Manager, People Operations at Aiven36

There are two things that you might have heard about: that Aiven is a data platform, and how AI is taking over the world. Well, Aiven is actually building the infrastructure that makes building agents or AI applications for production use cases not only possible but, most importantly, simple. We aren't just a passenger in this new world—we are building the engine. From our humble beginnings in Finland back in 2015, we’ve now grown to over 400 people across 17 countries, achieving Centaur status in 2025. But we’re not done yet. We are architecting a "Super Centaur" future, and that requires a new kind of internal operating system. The Role Are you a systems architect who happens to work in People Ops? Do you get excited by the prospect of paying down operational debt and building automated infrastructure that scales across 17+ countries? If building the internal engine for a company pioneering the AI-data era sounds like your jam, then read on. Your Mission: Architecting the Aiven 2.0 Operating System At Aiven, we view our people (the Crab Cast) as our primary product. As our Manager of People Operations, you are the Lead Architect of the internal systems that power this product. Your goal isn't just to keep the lights on—it’s to build a world-class employee experience that scales through technology rather than headcount. You will lead a global team of 5–7 specialists across the US, APAC, and EMEA, sitting at the intersection of Business Velocity, Regulatory Precision, and AI-Driven Efficiency. In concrete terms, this means you’ll: • Engineer Efficiency: Lead the transition from manual Jira and HiBob tasks to seamless, automated internal systems. Your mandate is simple: if a process can be handled by an agent, it should not be performed manually. • Own the Workforce Lifecycle: Act as the custodian of the Aiven Insider journey. From high-stakes onboarding to frictionless offboarding, you own and translate company policies into scalable processes. • Master Data & Compliance: Own the Source of Truth for all workforce data. You’ll ensure our systems, processes, and policies are Audit-Ready (GDPR, SOC2) and provide the radical clarity our Executive team and Board need to make data-informed decisions. • Bridge the Operational Interface: While separate teams own the strategy for Payroll and Global Rewards, you own the operational delivery. You ensure the data flowing into these functions is 100% accurate and compliant globally. • Drive Systems Architecture: Oversee our People tech stack (HiBob, etc.). You aren't just a user; you are a product owner, ensuring clean handoffs between People, Finance, IT, and Security. • Own the Vendor Relationships: You will own the strategic and operational relationship with our global HR technology and compliance ecosystem. This includes managing specialist vendors for occupational health, workers’ compensation ensuring regulatory precision. • Lead and Enable the Team: Manage a global team of specialists, fostering a high-performance environment while ensuring they are equipped with the skills and mentorship needed to architect Aiven's internal operating system. What We’re Looking For • You’re a Systems Thinker: You don't patch holes; you redesign the system so the friction never returns. • AI Fluency: You’ve built People Ops functions that leverage AI as a competitive advantage. You are already using AI to speed up your own productivity. • Global Navigator: You’ve walked the walk in high-growth, product-driven environments and understand the complexities of international employment law. • A First Team Leader: You move at speed. You value radical candor, programmatic execution, and the mindset of high agency. • Strategic Influence: You communicate with clarity, lead with data, and maintain a relentless focus on business impact. You have the courage to challenge the status quo when it creates friction for our builders. The Setup This role is based at our HQ in Helsinki. We believe in the power of First Team collaboration, spending 3 days a week together in the office to co-create and build the future of Aiven. Amazing! What’s next: If you think Aiven is the place for you and that our Values align with yours, send us your resume and we’ll get in touch! Global Benefits: Our global benefits are designed to help you thrive and grow, personally and professionally: • Participate in Aiven’s equity plan. • Balance work and life with our hybrid work policy. • Choose the equipment you need to set yourself up for success. • Use your Professional Development Plan budget for learning opportunities. • Receive holistic wellbeing support through our global Employee Assistance Program. • Inquire about our Global Time Off Commitment (Parental and Sick Leave, as well as Personal Time) • Enjoy country-specific benefits for our global cast. How to Recognize and Avoid Employment Scams: There has been a rise in fake job postings used by scammers to get personal information. At Aiven, all of our emails relating to recruitment come from an @aiven.io, @greenhouse.io or @eu.greenhouse.io domain and all of our interviews are conducted by video call or in person. Our interviews will never occur via text or chat. If you’re unsure of the legitimacy of a job opportunity/offer pertaining to Aiven, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [Upgrade to PRO to see contact]. Equal Opportunities: Aiven provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for employment without regard to age, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, marital and family status or without regard to any other similar personal attributes. Aiven complies with applicable local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company operates. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, training and any other terms and conditions related to employment. At Aiven we are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities or special needs in our working environment and job application procedures. We make all reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or who otherwise need support to thrive in the workplace. We are committed to continuously improving workplace accessibility. There is an option to request a discussion in the application process but if you have any questions before applying please write to us at [Upgrade to PRO to see contact]. #LI-Hybrid