Integrity: Maintain high data integrity within Rippling, supervising administrative tasks to ensure scalable, clean HR operations.
What you will need to succeed in this role:- 7+ years of progressive HR experience, with at least 3 years in a dedicated HR Business Partner or People Partner role, ideally within a fast-paced B2B sales environment.
- Deep, hands-on knowledge of US employment law, payroll practices, and benefits administration (specifically New York and ideally Florida regulations).
- You are highly tech-savvy and fluent in managing tools like HRIS (Rippling), ATS, Google Suite, and Notion. Crucially, you are an active AI user who confidently leverages LLMs to automate administrative friction, accelerate your daily workflows, and scale your output.
- You genuinely enjoy the duality of this role - you are as energized by a high-level org design session with a VP as you are by ensuring that internal employment documentation and payroll data updates are absolutely flawless.
- Proven track record of resolving sensitive Employee Relations matters with calm judgment and localized legal risk awareness.
- Willingness and readiness to partially accommodate European time zones to ensure seamless communication and touchpoints with stakeholders based in Germany.
- Excitement and availability for regular domestic travel within the US (to our Tampa hub) and international travel to our headquarters in Dusseldorf/Germany.
$140,000 - $180,000 a year
