Senior People Ops Manager - Payroll & Systems

About Convergent Research Convergent Research is a nonprofit science studio best known for pioneering the Focused Research Organization (FRO). We architect critical infrastructure that removes bottlenecks to breakthrough scientific research. FROs are mission-driven, time-bound organizations built to solve important scientific and engineering bottlenecks. Convergent secures funding and provides the operational backbone that allows scientists and engineers to move quickly, from legal formation and governance to hiring, finance, communications, and operational systems. We’ve taken 14 FROs from idea to operating entity, including four launches in 2026.   About the Role Payroll probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think about breakthrough science. But scientists can’t do their best work if they aren’t paid correctly, benefits aren’t working, or their organization isn’t set up to employ them. That’s where you come in. We’re looking for a Senior People Ops Manager - Payroll & Systems to own the people ops infrastructure that keeps Convergent and our FROs running smoothly. You’ll make sure our employees get paid accurately and on time, our policies and systems keep pace with our growth, new FROs become functioning employers, and organizations completing their missions can wind down responsibly. This is a senior, hands-on expert role. We’re looking for someone who knows parts of this work better than we do. Someone who doesn’t just identify problems but brings re