People Leader

About SF Compute

At SF Compute, we’re a tight-knit team of about 45 engineers and builders based in San Francisco. We think about infrastructure the way it should work—fast, scalable, and actually pleasant to use. We’re not big on hierarchy or fluff; we care about people who take ownership, follow through, and genuinely like solving hard problems. The pace here is real, and so is the expectation that you’ll show up ready to contribute and lead from first principles.

About the Role

SF Compute is growing at a tremendous pace. We need a People Leader who is both a strategic partner to the team and a hands-on operator capable of building "zero-to-one" processes. You will manage a high-performing team, ensuring we maintain a high talent bar while scaling our internal systems.

Core Responsibilities

Recruiting & Talent Acquisition

• Team Leadership & Execution: Partner closely with our recruiters to drive the full hiring lifecycle. You will provide the leadership and support they need to hit aggressive headcount targets while maintaining our high talent bar.
• Tech Stack & Tooling: Audit and evolve our recruiting infrastructure. You will be responsible for evaluating, selecting, and sourcing the right Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and auxiliary sourcing tools to ensure our team is operating with maximum efficiency.
• Employer Brand: Define and champion SF Compute’s story in the market. You’ll ensure our reputation for solving hard problems and operating with low ego is reflected in all candidate touchpoints, making us a destination for top-tier builders.
• Hiring Partnership: Act as a talent consultant to hiring managers, helping them calibrate technical requirements and drive high-quality hiring decisions that align with our culture.

People Operations & Compliance

• Scalable Infrastructure: Audit and modernize our People tech stack. You will transition us from manual workflows to automated, scalable systems that support a distributed workforce.
• AI Integration: Proactively identify opportunities to leverage AI and automation to streamline repetitive tasks, improve data accuracy, and enhance the speed of HR service delivery.
• Total Rewards & Compensation: Design and execute a competitive compensation philosophy, including equity grants, salary benchmarking, and comprehensive benefits packages that attract and retain top-tier talent.
• Risk & Compliance: Serve as the internal expert on federal, state, and local employment laws. You will ensure our policies are bulletproof, maintaining accurate documentation and timely reporting to mitigate organizational risk.

Talent Development & Management

• Performance Ecosystems: Design and lead high-signal performance review cycles. Move beyond checkboxes to create a culture of continuous feedback, high-stakes accountability, and clear career ladders.
• Manager Enablement & Coaching: Build a "manager as coach" framework. You will personally mentor first-time and experienced managers on team health, delivery pressure, and navigating difficult conversations.
• Employee Relations: Serve as the lead strategist for complex people issues. You will handle conflict resolution and internal investigations with a high degree of empathy, discretion, and legal literacy.

Engagement & Candidate Experience

• Lifecycle Excellence: Own the "Day 0 through Day 1000" experience. This includes crafting a seamless onboarding program that gets engineers productive quickly and an offboarding process that preserves long-term relationships.
• Cultural Health: Pulse-check the organization using eNPS and qualitative feedback. You will translate data into actionable programs that improve employee satisfaction and retention without losing our "tight-knit" feel.
• Candidate Journey: Ensure that every person who interacts with SF Compute—regardless of the hiring outcome—has a professional, fast, and high-signal experience that mirrors our technical standards.

About You

• Experience: 10+ years in HR/Recruiting/People Ops with at least 5 years of people management experience, ideally within high-growth tech environments.
• AI Proficiency: You have a proven track record of utilizing AI tools and automation to improve people processes, increase efficiency, and reduce administrative overhead.
• Startup DNA: You are energized by building from scratch and believe no task is too large or too small.
• Judgment: You are a trusted partner who exercises high integrity and sound judgment in complex employee relations matters.
• Systems Thinker: Data-driven and organized; you bring structure to ambiguity and are comfortable evaluating the technical tools needed to scale.

Benefits

• Generous equity grant
• Competitive salary
• Visa sponsorships available
• 401(k) plans with up to 4% match
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents (100% premium coverage)
• Unlimited paid time off
• 10+ observed holidays
• Paid parental leave (biological, adoptive, and foster parents)
• Daily lunch covered
• Unlimited office book budget