People Operations Generalist

Nexthop Systems Inc. is seeking a driven and organized People Operations Generalist to help keep our People team running smoothly as we build the next generation of AI infrastructure and high-performance networking systems.

About the Role

As a People Operations Generalist, you will be a key part of the People team, supporting the employee and candidate experience from first interaction through a new hire's first day and beyond. You will help with onboarding, recruiting coordination, and sourcing, support our campus recruiting efforts, keep our people data accurate, and be a friendly first point of contact for employee questions.

This is a hands-on, cross-functional role for someone with a few years of experience who enjoys keeping the details straight, being helpful, and getting things done across many moving pieces. The role will grow and shift as the company grows, so we are looking for someone who is comfortable wearing a few hats. You will collaborate with the People team, Recruiting, IT, Finance, and hiring managers across the company.

What You'll Do

Support new hire onboarding and orientation, helping new employees feel welcome and ready for their first day. Partner with people team & hiring managers on recruiting coordination, such as scheduling interviews, communicating with candidates, and keeping our recruiting tools and trackers up to date. Help source candidates for open roles through job boards, professional networks, and university channels.

Support campus recruiting, including registering for career fairs and university events, coordinating logistics, and preparing event materials and swag. Maintain accurate employee and candidate records in our HR and recruiting systems. Serve as a first point of contact for employee questions about People policies and processes, and route more complex questions to the right person on the team.

Support the employee lifecycle, including offboarding and routine updates, and other day-to-day People team administration. Assist with People team programs and events, such as the intern program and employee engagement activities. Look for ways to simplify repeatable work, including by using AI tools. Pitch in on other People team projects as the team and company evolve.

What We're Looking For

Experience & Knowledge Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience. 2–3 years of experience in HR, People Operations, recruiting coordination, or a related role, ideally in a startup or fast-growing technology company. Experience supporting onboarding and other employee lifecycle processes.

Exposure to recruiting, such as interview coordination or candidate sourcing. Experience with an HRIS and/or applicant tracking system (for example, BambooHR, Rippling, or similar), and comfort learning new tools quickly. Proficiency with Google Workspace, especially Sheets, Docs, and Gmail. Hands-On Skills Strong attention to detail and accuracy with data entry and record keeping.

Experience coordinating schedules, events, or logistics. Campus recruiting or career fair experience is a plus. Clear, friendly written and verbal communication. Comfort using AI tools to research, draft, and improve day-to-day productivity. Soft Skills A warm, approachable, service-minded style when helping employees and candidates.

Good judgment and discretion with confidential information. Strong organization and follow-through, with the ability to manage multiple priorities. Curiosity and ownership. You ask questions, take initiative, and are happy to roll up your sleeves. Ability to adapt and thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative startup environment.

Why Join Us? At Nexthop, you'll have the opportunity to help build the People function of a fast-growing company that supports the future of AI infrastructure. You'll work alongside experts across networking, hardware, software, systems, manufacturing, and recruiting, and see directly how your work shapes the experience of every candidate and new hire.

If you are excited to help shape a growing company and its culture, this is the place for you. Location : This role is based in Nexthop's Santa Clara office.