Senior Associate, People Operations

Senior Associate, People Operations

Think of Us (TOU) is transforming the child welfare system into one where young people and families can heal, develop, and thrive. We drive purpose-driven work aligned with meaningful systems change, powered by data and the insights of lived experience. Our focus is on prevention, keeping families strong before crisis, and on building kinship-first systems so children grow up with people they know and trust. Through bold collaborations with leaders and innovators across the public and private sectors from Presidential Administrations to local providers we identify leverage points and co-create solutions that re-architect child welfare for the future.

Here's what this looks like :

• Built the Lived Experience Engine into the largest dataset of its kind (51,000+ voices), powering AI tools and shaping reforms
• Partnered with California to launch the Kinship Accelerator in 8 counties, backed by $150M and a budget increase from $317M ? $896M
• Drove a national kin-first shift : 39 states (plus 5 tribes) adopting kinship standards, unlocking $3B for families
• Operate one of the largest direct resource networks, connecting 1,827 families to $28M+ in support

Our team members share a commitment to driving systems change through creative problem-solving, obsessive curiosity, and a love of quickly driving innovative, measurable, and impactful results.

Position Overview

The Senior Associate, People Operations will support the day-to-day HR operations and infrastructure at Think of Us, helping ensure our people systems are reliable, compliant, inclusive, and future-ready. Reporting to the Senior Director, People & Culture, this role will assist in managing core HR processes across the employee lifecyclepayroll, benefits, compliance, HRIS, employee relations, and policieswhile helping to implement scalable systems that support growth in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

This role is ideal for a detail-oriented HR professional who enjoys optimizing processes, partnering with a PEO and other vendors, and providing excellent support to employees and managers. The Senior Associate will help embed belonging, accessibility, and innovation into every processcontributing to a seamless employee experience aligned with TOU's mission and values.

Key Responsibilities

People Operations & HR Infrastructure

Compliance & Risk Management

Employee Experience & Relations

Systems Building & Continuous Improvement

About You

We recognize that candidates may not meet every listed qualification. Research shows that individuals from underrepresented groups are more likely to opt out of applying if they don't meet 100% of the criteria. If you believe you meet many of the criteria and can succeed in this role, we encourage you to apply we want to learn about your unique strengths and experiences.

Qualifications :

Compensation & Benefits

At TOU, we believe that taking care of our people is foundational to the impact we aim to make. Our compensation philosophy is rooted in transparency and a holistic understanding of people's needs. We believe fair, market-competitive pay is essential to attracting and retaining the exceptional talent needed to achieve our ambitious goals. As a not-for-profit organization, we design our compensation packagesincluding both salary and benefitswith care and in alignment with our financial sustainability.

The annual salary for this role is $80,000$90,000. Starting salaries for new hires will be determined based on a combination of the new hire's relevant experience and market demands.

TOU'S benefits go beyond the basics. They're designed to support your well-being, growth, and sense of purpose at work and beyond. From comprehensive health coverage to professional development support and meaningful time off, our benefits reflect our commitment to nurturing a workplace where people can thrive, both personally and professionally.

Health & Insurance