People Ops Builder (First People Hire) — FR / US - Permanent

We are recruiting for one of our clients, a fast-growing AI tech company building infrastructure that transforms how teams work. The company is deeply product-obsessed, highly technical, and operates internationally across Paris, San Francisco, and New York.

As they scale, they are hiring their first People Ops Builder.

This is not a traditional HR role.

The Role

You will build and own the operational backbone of the People function from scratch.

This role combines:

• Run: day-to-day People Operations execution (France first, plus US support)

• Build: designing scalable systems, automation, and People infrastructure

You will operate as a DRI (Directly Responsible Individual) for People Ops high ownership, high autonomy, high standards.

What You’ll Do

Build scalable People infrastructure

• Design and implement foundational People systems (HRIS, onboarding, employee lifecycle, comp tracking)

• Build lightweight, scalable workflows (without creating HR bureaucracy)

• Automate manual work using modern tooling and AI agents

• Structure People data and create reporting dashboards for leadership

Own People Ops execution (France)

• Manage the employee lifecycle end-to-end (contracts, amendments, onboarding, offboarding)

• Coordinate payroll and variable compensation administration

• Administer benefits (health insurance, transport, etc.)

• Maintain accurate HR documentation and People data

Compliance & employee relations

• Ensure full compliance with French labor law

• Support managers on sensitive topics (disciplinary processes, employee relations)

• Handle work council topics (CSE) when needed

• Provide operational support for US-based employees (contracts, benefits basics)

Enable scale

• Help the company scale from ~90 to 150+ employees

• Build systems aligned with a high-performance, ownership-driven culture

• Create clarity without creating fear-based HR or process-heavy operations

Who You Are

You are a builder (not a maintainer)

• You’ve built People Ops systems from scratch in a startup environment (0–200 employees)

• You thrive without a clear HR roadmap and enjoy ambiguity

• You naturally think in systems, workflows, and architecture

You have an engineering / ops mindset

• You love automation and modern tooling

• You can clearly describe what you built (integrations, workflows, dashboards, automations)

• Bonus: you’ve used SQL, scripting, or built real operational automations

You can do both Build + Run

• You’re comfortable owning contracts, payroll coordination, compliance, and admin details

• But you also step back and design scalable infrastructure

• You’re not “process-first” — you build only what is needed

You’re strong on French labor law

• Deep knowledge of French employment law and compliance

• Experience in fast-moving environments where execution matters

• You manage risk pragmatically, without making HR a fear-driven function

You’re international and concise

• Fluent English is non-negotiable (daily work with US teams)

• You communicate clearly, directly, and with structure

Why Join

• Build the People function from zero in a high-growth AI company

• Work with a deeply technical, ambitious, product-led team

• High autonomy, high impact, high standards

• Competitive compensation + meaningful equity