Founding People Operations Lead

• Mach9 is looking for a Founding People Operations Lead to own the employee experience from the moment someone accepts a job offer through their last day.
• Mach9's team is smart, driven, ambitious, and committed to building a category-defining company. People work hard, take ownership, and do what is necessary to succeed.
• This is a 100% in-office position with no hybrid option. You will report to the Head of Business Operations and Finance and work closely with the CEO and managers across the company.
• 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.
• You may not have led a People function before. What matters is that you have worked closely with an exceptional leader, learned how a great People function operates, and are ready to own one yourself.
• 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.

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