People Business Partner
Who We Are
Lightning AI is the company reimagining the way AI is built. After creating and releasing PyTorch Lightning in 2019, Lightning AI was launched to reshape the development of artificial intelligence products for commercial and academic use.
We are on a mission to simplify AI development, making it accessible to everyone—from solo researchers to large enterprises. By removing the complexity of building and deploying AI tools, we empower innovators to focus on solving real-world problems. Our platform is built to scale with the latest AI advancements while staying intuitive and adaptable, so you can bring your ideas to life.
We have offices in New York City, Palo Alto, and London and are backed by investors such as Coatue, Index Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, and Firstminute.
- Move Fast: We act with speed and precision, breaking down big challenges into achievable steps.
- Focus: We complete one goal at a time with care, collaborating as a team to deliver features with precision.
- Balance: Sustained performance comes from rest and recovery. We ensure a healthy work-life balance to keep you at your best.
- Craftsmanship: Innovation through excellence. Every detail matters, and we take pride in mastering our craft.
- Minimal: Simplicity drives our innovation. We eliminate complexity through discipline and focus on what truly matters.
What We're Looking For:
As the People Business Partner, you will be responsible for overseeing all HR functions within the organization, including compliance, benefits, performance management, and ongoing career development. This is a key role where you’ll have the opportunity to make a significant impact on the company’s culture and development. You’ll work closely with leadership and individual contributors alike to build and enhance HR processes that align with our values and support the development of our team.
You will be joining the People Team and report to our CEO & Founder. This is a hybrid role based in our New York City office, with in-office requirements of 2 days per week. The salary range for this role is $120,000-$160,000.
What You’ll Do:
- Oversee and lead all aspects of employee relations, policy development, compliance, and benefits administration for a global workforce.
- Ensure adherence to federal, state, and local labor laws, regulations, and industry best practices.
- Handle day-to-day HR operational tasks, including benefits troubleshooting and employee inquiries.
- Lead and implement HR policies and processes, including onboarding, offboarding, compensation, and performance management.
- Work with EORs and other vendors to manage international employees.
- Experience managing and optimizing HRIS systems to ensure accurate employee data and records.
- Comfortable creating reports and analyzing data to make strategic recommendations.
- Partner with leadership to build and execute a performance management process effectively, providing guidance and direction around compensation, leveling and career development.
- Coach leadership on performance management, employee relations and employee development.
- Experience working with leadership and executives to make sound recommendations around employee development and performance management.
- Support recruitment efforts, ensuring a smooth and welcoming onboarding experience.
- Develop retention strategies to ensure top talent remains engaged and grows within the organization.
What You’ll Need:
- 5-8 years of experience in HR, with a solid background as an HR generalist or People Operations Manager in a startup or high-growth environment.
- Strong experience supporting Engineering and technical roles, with AI and ML familiarity a plus.
- Strong knowledge of HR compliance, benefits administration, and employment law (familiarity with NYC and CA -specific regulations a plus).
- Proven experience in performance management, career development, and organizational development.
- Ability to both manage high-level strategic HR initiatives and dive into the weeds on tactical issues as needed.
- Demonstrated ability to build and implement HR systems and processes from scratch.
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to connect with employees at all levels.
- 3+ years of experience partnering with engineering, product, and technical teams.
Benefits and Perks
We offer competitive base salaries and stock options with a 25% one year cliff and monthly vesting thereafter. For our international employees, we work with Velocity Global to pay you in your local currency and provide equitable benefits across the globe.
In the US, we offer:
- Medical, dental and vision
- Life and AD&D insurance
- Flexible paid time off plus 1 week of winter closure
- Generous paid family leave benefits
- $500 monthly meal reimbursement, including groceries & food delivery services
- $1,000 home office stipend
- $1,000 annual learning & development stipend
- 100% Citibike membership (NYC only)
- $45/month gym membership
- Additional various medical and mental health services
At Lightning AI, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We believe that diverse teams drive innovation and create better products. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We are dedicated to building a culture where everyone can thrive and contribute to their fullest potential.