HR & Finance Operations Lead - EdTech Startup

# HR & Finance Operations Lead - EdTech Startup **Remote | 20–25 hours/week | $15–$20/hour | 30-day paid trial** We are a pre-seed EdTech startup and UC Berkeley SkyDeck company seeking an experienced operator to take ownership of our HR, finance, payment, and administrative operations. This is not a coordinator or task-based assistant role. We need someone experienced enough to assess our current operations, identify gaps, build reliable systems, and drive work to completion with minimal founder involvement after onboarding. ## What You’ll Own - Mentor contracts, contractor agreements, and offer letters - Onboarding, offboarding, signatures, and document collection - Payroll, invoices, reimbursements, and contractor payment coordination - HR and finance trackers, calendars, checklists, and SOPs - Consistent follow-up with founders, team members, contractors, and vendors - Daily Slack recaps and early escalation of blockers - Workflow improvements using AI and automation - Confidential employee, contractor, customer, and financial information ## A “Pleasantly Persistent” Operator Our founding team is busy, but the work must keep moving. You must be comfortable sending consistent, professional nudges, holding people accountable, and following up until every open item is completed. You should have the empathy to maintain strong relationships and the persistence to deliver projects on time. At the end of each workday, you’ll post a concise Slack recap covering: - What you completed - What comes next - Current blockers - Decisions or actions needed from leadership Urgent blockers should be raised immediately rather than saved for the daily recap. ## What We’re Looking For - Five or more years of relevant HR, finance, payroll, bookkeeping, or startup operations experience - Experience independently owning operations for a U.S.-based startup, small business, or distributed team - Professional fluency in spoken and written English - High empathy, strong ownership, resourcefulness, and keen attention to detail - Ability to solve problems without waiting for step-by-step instructions - Strong judgment about what to handle independently and what to escalate - Professional persistence when others are delaying progress - Practical experience using AI and automation to simplify workflows - Experience with—or the ability to quickly learn—Claude, Slack, Intuit QuickBooks, Google Workspace, and AI automation tools such as Viktor ## Hours and Availability This is a flexible, part-time role averaging **20–25 hours per week**, or approximately **100 hours per month**. Workload may fluctuate around payroll, payments, onboarding, contracts, and other deadlines. Some weeks may be lighter and others heavier. We care more about reliable ownership and timely outcomes than identical hours every week. Your working hours must consistently fall within one of these Pacific Time windows: - 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. PT - 12:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. PT This does not require continuous eight-hour workdays. Your exact daily schedule will be agreed upon before starting. Significant work beyond the expected weekly or monthly scope must be approved in advance. ## Compensation and Growth - **$15–$20 per hour**, based on experience - Approximately 20–25 hours per week - Initial 30-day paid trial - Long-term opportunity for the right person The initial focus is HR, finance, and internal operations. For the right candidate, the role can expand in hours, compensation, responsibility, and customer-facing work. ## How to Apply Please submit your résumé and answer both screening questions. Generic applications will not be considered. ### 1. Submit a 7–10 Minute Video Send one unedited video in English covering: - A real HR or finance workflow you personally owned, what you improved, and the result - How you followed up when founders or team members delayed progress - Your proposed 30-day takeover plan for this role - One practical example of using AI or automation to improve an operational workflow - How you ensured accuracy, human review, and confidentiality If possible, show a redacted tracker, checklist, dashboard, or procedure you personally created. Do not reveal confidential information. Speak naturally rather than reading from a script. Production quality is not important. Please do not exceed 10 minutes. ### 2. Confirm Your Fit In your proposal, confirm: - Your location - Which Pacific Time window you can consistently support - Your weekly availability and any other ongoing work commitments - Your requested hourly rate - Your earliest start date - Your willingness to begin with a 30-day paid trial - Your experience communicating with customers or external stakeholders - Your ability to provide two professional references, including one former manager, founder, or senior leader Finalists will undergo professional reference checks. Any offer will be contingent on satisfactory references.