People Operations Generalist

About us

Our mission is to reinvent the way people learn, starting with language. We begin by teaching the next billion people English, Spanish, and French.

English is the global language of business, culture, and communication, and over 1.5 billion people around the world are actively trying to learn right now. Others dream of communicating with the half-billion native Spanish speakers across the globe. The problem is that it's nearly impossible to learn to speak a language without constant access to a speaking partner. Grammar and vocab apps don't really help – you need to actually converse with someone.

Speak is on a journey to fix this. We're creating an AI-powered experience that replicates the flow of a conversation, without needing a human on the other end. The goal is to make it radically more accessible to be able to have conversations in a foreign language and eventually help hundreds of millions of people gain fluency who otherwise wouldn't be able to.

We started on this journey over five years ago and we've still got a long ways to go. We're thoughtfully adding new team members only when we think they can truly play a big role in our mission.

Speak launched first in South Korea where we have quickly grown to become the top grossing education app in the country. We have now delivered this winning product to more than 30 countries globally and are continuing to expand to more markets in the coming months. The company is well funded, raising a recent Series B backed by investors like OpenAI, Founders Fund, Y Combinator, Khosla Ventures, Lachy Groom, Josh Buckley, and others. We’re a team of 75 based primarily in SF, Seoul, Tokyo, and Ljubljana.

About this role

We’re steadily growing across our SF headquarters and global locations and that includes growing our People Operations function. We’re looking for a team player who is ready to roll up their sleeves to support and build a best-in-class workplace – no task is too small. As our first People Ops Generalist, you’ll cover a wide range of areas within People Operations including compliance, immigration, office operations, benefits administration, and engagement surveys. You’re a project owner who strives for continuous process improvement and is passionate about championing the team and business. You’ll work closely with the global People Ops Lead to refine and scale people operations programs and processes in order to foster a high-performing, inclusive workplace culture that aligns with our values and supports our strategic goals.

Speak has a strong in-office culture and our hub-based employees work from the office three days a week.

What you’ll be doing

• You’ll own all aspects of maintaining employee data throughout the full employee life cycle, identifying opportunities for automation through HR technology;
• You’ll support our benefits & perks program, including running annual Open Enrollment;
• You'll manage our immigration and visa cases;
• You’ll own office logistics for our HQ such as mail management, food & supply deliveries, vendor coordination, and visitor management;
• You’ll ensure compliance with employment laws and regulations across the US and ensure our company handbook is maintained;
• You'll administer People programs and initiatives such as engagement surveys, performance review cycles, and company-wide events;
• You’ll assist in confidential employee relations matters, using a high degree of EQ and discretion to navigate sensitive situations;
• You’ll assist with other ad-hoc initiatives and events in the offices.

What we’re looking for

If you don't think you meet all of the criteria below but still are interested in the job, please apply. Nobody checks every box, and we're looking for someone excited to join the team.

• You have 3+ years of experience in people operations;
• You have strong project management skills;
• You are an effective communicator;
• You take initiative and consistently find ways to get things done efficiently;
• You have a positive attitude and adapt quickly to changing priorities and conditions;
• You’re passionate about building an inclusive, best-in-class workplace;
• You value empathy and customer service;
• You’re able and willing to work from the SF HQ three days a week;
• You share our values (see below), and work in accordance with those values as it relates to our mission and vision - and you want to be a part of our long-term growth!

Bonus points:

• You have experience with a globally distributed workforce

Why work at Speak

1. Join a fantastic, tight-knit team at the right time: we're growing very quickly, we've raised our Series B and additional extensions from some of the top investors in the valley, and we've achieved product-market fit in our initial markets. You'd join at a magical time when a single person could significantly change the course of the company.
2. Do your life's work with people you’ll love working with: we care strongly about our craft and want every person at Speak to feel like they're growing every day. We believe in the idea that working with people you both enjoy and have respect for makes everything better. We hire thoughtfully and only work with people we admire deeply.
3. Global in nature: We're live in over 40 countries and launching in a number of new markets soon. We have dedicated offices in San Francisco, Ljubljana, Seoul, and Tokyo, and you’ll have the opportunity to talk to users in each of these regions on a regular basis as well as travel.
4. Impact people's lives in a major way: Learning a language is one of the single most life-changing skills one can learn, and right now 99% of people never achieve their goal because the process is broken. We’re helping millions of people achieve their goals and improve their lives.

Speak does not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.