People Operations Manager

Location: Remote (bonus points for being nearby either Philadelphia or DC Metro regions, but open to anywhere)

Help Build the Future of Home Services

Birdwatch is on a mission to revolutionize home maintenance. We’re a venture-backed public benefit corporation, blending deep care for people with cutting-edge technology to redefine what homeowners expect from service providers. Now, we’re seeking our first full-time leader within HR / People Operations to lay the foundation for our growing team and ensure our culture and operations scale as we expand across markets.

This is a unique opportunity to lead and shape the entire HR function at a fast-growing, early-stage startup spanning both white-collar and blue-collar teams. We’re not looking for perfection—we’re looking for someone with curiosity, grit, and the drive to build on the foundation we’ve laid.

You’ll have the chance to design scalable systems, influence company culture, and bring our people-first values to life. You’ll report directly to the CEO/co-founder, so you’ll have front lines involvement in the strategic and growth work of the entire organization. If you thrive in fast-paced environments, take initiative naturally, and love turning ideas into action, this could be the next exciting chapter in your career.

Performance Objectives: What You’ll Accomplish in This Role

1. Build & Execute a People Strategy that can carry us from 30 to 100 team members

Establish and execute an HR roadmap that supports Birdwatch’s growth, ensuring we remain an exceptional place to work for employees across functions, roles, and geographies.
Design and implement best-in-class HR processes for hiring, onboarding, performance management, and professional development, including setting KPIs and measurement tools.
Maintain a deep understanding of both white-collar and blue-collar employment environments, including compliance with U.S. labor laws, benefits structures, and hourly/salaried workforce dynamics.

2. Bolster Compliance & Operations for a Distributed Workforce

Manage payroll
Ensure legal and regulatory compliance across multiple states and countries as we expand.
Manage benefits, worker’s compensation, and other HR functions that impact both salaried and hourly employees.
Design scalable systems that support our growth into new markets without losing operational effectiveness (i.e. remote oversight)

3. Develop & Optimize HR Infrastructure

Ensure our HR systems (Rippling, Remote.com, Notion, etc.) are optimized to streamline processes and improve employee experience.
Implement policies that balance compliance, company culture, and employee engagement.
Stay ahead of trends in HR technology and AI to enhance efficiency and impact.

4. Own Recruiting & Talent Acquisition for the near-term

Partner with hiring managers to design and drive a recruiting strategy that attracts top talent across technical, operational, and field roles. CEO is a huge Lou Adler / Performance-based hiring fan to drive high-trajectory team capacity, so familiarity with those principles is beneficial (but can be learned)
Build an efficient hiring funnel using data-driven decision-making and technology to streamline candidate evaluation and selection.
Story-telling talent magnet! Further develop a compelling employer brand that positions Birdwatch as a top destination for talent in both home services and startup communities.
Note: we understand recruiting is a specific skillset and role type within the HR portfolio, so as growth picks up, we'll look to your lead to determine whether we bolster recruiting with third party, part-time, or full-time support in this area

5. Foster a Culture of Growth & Inclusion

Lead initiatives that promote engagement, retention, and a values-driven culture that aligns with our mission.
Develop feedback loops and performance management structures to empower employees to grow and contribute at their highest potential.
Champion efforts to ensure our processes and team composition are differentiated from the traditional biases & shortcomings of our industry

Of note: we usually like a lot more SMART goals in our performance profiles, but because this is a formative role, you'll play a critical hand in setting those quantifiable targets as part of our initial work together.

What Success Looks Like in This Role

Within 30 days, you’ve assessed our HR systems, hiring workflows, compliance environment, and resources, and established strong relationships across the organization. You’ll present the plan of attack to leadership, including benchmarks, appropriate KPIs, etc. We’ll also be selecting new benefits regimes for the end of the year, so beginning those broker discussions.

Within 100 days, you’ve implemented the highest priorities of the HR roadmap to enhance our people experience, recruiting funnel, and compliance processes. Measurement systems are in place for monitoring and reporting.

By end of 2025, Birdwatch has a fully operational and proactive HR function, supporting a rapidly growing, engaged, and high-performing team that is adding new geographic regions.

Why You’ll Be a Great Fit

HR knowledge - you have at least five years of experience working across various disciplines of HR, including: operations, recruiting, compliance, etc.

A Builder – you thrive in creating systems and processes from scratch, you can bob & weave to bring structure to chaos, and you leverage technology and data to scale impact.

Resourceful & proactive – you drive the agenda: you don’t wait for answers; you find them, solve problems, and take ownership.

Experience with both white- and blue-collar workforces – you understand the nuances of engaging and managing people across these environments.

Experience with distributed workforces – you know how to overcome the challenges of effectively leading people operations from afar.

Culture-driven – you believe in mission-aligned work and know that strong people operations (especially in our line of work!) fuel business success.

A strategic doer – you balance long-term vision with hands-on execution.

Integrity-first – you’re uncompromising when it comes to ethical leadership and trust-building.

How We Will Support You

At Birdwatch, you’ll be part of a mission-driven, fast-growing company that’s revolutionizing the home services industry. We’re not just building a business—we’re reimagining what’s possible in a space full of potential.

Our leadership team understands that HR and People Ops aren’t just support functions—they’re strategic investments in our long-term success. You’ll have a seat at the table and the backing to build systems that truly put people first. You’ll collaborate with a talented, passionate team that values culture, teamwork, and excellence, offering you a unique opportunity to leave a lasting impact on an entire industry.

In addition to benefits and equity, the estimated salary range for this position is $83,000 to $100,000. The salary provided is a good faith estimate representative of all experience levels. For our ideal candidate, the reality is that you could make more cash comp elsewhere. Our pitch is that the impact and learning you will have will be more fulfilling than your other options and will be an accelerant in your career, plus there will be meaningful equity comp in your offer.

We are committed to supporting the mental and physical well-being of our team so they can thrive personally and professionally through a variety of programs and benefits, including:

Early stage equity

Flexible work environment

Paid time off

Medical, dental, vision and other benefits

Access to 401(K) this year

If you’re excited about building a best-in-class HR function and helping people thrive in a high-growth, high-impact startup, we’d love to hear from you! Apply now and let’s build something great together.