US HR & People Operations Lead

We are looking for a hands-on US HR & People Operations Lead to own people operations, employee relations, and compliance for our growing US team (~80 employees, fast-scaling). This role will act as the primary HR owner in the US, working closely with our China-based HR shared services team that handles payroll execution.

This is a high-impact role combining people ops, compliance, and immigration coordination, ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-growing, cross-border environment.

• Own end-to-end employee lifecycle management: onboarding, offboarding, performance management, PIPs, and terminations
• Ensure compliance with US federal, state (especially California), and local labor regulations
• Serve as the first point of contact for employee relations issues, conflict resolution, and HR escalations
• Maintain and improve HR policies, handbooks, and internal people processes

• Manage and track employee work authorization and visa status (H-1B, OPT, CPT, etc.)
• Coordinate with external immigration attorneys and vendors
• Proactively manage visa timelines, renewals, and risk flags
• Support employees and managers with immigration-related questions and guidance

• Act as the single point of contact with the China-based HR/payroll team
• Ensure accurate and timely payroll inputs, employee data updates, and exception handling
• Own headcount tracking, payroll-related data accuracy, and monthly reconciliation
• Design and execute onboarding and HR-related training programs
• Support manager training on performance management, feedback, and compliance basics
• Continuously improve people's processes to support scale and organizational maturity

• 3-5+ years of HR / People Operations experience in the US
• Strong knowledge of US employment law;
  California experience is a big plus
• Hands-on experience managing employee relations and compliance issues
• Experience working with immigration cases (H-1B / OPT / CPT) preferred
• Comfortable working cross-functionally and cross-culturally with global teams
• Highly organized, proactive, and able to operate independently in a fast-paced environment