People Operations Manager – Global Mobility & Immigration

About the role

Cognition is an applied AI lab building end‑to‑end software agents. We are looking for a People Operations leader to design and run the HR engine that will scale with our rapid growth, covering onboarding, benefits, compensation, compliance, employee relations, and immigration.

Key responsibilities

• Design and implement HR processes, playbooks, and systems for a fast‑growing global team.
• Own the full employee lifecycle, including onboarding, benefits administration, compensation, compliance, and employee relations.
• Manage the US immigration program end‑to‑end (H‑1B, O‑1, PERM, green cards) and support global mobility as Cognition expands into new markets.
• Partner with outside counsel on immigration matters and serve as the trusted point of contact for employees.
• Identify opportunities to automate and improve People operations, surfacing risks and trade‑offs for business decisions.
• Lead high‑priority People and cross‑functional projects as the team evolves.

Required profile

• 3+ years of experience in People Operations or HR at a fast‑growing startup or tech company.
• Solid generalist foundation across core HR functions: onboarding, benefits, compliance, employee relations, and policy.
• Hands‑on experience managing US immigration cases (H‑1B, O‑1, PERM, green cards) and coordinating with external counsel.
• Strong judgment, ability to navigate complex People situations, and a collaborative mindset.

Required skills

• Practical experience with US immigration processes (H‑1B, O‑1, PERM, green cards).
• Ability to design scalable HR processes and improve operational efficiency.