People Strategy & Operations Lead - Contract

From Fivetran’s founding until now, our mission has remained the same: to make access to data as simple and reliable as electricity. With Fivetran, customer data arrives in their warehouses, canonical and ready to query, with no engineering or maintenance required. We’re proud that more organizations continue to leverage our technology every day to become truly data-driven. About the Role We’re looking for a People Strategy & Operations leader to drive execution, alignment, and evolution across our most important People initiatives. This role is a mix of operator, strategist, and builder—someone who can take ambiguous priorities and turn them into clear plans, scalable systems, and measurable outcomes. You’ll partner closely with the VP, Employee Experience and the People Leadership team to set direction, drive alignment, and deliver results. A core part of this role is leading AI and automation adoption across the People function—identifying where technology can improve how we operate and scaling those solutions across the organization. This role is highly cross-functional and high-impact, with visibility across leadership and direct collaboration with the Chief People Officer. This is an initial 12 month/40 hours per week contract, hybrid position based out of our Oakland, CA office. Our hybrid work model offers a blend of remote flexibility and in-person collaboration, including two days in the office each week to connect and build as a team. Technologies You’ll Use gSuite (mail, docs, slides, sheets, etc) Workday (Peakon experience a bonus) AI tools (chatgpt, claude) Slab (wiki) experience a bonus What You’ll Do Lead People transformation and AI strategy Own and drive the roadmap for AI-enabled People operations. Identify opportunities to simplify, automate, and improve core HR processes. Partner with HR, IT, and Analytics to test, implement, and scale solutions that increase efficiency and improve employee experience. Drive high-impact People programs Lead end-to-end execution of complex, cross-functional initiatives. Set direction, align stakeholders, manage dependencies, and deliver outcomes on time. Focus on work that moves the business forward. Run People operations with rigor Translate strategy into clear plans, operating cadences, and decision frameworks. Build the systems that keep teams aligned and accountable—OKRs, QBRs, reporting, and planning processes. Own internal communications Ensure People initiatives are clearly communicated and well understood. Build simple, consistent messaging that scales. Help leaders communicate changes—especially around transformation and AI—in a way that lands. Manage the People portfolio Maintain a clear view of priorities, progress, risks, and trade-offs across initiatives. Create visibility for leadership and drive decisions when things get off track. Support leadership decision-making Bring structure to ambiguity. Synthesize inputs, identify patterns, and recommend next steps. Build clear, concise materials that help leaders make decisions quickly. Build scalable systems and processes Identify friction in how we work and fix it. Use automation, AI, and better workflows to improve speed, clarity, and efficiency. Focus on solutions that scale. Partner across the business Work closely with teams across HR, Legal, IT, Analytics, and leadership. Drive alignment, navigate trade-offs, and keep work moving forward. Skills We’re Looking For 6+ years in program management, operations, employee experience, or similar roles Experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives Experience driving or supporting transformation, automation, or AI adoption Strong internal communications skills—clear, concise, and audience-aware Proven ability to build scalable processes and operating cadences Strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills Experience working with senior leaders and influencing without authority Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment Bonus Skill