Fractional People & Business Operations Partner

WHO WE ARE

Pinata is a platform for building, deploying, and managing AI agents without the complexity of managing infrastructure. We make it easy for developers and teams to launch production-ready agents with hosted environments, built-in tools, integrations, and persistent workspaces. From individual builders to growing startups, our customers rely on Pinata Agents to automate workflows, connect AI to real-world systems, and scale intelligent applications with confidence.

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THE ROLE

We’re looking for a
Fractional People & Business Operations Partner

to maintain and evolve the operational foundation of a remote-first startup. This person will own day-to-day people operations, benefits administration, vendor and finance operations, compliance, and cross-functional projects while serving as a trusted operational partner to the founders.

This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced startup operator who enjoys building efficient systems, supporting distributed teams, and helping founders stay focused on the highest-leverage work.

Unlike many startup operations roles, the foundational processes, systems, vendors, and workflows are already in place. The focus of this role is to own, maintain, improve, and scale those functions as the business evolves, ensuring operational excellence without requiring a full-time People & Operations leader.

This role is best suited for someone who has previously led People Operations, Business Operations, or People & Operations functions at an early-stage startup and is now seeking a flexible, fractional engagement.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

This role is approximately:

• 40% People Operations
• 40% Business Operations
• 20% Founder Support & Special Projects

People Operations

• Manage employee onboarding and offboarding processes
• Serve as the primary point of contact for people-related matters
• Administer employee benefits programs and coordinate annual open enrollment
• Manage leave administration and employee accommodations as needed
• Coordinate payroll reviews and timecard approvals through the company's PEO
• Process semi-monthly 401(k) contributions
• Ensure ongoing HR compliance and maintain employee documentation
• Partner with founders on employee relations matters and performance-related situations
• Support occasional employee investigations or sensitive people matters when required
• Coordinate with PEO and EOR providers to support domestic employees and international contractors
• Monitor compensation trends and provide compensation benchmarking recommendations as needed

Business Operations

• Own vendor management, contract tracking, and renewal processes
• Coordinate annual business insurance renewals and related compliance requirements
• Process invoices and prepare documentation for accounting partners
• Review employee expenses and ensure proper coding and documentation
• Reconcile accounts and partner closely with external accountants
• Support quarterly and annual financial reporting processes
• Coordinate operational compliance activities and maintain key business records
• Maintain and improve operational systems, workflows, and documentation
• Identify opportunities to increase efficiency and reduce operational friction across the business

Founder Support & Special Projects

• Serve as a trusted operational partner to the founders
• Drive cross-functional projects from planning through execution
• Coordinate follow-up and accountability across operational initiatives
• Gather company metrics and operational updates for leadership reviews
• Help prepare board meeting materials and monthly board reporting
• Draft and coordinate company-wide communications
• Lead or support special projects that improve company operations, employee experience, or organizational effectiveness

Note:

Recruiting is not a core responsibility of this role and may be handled through external recruiting partners.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

Required Experience

• Hybrid in Omaha, NE or Lincoln, NE with ability to come into the office a few times per month
• Experience leading or owning both People Operations and Business Operations
• Experience working at Seed through Series B startups
• Experience supporting organizations with approximately 10–50 employees
• Experience working in remote-first or distributed organizations
• Demonstrated ability to operate independently with minimal oversight
• Strong judgment and ability to handle confidential employee and company information
• Experience managing external vendors and business partners
• Experience supporting founders and senior leadership teams
• Experience partnering with external accounting, legal, compliance, and HR providers

Preferred Experience

• Former Head of People, Head of Operations, People & Operations Lead, Business Operations Lead, Chief of Staff, or similar role
• Experience working with PEOs such as Justworks, Rippling, TriNet, or similar platforms
• Experience working with EOR providers such as Remote, Oyster, Deel, Rippling, or similar platforms
• Familiarity with startup finance operations, budgeting processes, and financial reporting coordination
• Experience supporting board reporting and executive planning processes
• Experience navigating employee relations matters and organizational change

Success in This Role

The ideal person for this role is a proactive operator who can independently manage a startup's day-to-day operations while identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.

You bring a combination of people, business, and operational expertise, allowing founders to focus on company strategy, customers, and growth while knowing the company's operational foundation is running smoothly.