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Founding People Operations Lead

Mach9· Operations
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Hybrid (San Francisco)$130k - $180kFull-timePosted 1mo ago

About the role

Founding People Operations Lead to own the employee experience from offer acceptance through last day, helping Mach9 scale from ~30 to 75+ employees while preserving culture and pace. 100% in-office role reporting to Head of Business Operations and Finance, collaborating with CEO and managers.

Responsibilities

  • Build the People systems and infrastructure needed to support Mach9 as it grows from approximately 30 to 75 employees and beyond.
  • Own compensation, offer letters, employee onboarding, benefits administration, corporate governance, and the selection and management of external People-related vendors.
  • Partner closely with our Founding Recruiting Lead to create a magical candidate and new employee experience.
  • Own Mach9's employee experience, including the programs, rituals, feedback systems, and internal communication that shape how people work and develop.
  • Serve as a trusted partner to managers, helping them become better leaders, develop their teams, handle difficult conversations, and address performance issues.
  • Own employee relations and HR issues across the company, bringing sound judgment, consistency, discretion, and clear communication to sensitive situations.
  • Own immigration strategy and execution, working with outside counsel and partners to support current and prospective employees.
  • Manage employee offboarding, terminations, separations, and the employee experience through the end of employment.

Qualifications

  • 5+ years of relevant experience across People Operations, HR, talent, or a closely-related function within a high-growth startup or similarly fast-paced company.
  • A strong working knowledge of onboarding, compensation, benefits, employee relations, performance management, immigration, and HR operations.
  • Excellent judgment and a practical approach to HR. You know the rules, understand why they exist, and can distinguish between what is truly required and what is simply convention.
  • A bias toward simple, useful systems over bureaucracy. You are skeptical of policies, meetings, and processes that exist mainly because “that’s how HR does it.”
  • The confidence and interpersonal judgment to build trust, maintain confidentiality, and give managers and executives direct advice—even when the conversation is difficult.
  • A genuine interest in helping managers become better managers, employees do their best work, and building a People function that strengthens the company rather than policing it.
  • You understand that owning the People function isn't a 9-to-5 responsibility. If the team or company needs something, you take care of it—regardless of the hour.

Skills

Required:Compensation managementOnboardingBenefits administrationEmployee relationsImmigration support

Benefits

  • Competitive salary: $130k to $180k, based on experience
  • Equity ownership in Mach9
  • 100% employee coverage for medical, dental, and vision
  • 401k
  • Unlimited PTO and 8 paid holidays
  • Daily office lunch and snacks
  • Unlimited Cursor, ChatGPT, and Claude credits
  • Monthly team offsites: Go-karting, Topgolf, etc.
Last updated Oct 21, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
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About Mach9

The Fastest Tool for Automating Geospatial Production

Mach9 is at the forefront of leveraging advanced machine learning and computer vision techniques to transform geospatial data into actionable insights for urban development and infrastructure management. Our cutting-edge technology automates the detection and analysis of key urban features, aiding in the planning and maintenance of transportation networks.

machine-learningcomputer-visioninfrastructureai
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