AI-Powered HR Manager - Build It, Automate It, Hand It Off

AI-Powered HR Manager: Build It, Automate It, Hand It Off ----------------------------------------------------------------------- WHAT THIS IS We're a multi-location retail business and we need one sharp HR person to build our entire people operation from scratch and run it lean using AI. You'll get access to a Claude team account and the tools you need to move fast. In return, we expect you to work smarter than a traditional HR person, not harder. The hours are lower because the tools are better. The output standard is high because you'll have everything you need to meet it. Job descriptions, some policies, and KPI frameworks are already partially built. Your job is to take what exists, sharpen it, fill the gaps, automate everything you can, and deliver a system that runs with minimal intervention from anyone. We are investing in the right person and the right tools. We expect 10x the value of a traditional HR hire in half the hours. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- WHAT WE'RE GIVING YOU - Claude team account: use it for drafting, research, screening, template generation, policy writing, everything - Existing job descriptions, partial policies, and KPI frameworks to build on. You are not starting from zero - Direct owner access for fast decisions, no bureaucracy, no approval chains - A custom internal HR portal where your content lives and gets automated going forward - Clear scope, clear milestones, and clear payment triggers with no ambiguity about what done looks like ----------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ENGAGEMENT: TWO PHASES PHASE 1 - Build the Foundation + Make 5 Hires 4-6 weeks | Project-based | Milestone payments - Audit all existing job descriptions, policies, and salary ranges: benchmark against current market data, flag gaps, and finalize with owner before any offer goes out - Build and complete KPI frameworks for every role (managers and associates) so every hire knows exactly what success looks like from Day 1 - Post, source, screen, and close 5 management hires across our 3 locations (see below) - Build full HR infrastructure: employee handbook, onboarding checklists per role, offer letter templates, and compliance docs, all using AI where possible - Set up ATS with automated screening, self-book interview scheduling, and AI-assisted candidate filtering - Migrate payroll to Gusto and/or Paychex, live and running before Phase 2 starts - Feed all content into our internal HR portal so the AI layer can maintain and automate it going forward - Deliver a clean handoff guide so routine HR runs without you PHASE 2 - Run HR + Payroll Ongoing 2-4 hrs/week | Ongoing Upwork contract | Paid weekly or bi-weekly - Process weekly payroll across all locations: accurate, on time, every time, automated as far as the platform allows - Handle ongoing hiring as new roles open, staggered, not all at once - Own all employee HR questions: the owner is never the first call - Keep compliance current: local labor law updates annually and you stay ahead of them - Continuously improve and automate, always reducing manual work over time - Update HR portal content as policies and roles evolve ----------------------------------------------------------------------- PHASE 1 MILESTONES & PAYMENT SCHEDULE All Phase 1 payments are milestone-triggered. No milestone, no payment. M1 - Compensation and KPI audit complete across all roles, owner sign-off received M2 - All 5 manager job posts live, ATS configured, active pipeline running M3 - All 5 manager offers accepted, start dates set M4 - Full HR infrastructure delivered: handbook, onboarding, templates, compliance, portal content M5 - Payroll migrated, first clean payroll run complete in Gusto/Paychex Phase 2: Ongoing HR and payroll, 8-12 hrs/week ----------------------------------------------------------------------- PHASE 1 HIRING SCOPE: 5 ROLES Managers come first. Associates are hired in waves underneath them. You manage the sequencing so payroll ramps up at a pace that makes sense. Role Store Manager Assistant Store Manager Laundromat Manager (24/7 operation) Compensation for all roles is competitive. Details are available during the interview process. Your M1 deliverable includes validating and finalizing all comp ranges before any offer goes out. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- KPIs ARE A CORE DELIVERABLE Before the first hire is made, you will build out KPI frameworks for every role. We have some frameworks started. Your job is to complete them, make them measurable, and make sure every person we hire knows exactly what success looks like from Day 1. - Store managers: sales targets, shrink rate, labor cost percentage, customer satisfaction, team retention, etc - Assistant managers: shift performance, task completion, team development metrics - Location manager (24/7): uptime, cleanliness scores, incident reports, revenue per shift - Associates: productivity targets, attendance, cross-training progress These KPIs feed into our internal system and become how we manage and evaluate performance going forward. Build them right the first time and you will be responsible fully yo track these. