People Operations Analyst

Lightmatter is leading the revolution in AI data center infrastructure, enabling the next giant leaps in human progress. The company invented the world’s first 3D-stacked photonics engine, Passage™, capable of connecting thousands to millions of processors at the speed of light in extreme-scale data centers for the most advanced AI and HPC workloads. Lightmatter raised $400 million in its Series D round, reaching a valuation of $4.4 billion. We will continue to accelerate the development of data center photonics and grow every department at Lightmatter! If you're passionate about tackling complex challenges, making an impact, and being an expert in your craft, join our team of brilliant scientists, engineers, and accomplished industry leaders. Lightmatter is (re)inventing the future of computing with light! We are seeking a Total Rewards & People Operations professional to support the scaling of critical people infrastructure during a period of rapid global growth. The ideal candidate brings strong execution capability, comfort operating autonomously, and the ability to translate data and process into a high-quality employee experience. Role Overview This person is responsible for making sure the core People Operations and Total Rewards processes run smoothly, stay compliant, and scale with the business. Key responsibilities include: • Onboarding: Own the new hire onboarding process end to end in Workday, including pre-boarding, background checks, I-9 and compliance documentation, equipment and systems coordination, and day-one readiness. • Offboarding: Manage the offboarding process, including Workday terminations, final pay and benefits coordination, exit documentation, and access and equipment return, in partnership with IT, Payroll, and managers. • Contractor management: Administer the contractor lifecycle, including onboarding, record maintenance, engagement changes and extensions, and offboarding, while ensuring worker classification and documentation stay compliant. • Leave of absence: Administer medical, parental, and personal leaves, including eligibility review, employee and manager communication, coordination with carriers and vendors, tracking, and return-to-work, in compliance with federal and state requirements. • Employee support: Serve as the first point of contact (Tier 1) for employee inquiries on HR policies, Workday, leave, and general People Operations questions, resolving requests directly and escalating complex or sensitive matters as appropriate. • Data audits: Oversee recurring audits of Workday employee and contractor data to ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance; investigate and correct discrepancies, document findings, and recommend process improvements. • Benefits support: Act as a point of contact for benefits administration, including enrollment and qualifying life events, employee questions, vendor and carrier coordination, and ensuring benefits data in Workday is accurate and reconciled. • People analytics: Build and maintain reporting on headcount, hiring activity, attrition, and workforce trends to support hiring and workforce decisions, partnering with Talent Acquisition. • AI-native operations: Bring an AI-native approach to People Operations by using AI tools to automate routine work, streamline workflows, improve employee self-service, and speed up reporting and analysis, while applying sound judgment and protecting the confidentiality of employee data. You will partner closely with Talent Acquisition, Finance, IT, and Payroll, and will help identify process improvements as the company grows. Strong judgment, discretion, and a service-oriented mindset are essential in this role. Qualifications: • 5+ years of experience in People Operations or Total Rewards support in