People Ops Associate

About the Role We're looking for a People Ops Associate on a part-time contract basis, roughly 10-15 hours per week. This role reports to the Director of Finance & Business Operations and owns the day-to-day mechanics of People Operations at Pragma - the employee lifecycle, our HRIS and payroll inputs, compliance documentation, and recruiting coordination. This is a hands-on execution role. You'll be the person who makes sure a new hire's first day works, that our HRIS reflects reality, that policy acknowledgments are current, and that candidates hear back on time. Ownership, self-direction and a can-do attitude are essential - at 10-15 hours a week, we need someone who can run their own queue without being chased. There is potential to grow the engagement over time as the company scales. Responsibilities Onboarding & Offboarding Run new hire onboarding end to end: offer paperwork, background checks, I-9 verification, first-day setup, and equipment/accounts coordination with IT Maintain and improve onboarding checklists and the overall new hire experience Execute offboarding: access removal coordination, final pay and PTO payout inputs, equipment return, exit documentation Prepare employment verification letters and other routine employee documentation HRIS & Payroll Administration Own data hygiene in our HRIS (Rippling): employee records, org structure, compensation changes, status updates Prepare and QA payroll inputs for review; flag discrepancies before they hit a pay run Administer benefits enrollment, qualifying life events, and open enrollment logistics Track PTO and leave balances; support parental and family care leave administration Maintain accurate People reporting for Finance and leadership (headcount, comp, attrition) Compliance & Documentation Keep the Employee Handbook and People policies current; run policy acknowledgment cycles Maintain I-9 records, state registrations, and multi-state employment compliance items Pull and organize HR evidence for SOC 2 and annual audits (onboarding/offboarding records, access reviews, training completion) Maintain organized, access-controlled People files Recruiting Coordination Schedule interviews across time zones and keep candidates and interviewers informed Maintain ATS hygiene: pipeline stages, feedback collection, candidate status Draft and route offer letters for approval Support job posting logistics and candidate communications Requirements 2+ years in HR, People Operations, or HR administration - ideally at a startup or in a generalist seat where you touched multiple areas Hands-on experience with an HRIS/payroll platform (Rippling strongly preferred; Gusto, Justworks, TriNet or similar acceptable) Working knowledge of US multi-state employment compliance basics (I-9, state registrations, wage and hour fundamentals) Exceptional attention to detail and follow-through - this role lives in the details Self-starter who can work independently with asynchronous check-ins Strong written communication; you are the voice of People Ops to candidates and new hires Discretion with confidential employee and compensation data AI-first user and comfort with agentic workflows Able to manage and maintain multiple projects and tasks Preference for candidates working on the west coast of the US (company hours are anchored to PST) Experience supporting Canadian or international employment a plus Familiarity with SOC 2 or similar audit evidence collection a plus Engagement Details Independent contractor engagement (1099), 10-15 hours per week Remote, with some overlap required during PST business hours for payroll cycles and onboarding days Flexible scheduling otherwise $40-55 per hour, commensurate with experience Potential to expand scope or convert as the company grows Access to an incredible network in the gaming and technology industries