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- HOW WE EXPECT YOU TO USE AI You'll have a Claude team account from Day 1. We expect you to use it actively. The reason the hours for this role are lean is because AI handles a significant portion of the drafting, research, and routine work. That is the deal. - Use Claude to draft job descriptions, policies, onboarding docs, offer letters, and KPI frameworks - Use AI screening tools or Claude to filter applications before you spend time on them - Use AI to research compliance updates, benchmark salaries, and generate first drafts of any HR document - Use automation wherever the payroll platform or ATS allows and document what you've automated so it stays automated - Feed everything into our internal HR portal so the AI layer can maintain it going forward If you are not comfortable using AI as a core part of your workflow, this role is not for you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR Must Have: - 3+ years HR experience in retail, hourly, or multi-location environments - Full-cycle recruiting: you have sourced, screened, and closed management and hourly roles end to end - Payroll management experience: you have run payroll, not just supported someone who did - Hands-on Gusto and/or Paychex experience - Genuine comfort with AI tools: you use them daily and you are not learning on the job here - Knowledge of local labor law in your operating jurisdiction, including wage ordinances, paid leave requirements, and scheduling laws - Ability to build HR infrastructure from scratch and hand it off clean Strong Bonus: - Experience migrating between payroll platforms - Has built KPI frameworks for hourly retail or service roles - Multi-location or franchise HR background - Experience building automated HR systems that reduced manual work measurably ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTRACT TERMS This is an Upwork contract. Here is exactly what that means: Contract Type : Upwork hourly contract, all work tracked and paid through Upwork Phase 1 : Project-based with milestone payments (see above), rate set at contract start Phase 2 : Ongoing hourly contract, 8-12 hrs/week, paid weekly or bi-weekly through Upwork Communication : Weekly check-in with owner, more frequent during Phase 1. Available for any additional meetings or calls the owner requests. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- AI TOOLS AND CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY This is a strict requirement, not a suggestion. By accepting this contract you agree to the following: AI Tools You May Use: - You will use only AI tools we provide or approve in writing. This currently means Claude via our team account, and any other tool we explicitly authorize. - You may not use personal AI accounts, free-tier tools, or any external AI platform to process, draft, or analyze any of our HR data, employee information, or business content. - All AI usage must happen within our provided accounts and systems so data stays within our environment at all times. - If you want to use a tool not on our approved list, you ask first. No exceptions. Confidentiality: - Everything you access, create, or learn in this role is strictly confidential: employee records, compensation data, business operations, HR policies, KPIs, candidate information, and all other business information. - You may not share, export, copy, or use any of our data, documents, or systems outside the scope of this contract and our approved tools. - All work product created under this contract belongs to us. You retain no rights to any documents, templates, systems, or processes you build. - You may not use our business information, processes, or data to benefit any other client, employer, or personal project, during or after this engagement. - Upon contract end, all access is revoked immediately. Any copies of our data or documents in your possession must be deleted and confirmed in writing. Violation of any of the above is grounds for immediate contract termination and may result in legal action. This is standard for any serious HR engagement. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- HOW TO APPLY In your Upwork proposal, answer these three questions. Keep each answer to 3-5 sentences. We are looking for substance, not length. 1. Tell us about one HR system you built from scratch. What did it include, how did you use AI in building it, and what does it look like today? 2. How have you used AI tools specifically in HR or payroll work? Give one concrete example with a real outcome. 3. Describe a payroll migration or complex payroll situation you owned end to end. What platform, how many employees, and what was hard about it? Proposals without clear answers to all three will not be reviewed. Generic cover letters will be skipped. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- We are an equal opportunity employer. This is an independent contractor engagement via Upwork. All applicable local, state, and federal labor law compliance is a core responsibility of this role.