People Operations Lead

About Us: At Fireworks, we’re building the future of generative AI infrastructure. Our platform delivers the highest-quality models with the fastest and most scalable inference in the industry. We’ve been independently benchmarked as the leader in LLM inference speed and are driving cutting-edge innovation through projects like our own function calling and multimodal models. Fireworks is a Series C company valued at $4 billion and backed by top investors including Benchmark, Sequoia, Lightspeed, Index, and Evantic. We’re an ambitious, collaborative team of builders, founded by veterans of Meta PyTorch and Google Vertex AI. The People Operations Lead owns the operational backbone of our People team. You'll be responsible for HRIS, payroll, benefits, and compliance — making sure the fundamentals are accurate, scalable, and always improving. Working closely with HR and Finance, you'll be the connective thread that keeps people data, payroll outputs, and operational processes in sync across teams. It's a high-ownership, high-impact role for someone who takes pride in the work that keeps everything else running well. Key Responsibilities Own and optimize HRIS infrastructure, people data quality, and system workflows — establishing standards for data integrity, reporting, and audits across all HR systems, including reconciliation between internal systems and PEO/EOR platforms Lead employee lifecycle operations end-to-end within the PEO/EOR system, ensuring high accuracy, timely execution, and a consistent employee experience Own payroll operations in partnership with our PEO/EOR — managing inputs, auditing outputs, coordinating off-cycle runs, and serving as the primary point of contact for payroll-related issues and escalations Own multi-state payroll tax compliance — track active state registrations, monitor new-state expansion triggers, and ensure the PEO/EOR is filing accurately and on time; proactively flag and resolve discrepancies before they become liabilities Own health and benefits and 401(k) administration within the PEO/EOR and other vendor platform — including open enrollment, life event changes, invoice reconciliation, carrier escalations, and employee inquiries Ensure HR compliance and audit-readiness through accurate documentation, record keeping, and monitoring of federal, state, and local employment law requirements across all states where we have employees Serve as the operational connective tissue between HR, Finance, Recruiting, and HRBPs — ensuring data accuracy and process continuity across teams, particularly where PEO/EOR data flows intersect with internal systems Qualifications Minimum 5+ years of experience in HR or People Operations, with hands-on ownership across core HR functions Demonstrated experience working with HRIS platforms and managing HR operations within a PEO or EOR model Solid experience managing payroll processing and benefits administration Familiarity with state-specific benefit mandates, especially if the company operates across multiple states Preferred Familiarity with US employment compliance requirements; exposure to global compliance frameworks is a plus Experience managing benefits and vendors, including healthcare funding models and 401(k) plan design Experience with cross-border or international cases is a plus You'll thrive in this role if: You take deep ownership of your work — when something is yours, you see it through completely You naturally notice what's missing, what's breaking down quietly, and what others haven't spotted yet You're always thinking about what can be improved, not just what needs to get done today You're obsessed with operational excellence — timeliness and quality aren't trade-offs to you, they're both non-negotiable You're energized by building and improving, not just maintaining Total compensation for this role also includes meaningful equity in a fast-growing startup, along with a competitive salary and comprehensive benefit ... (truncated, view full listing at source)