People Operations & Culture Generalist

Foster City, CAfull timeOn Site

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mid

$115k–$135k

H1B: no

Cellanome People Operations & Culture Generalist supports core operational engine, workplace events, and recruiting coordination for a fast-scaling startup. This role focuses on employee lifecycle management, benefits administration, compliance, and improving operational processes.

Responsibilities

Essential Duties include but are not limited to the following:
Core People Operations (~50%)
Run the employee lifecycle end to end: onboarding, offboarding, and all lifecycle changes in Rippling, with accuracy and speed.
Administer leave of absence programs across multiple states, coordinating with employees, managers, carriers, and payroll on eligibility, documentation, and return-to-work.
Own day-to-day benefits administration, including employee questions, open enrollment logistics, carrier and broker coordination, and reconciliation.
Support multi-state (and cross-border) payroll processing, resolving edge cases and partnering with Accounting on the payroll RACI.
Keep compliance documentation audit-ready across every state and entity where we operate, flagging gaps proactively.
Serve as a responsive first point of contact for employee questions, escalating anything sensitive or high-stakes to People leadership.
Identify and implement automations that cut down manual work and turnaround time.
Workplace & Events, Foster City (~30%)
Own the day-to-day employee experience at the Foster City office, creating a sense of belonging, community, and engagement that drives team connection and productivity
Plan and execute onsite events and celebrations, partnering with the local events committee, from All Hands meeting logistics to team milestones to holiday events.

Qualification

4 years in a People OperationsSystems thinkingA confidentWhat you can expect from us

Required

4 years in a People Operations, HR (People) Operations, or HR Generalist role, ideally in a fast-moving, venture-backed environment.
Required hands-on experience across leave of absence administration, benefits, payroll, and multi-state HR compliance. California employment law experience strongly preferred.
Proven ability to run onsite events and workplace programs from concept through flawless execution.
Comfort owning vendor relationships around workplace and events and holding them accountable.
Systems thinking: you can map a process end to end, find the friction, and redesign it to be simpler for everyone.
Experience with ATS/HRIS (Greenhouse/Rippling a plus) and appetite for using AI and automation to optimize recurring work.
Sound judgment on when to handle something directly and when to route it up.
A confident, warm communicator who lands well with employees and managers at every level.
Comfort juggling multiple priorities and shifting gears quickly without losing what matters most.
Demonstrated ability to perform the Essential Duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodations.
We provide competitive total compensation packages, including base pay, benefits, and equity. In California, the estimated base salary for this position is $115,000 - $135,000/year. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.
What you can expect from us: