People Operations & Payroll Manager (Contract)

About Us

Butlr is on a mission to make the built environment people-aware. We live and work in houses and buildings that aren't aware of their inhabitants. We heat and cool spaces when no one is in them, clean areas that haven't been used, and lease office space that no one is using. Our vision is to enable smarter buildings and increase the quality of life while respecting privacy. 

Spun out of the MIT Media Lab in 2019 with offices in Silicon Valley and Boston, Butlr was founded by Forbes 30 Under 30 entrepreneurs Honghao Deng and Jiani Zeng. Butlr pioneers in space occupancy and people sensing technologies and delivers rich spatial intelligence for workplace, retail, and healthcare use cases. We help customers revolutionize the way they operate in human-centric environments, ensuring efficiency and productivity at every step.

We are backed by top venture capital institutions and strategic investors such as Foundry Group, Tiger Global, Qualcomm Ventures, E14 Fund, and Carrier, among others. We are recognized as one of Fast Company's "2024 Most Innovative Companies", Inc. Magazine's "2023 Best in Business'' (AI & Data Category), World Economic Forum's Top Innovator in YES San Francisco Challenge, among other awards/recognitions. We operate with top occupiers, landlords, care facilities, and service providers in North America, Europe, and Asia. We pride ourselves in providing exceptional solutions and service to numerous prestigious customers, tech giants, and world's largest conglomerates and brands.

We are hiring talented and passionate people to join our team to help us continue our rapid growth. 

About the Role:

We are seeking a detail-oriented People Operations & Payroll Manager (Contract) to be based out of our Burlingame headquarters. You’ll play a critical role in supporting our team members, managing payroll, and ensuring operations are efficient, compliant, and aligned with company goals. This is an exciting opportunity for someone looking to build their skillset across the full spectrum of HR while making a meaningful impact in high-priority areas.

As the sole People team member in our Burlingame office, the ideal candidate thrives working independently, takes initiative, and is motivated by the opportunity to build and improve systems from the ground up.

Responsibilities:

Payroll & Benefits

• Process accurate bi-monthly payroll for 50-100 employees —keeping data clean, deductions accurate, and timelines on track
• Provide ongoing customer support to employees and resolve issues/questions relating to payroll
• Assist with tax reconciliations, preparation of year-end, worker’s compensation and retirement plan audits
• Partner with Finance to reconcile payroll data and ensure alignment with accounting and budget tracking
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of payroll laws and benefit regulations across applicable states
• Partner with our benefits broker to ensure precision in our enrollments and manage benefits throughout the year

People Operations

• Provide day-to-day support across key HR functions, including onboarding, offboarding, HRIS updates, and employee lifecycle changes
• Act as main point of contact for leaders and employees on all HR matters
• Engage with leaders to support employee relations concerns and escalate to Senior Leadership as needed
• Maintain accurate employee data across all systems and help ensure data integrity, reporting, and compliance with local, multi-state, and federal requirements. Review policies and practices to maintain compliance, including documentation and related processes and reporting
• Support and scale ongoing initiatives by working closely with external vendors, including annual benefits enrollment
• Participate in ad hoc HR projects that support team efficiency, culture initiatives, and organizational effectiveness
• Lead various employee engagement initiatives. Offer solutions and identify initiatives that improve the employee engagement culture
• Support performance management processes, such as goal tracking, review cycle coordination, and documentation of performance outcomes
• Maintain HR documentation and SOPs to ensure knowledge is captured and processes are scalable

Onboarding and Interview Support

• Support our HQ with scheduling, internal meeting logistics, and occasional administrative support
• Coordinate onboarding logistics for in-office employees, including equipment, seating, and welcome kits

Requirements:

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with a focus on providing great customer service to employees  
• Takes initiative 
• A great project planner who can take projects from ideation to completion
• Ability to run payroll independently
• A bachelor's degree and at least 2 years of HR experience
• Experience with HRIS and payroll systems; BambooHR experience a plus
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and professionalism
• Comfort with ambiguity and evolving priorities in a fast-paced startup environment

Rate:  $50-$70 per hour, 20-25 hours per week

Location:  Hybrid, Burlingame, CA

Why working at Butlr is great!

We are building a culture that puts people first! We’re a team of engaging, motivated, and intelligent problem-solvers who are committed to making an impact. We believe in fostering a culture of healthy work-life balance, and we encourage an inviting, collaborative, fun work environment.

Butlr is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We encourage applicants of all backgrounds to apply!

Disclaimers

Butlr provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.