People Operations Lead

About the role

Arena Intelligence is seeking an experienced People Operations Lead to design and scale HR programs, including onboarding, performance, and compensation, while acting as an HR business partner to leadership. The role involves building lightweight processes, advising on org design and employee relations, driving culture initiatives, managing compliance, and proactively addressing people infrastructure gaps, all within a fast-moving startup environment.

You'll work closely with leadership to create systems that scale, guide managers through critical people decisions, and shape the employee experience from the ground up. Reporting to the Head of People, you'll be a key partner in building a thoughtful, high-performing organization.

Success in this role requires someone who can move comfortably between strategic initiatives and hands-on execution, bringing structure where it's needed without creating unnecessary process. If you're energized by building, enjoy solving people challenges in real time, and want meaningful ownership over how a company grows, we'd love to connect.

Responsibilities

• Build and evolve foundational programs including onboarding, performance management, compensation, career development, and other initiatives that support company growth.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to leaders, providing guidance on team effectiveness, organizational design, employee relations, and people decisions.
• Create lightweight systems and processes that improve consistency while preserving speed and flexibility.
• Help shape an environment where employees can do their best work, driving initiatives that strengthen engagement, communication, and team health.
• Ensure the fundamentals are operating smoothly, from policies and documentation to compliance and employee lifecycle management.
• Partner with leadership on headcount planning, organizational structure, and evolving team needs.
• Identify gaps before they become bottlenecks, building the frameworks and tools needed to support a growing organization.

Requirements

• 6+ years of experience building People programs in an early-stage or high-growth environment where adaptability and execution mattered as much as expertise.
• Strong HR business partnering skills and the ability to translate business goals into practical people strategies.
• Sound judgment when navigating sensitive employee situations, balancing empathy with accountability.
• A builder's mindset. Enjoy creating systems from scratch and improving them as the organization evolves.
• Comfort operating in ambiguity and making progress without waiting for perfect information.
• A practical approach to People Operations that focuses on outcomes rather than process for process's sake.

Qualifications

• Familiarity with modern AI tools and a curiosity about how technology can improve internal workflows is a plus.