Sage49

HR Generalist

New York, New York, United States Full Time

About Us

Sage is on a mission to improve care and quality of life for older adults, starting with those residing in senior living facilities. Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death among adults over 65. And yet, fall prevention and emergency response systems for older adults are archaic and ineffective. At Sage we've built a more modern way of understanding when older adults need help, including methods for residents to alert caregivers when in need of help, and corresponding software for caregivers to triage response. Our company mission is to create a product that our client counterparts love, and this role is a key part of that objective.

Sage is a small, tight team of ambitious, multi-disciplinary entrepreneurs. We are a software-enabled, mission-driven company, and are focused only on the problems that are central to achieving that mission. At Sage, we work hard and fast but also know that to build a truly important company, we need to treat our work as a marathon, and not a sprint. The journey matters.

About this Role

As Sage's first dedicated HR Generalist, you'll own the day-to-day people operations that keep our team running smoothly and feeling supported. You'll be a key member of the People team, working closely with the Head of People and partnering across the business on everything from HR operations, systems, and compliance to onboarding, performance management, and training.

This role is for someone who thrives on ownership, is energized by variety, and genuinely cares about doing right by people. You'll join a team that has already built a strong HR foundation—and you'll have the opportunity to deepen it, improve it, and put your mark on it. An important part of this role will also be stepping up to lead day-to-day People operations while the Head of People is on parental leave, making this a uniquely high-impact opportunity for the right person.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as the primary HR point of contact for employees and managers across the organization—responding to questions, navigating employee issues, and providing thoughtful, practical guidance on a wide range of people matters.
  • Own the employee lifecycle end-to-end, including onboarding and offboarding, new hire orientation, I-9 compliance, and ensuring smooth transitions in and out of the company.
  • Manage day-to-day HR operations, including HR system administration and data integrity, benefits coordination, leave management, and compliance tracking.
  • Support performance management processes, including coordinating review cycles, helping managers prepare for growth conversations, and ensuring documentation is thorough and consistent.
  • Maintain and improve HR policies and processes, identifying gaps and proactively recommending solutions that are practical, scalable, and aligned with Sage's culture.
  • Partner with the Head of People on strategic initiatives, including compensation reviews, engagement programs, leveling and career development, and other people programs as Sage continues to grow.
  • Cover for the Head of People during an extended leave, serving as the primary People team lead and point of escalation, maintaining continuity across all active workstreams, and keeping leadership appropriately informed.
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with Talent Acquisition, IT, Finance, and Leadership to ensure a cohesive and well-supported employee experience.

Minimum Qualifications

  • 4+ years of progressive HR Generalist experience, with demonstrated ownership of core HR functions including employee relations, onboarding, compliance, HRIS administration, and performance support.
  • Strong working knowledge of employment law and HR compliance, with the ability to navigate complex situations with good judgment and appropriate escalation.
  • Hands-on HR systems experience (Justworks, Lattice, Greenhouse, or similar), with comfort managing data integrity, reporting, and system workflows.
  • Exceptional interpersonal skills, with the warmth, discretion, and emotional intelligence to build trust across all levels of a company.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex HR topics into clear, accessible guidance.
  • Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities without dropping the ball.
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently and make sound decisions in ambiguous or time-sensitive situations.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience in a high-growth or startup environment, where you've had to build or scale HR programs alongside a fast-moving business.
  • Comfort supporting executive teams or founders, including handling sensitive information with discretion and good judgment.

Benefits and Pay

Our headquarters are located in New York City's Union Square. We believe in cross team collaboration. We think good ideas can come from anyone, and we've designed our processes to encourage participation from all. While we take our mission seriously, we don't take ourselves too seriously. We like to host offsites, outings, and team meals where we can connect as people, not just as colleagues. We offer office lunch and a fully stocked snack bar. While we are an in office culture, we allow up to 2 remote days per week.

Our benefits package for employees includes competitive base compensation along with stock options. The expected annual salary range for this role is $130,000-$165,000 USD, depending on your level of expertise, your experience, and your performance in the interview process. We also provide fully-paid health and dental insurance coverage for all of our employees, along with other health benefits including vision insurance, membership to premium primary and urgent care, and online medical health providers. We also have a take as you need time off policy, in addition to 7 paid holidays and a company wide winter break during the holidays.

EEO Statement

Sage is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. Sage makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.