Associate, People & Operations

About ARI Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization advocating for artificial intelligence policy in the public interest. We believe in establishing a thoughtful governance framework for rapidly advancing AI technology that protects the public from harm while continuing to foster innovation. ARI takes a bipartisan approach, building coalitions across the political spectrum. ARI has an affiliated organization, the Center for Responsible Innovation (CRI), a 501(c)(3), focused on promoting responsible innovation through conducting AI policy research and providing nonpartisan educational programming. Department Description The Operations Department owns the infrastructure that ARI is built on: finance, risk & compliance, IT, people operations, administration, workplace, and strategic planning. Over the past two years, the department has grown ARI from a handful of staff to 35+ today (with more growth to come) while building the systems from scratch to keep pace. The Operations Department works in a high-trust environment, with broad responsibilities and room to grow into more self-directed work designing forward-looking systems meant to scale in a rapidly growing organization. The Operations Department is hiring two associates to start this fall. This posting is for the Associate, People & Operations. The companion role, the Associate, Office & Operations, focuses on workplace, IT, and finance support, and its posting is available here . About the Role Reporting to the Associate Director of People Operations, the Associate, People & Operations supports the employee lifecycle at ARI and organizational compliance for ARI and CRI. This is a hands-on, people-facing, systems-heavy role for someone who wants to build a career in people operations and learn how the function works from the inside. As the organization grows, the role will grow with it, with the opportunity to take on greater ownership over time. Key responsibilities include but are not limited to: People Operations (~60%) Serve as the first point of contact for employee questions on PTO, benefits, payroll, and policies, and route employee relations matters to the Associate Director. Coordinate hiring in Greenhouse, from posting through reference checks, and own candidate communications. Run onboarding and offboarding end-to-end for employees, interns, and contractors, from I-9 and benefits enrollment through final pay and records retention. Prepare employment documentation from approved templates, including offer letters and verification letters. Support payroll in Rippling, including cycle changes, stipends, and timekeeping for nonexempt employees. Administer benefits and leave day-to-day, and maintain data integrity in Rippling and Employee Navigator. Escalate leave requests involving accommodations or medical documentation to the Associate Director. Analyze and maintain the people data that ARI runs on, such as headcount, attrition, and hiring metrics. Support the logistics of people processes and systems, as well as other change management initiatives led by Operations. Support the development and implementation of new policies, processes, and systems. Organizational Compliance (~25%) Own compliance tracking to ensure that ARI and CRI file required documents on time. Prepare state registrations and ongoing filings for review wherever ARI has employees, including payroll tax, unemployment insurance, and workers’ compensation. Support annual corporate filings, charitable registrations, registered-agent renewals, and insurance renewals, including document collection and application preparation. Support benefits compliance, including timely COBRA notices. Conduct I-9 audits, maintain required postings, track handbook acknowledgments, and track completion of required training. Collect documents and signatures from internal and external parties ahead of deadlines. Operations & Ad Hoc Projects (~15%) Cross-train with the Associate, Office & Operations on first-line IT, device provisioning, and workplace operations, and provide backup coverage during absences and peak periods; train them in turn on onboarding, offboarding, and the people systems. Suggest, develop, and execute refined processes and systems to ensure a continuously better experience at ARI. Provide operational support for select internal and external events, including venue research, reception, and logistics. Take on strategic, logistical, or administrative projects as assigned and needed. Our Ideal Candidate We’re looking for someone who demonstrates: Integrity: you handle confidential and personally identifiable information with discretion and impartiality. A service mindset grounded in empathy: you notice what people need before they ask, consider the impact of decisions on multiple stakeholders, and take pride in a workplace that runs well. High standards in execution: you take pride in the quality of your work, continuously improve processes rather than reinventing each cycle, and maintain a high level of attention to detail even in dense spreadsheets. Proactive communication: you keep stakeholders informed, acknowledge requests promptly, clarify timelines as needed, and anticipate questions before they’re asked. Adaptability: you can balance focused work with unexpected interruptions, shift priorities when needed, and come back to keep your original task moving. Continuous growth: you seek and give feedback freely, share perspectives openly, and are curious about operations as a career path. Qualifications 1+ year of experience in HR, operations, administration, or a comparable role. Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities across multiple stakeholders in a fast-paced environment. Proficiency with Google Workspace and LLMs, and comfort learning new systems quickly. Ability to work in person in our Washington, DC office Tuesday–Thursday. Compensation, Benefits, and Location This is a full-time position based in Washington, DC. Relocation assistance may be available. ARI maintains a flexible hybrid work schedule, with in-person work Tuesday–Thursday and remote work on Monday and Friday. The salary range for this role is $80,000 to $95,000, commensurate with experience. ARI offers a comprehensive benefits package, including: Medical, dental, and vision insurance: 85% of premiums are covered for employees, partners, and dependents. Discretionary PTO and ~20 office holidays, including all federal holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. 401(k) Retirement Plan with 6% Employer Match. Professional Development Stipend: up to $2,500 annually to be used toward building new knowledge and skills. Flexible Spending Accounts: Dependent Care FSA, Medical FSA, Transit FSA, and Parking FSA. Basic Life, Basic AD&D, Short-Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability: 100% employer-paid, with the option to elect employee-paid supplemental coverage. Wellness Benefit: $150/month taxable stipend to support physical and mental well-being. Internet & Utilities Reimbursement: $150/month taxable stipend to cover internet and utilities expenses from remote work. Home Office Expenses for New Employees: up to $500 for all new full-time employees for home office setup expenses. How to Apply To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter. The priority deadline for this role is October 6. Application Materials Resume. Cover letter, which includes an answer to why you are interested in joining ARI as part of the Operations Department. Application Process We plan to use the following steps for this hiring process. We are aiming for the person in this role to start in November. Application Review: Our team will review submitted applications and decide whom to advance to the next step of the process. Initial Interview: Virtual 1:1 conversation with the Associate Director of People Operations. Hiring Exercise: A roughly 3-hour hiring exercise. Candidates who submit an exercise will be compensated for their time. Panel & Final Interview: In-person panel interview at our office, followed by a 1:1 interview with the Vice President of Operations. Reference Checks: We’ll ask for references from the top candidate(s) to help us confirm and/or make a final decision. Due to the anticipated volume of applications, we may not be able to respond to every applicant in a timely manner. We apologize in advance for any communication delays. Americans for Responsible Innovation is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, national origin, marital status, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, personal appearance, family responsibilities, political affiliation, or protected veteran status. Non-Employee Referral Bonus Know a great fit for any of the roles we’re hiring for? We value your network and will reward non-employees for successful referrals to help us attract and hire the very best talent to advance our mission. If you refer a candidate who receives and accepts our offer, you’ll receive a referral bonus of $3,000 for any role at the Director or Vice President level, and $1,500 for all other positions. To qualify: The candidate must list your name as the referral source in the application. The candidate must receive and accept the offer. The candidate must start and remain employed with us for at least 30 days. To participate in this program, you must be a legal resident of the United States. If the referral is successfully hired by ARI, an ARI representative will contact you to obtain the required documents (e.g., W-9) to receive the referral bonus. The bonus will be paid within 60 days after the candidate has completed the required 30-day tenure period and the required documents have been submitted. Pay Range $80,000 — $95,000 USD Americans for Responsible Innovation is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, national origin, marital status, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, personal appearance, family responsibilities, political affiliation, or protected veteran status.