HR & Operations Specialist

Location: San Francisco, CA / Partial on-site required 

Team: Operations 

Reports To: Co-founder / Head of Operations

About Laude

Laude is a research organization built by and for computer scientists who ship their research. We back impact-driven researchers turning breakthrough ideas into open-source infrastructure and real-world tools. Our goal is to accelerate the most important research and get it into people's hands faster.

We are funded by individual technologists and anchored by a $100M commitment from Andy Konwinski. Our inaugural $150M ventures fund is backed by top institutional LPs and 50+ of the world's leading computer scientists. Our community is a who's who of AI and computer science researchers from the most advanced labs in the world, and we convene them regularly to push the frontier forward together.

About the Role

This role serves as the connective tissue between HR, Finance, and daily business operations. You will manage payroll and benefits administration, vendor and financial operations, and provide core employee support. You will also assist with contractor relationships, compliance filings, and expense management, while supporting the team by drafting and documenting internal policies and procedures. This is an ideal fit for someone who thrives on operational execution such as reconciling expense reports, coordinating benefits, and maintaining organized systems and who makes sure that our internal resources and documentation remain accurate and accessible as the team grows.

Work Location

This role requires in-office presence 3 days per week at our San Francisco office location. Significant presence is expected per leadership and operational needs.

What You'll Do

HR & Benefits

• Manage the end-to-end payroll lifecycle, including processing, multi-state compliance, filings, and employee pay-related inquiries
• Administer employee benefits programs via Rippling, including health, dental/vision, and life, open enrollment, life-event changes, and day-to-day carrier coordination
• Own payroll-related onboarding and offboarding, ensuring seamless transition of benefits and system access
• Serve as a go-to resource for employees with HR and benefits questions
• Drive employee policy development, maintenance, and compliance, including handbook distribution and acknowledgment tracking
• Maintain and continuously improve the HRIS, ensuring employee data is accurate, well-organized, and audit-ready.
• Manage People Ops documentation, processes, and internal resources, such as FAQs and process guides, to support a positive employee experience.

Finance & Vendor Operations

• Manage accounts payable end-to-end via Ramp Bill Pay, synced with Xero: invoice processing, approval workflows, and timely payment
• Administer and manage the company Ramp account, cards, approvals, receipt matching, and reporting for employee expenses
• Support the Finance lead with budget tracking, spend reporting, and month-end reconciliation
• Assist with payroll cash flow planning, including tracking upcoming payroll debits and bonus obligations
• Manage performance bonus tracking and payment distributions
• Manage vendor and contractor relationships end-to-end: onboarding, contracts, W-9/W-8 collection, payment setup, invoicing, and annual 1099 filings

General Operations

• Manage and maintain company business insurance policies, including renewals, COIs, and broker relationships
• Serve as the primary liaison for the ops mailbox, triaging and resolving incoming requests or routing them to the right owner
• Keep Google Drive organized and maintain shared mailboxes
• Maintain organized, audit-ready records across HR, vendor, and financial documentation
• Support the Head of Operations and Finance Lead on cross-functional initiatives as the company scales
• Ensure ongoing operational compliance, including I-9 verification and state-specific labor law postings
• Identify opportunities to improve and document operational processes

What We're Looking For

• 4+ years of experience in HR/benefits administration, operations, or a similar hybrid role
• Hands-on experience with payroll, accounts payable, expense management, and vendor/contractor coordination
• Experience managing 1099 filings and W-9/W-8 collection for contractors
• Tools & Systems: Experience with Xero, Ramp, Rippling, and Google Workspace strongly preferred
• Experience supporting or working alongside a Finance function (budget tracking, reporting) a plus
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable managing multiple workstreams at once
• Strong communicator who can be a trusted point of contact for employees and outside vendors alike
• Discretion and good judgment when handling sensitive employee and financial information
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience

Nice to Have

• Experience with multi-state payroll compliance specifically
• Experience supporting grant or disbursement processes

Compensation

• Salary range $110,000 to $145,000 plus equity based on experience
• Comprehensive health, dental, vision, and life insurance
• 401(k)
• Unlimited PTO
• Paid parental leave
• San Francisco-based, partial on-site required