Head of People Operations
Heron Power · On-site
MeritLog read this listing from Heron Power's Ashby job board and last checked it on September 12, 2026.
Source: the employer's Ashby job board. Open the original listing for current details.
Job details
- Work model
- On-site
- Salary
- $195,000 – $251,000 per year
- Location
- Scotts Valley
Hiring context
How this role compares at Heron Power
Heron Power has 45 live roles in MeritLog’s catalog across 6 job families, and 3 of them are in operations. 25 of those listings publish a pay range, a disclosure rate of 56%.
This role's posted range of $195,000 – $251,000 per year sits above 100% of the 20 other Heron Power roles quoted over the same currency and period.
Counted across the job boards MeritLog tracks, at the time this page was served. Pay comparisons use only listings that publish a complete range in the same currency and period.
What the role asks for
What they're asking for
- Prior experience as the first or early HR hire at a Series A–C companySkillPreferred
- Experience supporting a scaling manufacturing, warehouse or hourly workforceSkillPreferred
- PHR, SPHR, or SHRM-CP/SCP certificationCredentialPreferred
Parsed by MeritLog from the employer’s own posting. The full description follows below.
Job description
WHAT TO EXPECT Heron Power is a startup building cutting-edge power electronics for the 21st-century grid. We aim to debottleneck the growth of electricity generation and consumption with scalable, innovative, and cost-effective hardware solutions, accelerating the electrification of everything. Our first goal is to build better converters (inverters & rectifiers) to connect large-scale renewables, storage, and loads to the grid. Heron’s leadership team is made up of seasoned veterans who have designed and shipped gigawatts of power conversion products. We believe no one person knows everything. We learn together, build together, and solve hard problems from first principles. You’ll work in a fast-moving, deeply technical environment where ownership and impact are real. JOB OVERVIEW We are seeking a Head of People Operations to serve as Heron Power’s first dedicated HR hire. Reporting to the VP of Finance & Operations, you will help build the people operations foundation for a company scaling from R&D into manufacturing. You will own HR operations, payroll administration, benefits, compliance, employee relations, and manager support, while implementing the systems and policies needed to support a growing non-exempt and hourly workforce. This is a hands-on, high impact role that will influence Heron Power’s culture for years to come. HOW YOU WILL CONTRIBUTE Employee Lifecycle - Own employee onboarding, background checks, immigration with outside counsel, I-9 verification, and new hire orientation - Manage offboarding, including final pay coordination, exit interviews, systems deprovisioning, and documentation - Coordinate performance review cycles, promotions, job changes, and salary adjustments in partnership with Finance and leadership - Support contractor onboarding, renewals, and offboarding in partnership with Legal and Finance Payroll, Benefits & Systems - Prepare payroll for salaried and hourly employees in partnership with Finance - Lead benefits evaluation, annual renewals, open enrollment, and day-to-day administration - Manage HR systems and lead necessary transitions and integrations in partnership with IT - Build scalable timekeeping, attendance, scheduling, and wage-and-hour processes ahead of manufacturing ramp HR Business Partnership & Compliance - Serve as the first point of contact for employee relations, manager coaching, performance concerns, investigations, and HR cases - Maintain the employee handbook, HR policies, required trainings, employee records, and compliance calendar - Partner with Compliance/EHS on workers’ compensation, OSHA-related processes, safety training, and injury reporting WHAT YOU WILL BRING We have a short list of must-have requirements. We prioritize a strong grip on first principles, hands-on skills, and a sense of initiative. Domain-specific knowledge and experience will help determine the career level for each hire. MUST-HAVE REQUIREMENTS - Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience - 7+ years of progressive HR / people operations experience, including senior-level responsibility at a high-growth company - Hands-on experience running payroll, including non-exempt/hourly staff - Experience owning HRIS and payroll systems, including implementations and integrations with third-party tools - Exceptional discretion, judgment, and communication skills - employees at every level trust you with sensitive matters - Strong knowledge of federal and California employment law NICE-TO-HAVES - Prior experience as the first or early HR hire at a Series A–C company - Experience supporting a scaling manufacturing, warehouse or hourly workforce - PHR, SPHR, or SHRM-CP/SCP certification If you are passionate about technology and enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, we would love to hear from you. Join us in accelerating the electrification of everything at Heron Power. Heron Power provides competitive compensation (salary and equity) and benefits. The salary for this role ranges from $195,000 to $251,000 per year.
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