Onboarding Coordinator

Cognition

San Francisco, CA

On-siteCareer-pivot friendly

Who this role is best for

Geared toward detail-oriented professionals comfortable with cross-functional coordination and process improvement, working in a fast-growing AI software development environment in San Francisco.

Best fit for

Candidates with a background in HR operations and a passion for employee experience and process optimization
— “You can manage background checks, I-9 verification, employee records, and HR system setup accurately and on time.”
Individuals who thrive in a high-growth environment and can adapt onboarding processes as the company scales
— “Trackers, checklists, and communications stay current as hiring grows.”
People who prioritize direct communication with new hires and ensure their needs are met proactively
— “You check directly with each new hire rather than assuming everything is set.”

Things to consider

The role requires managing sensitive employee data and ensuring compliance with onboarding regulations
— “You handle sensitive information with care.”
Candidates must be capable of coordinating with multiple teams and managing complex logistics for new hires
— “You keep Recruiting, IT, managers, office teams, and immigration partners aligned.”

How to stand out

Highlight experience in creating and refining onboarding checklists and improving employee first-day experiences
— “You spot recurring gaps in a checklist, handoff, or message and fix them.”
Emphasize your ability to build personal connections with new hires while maintaining operational rigor
— “You know a warm welcome is built through both thoughtful communication and reliable execution.”
Demonstrate your track record in resolving onboarding delays and ensuring timely completion of HR tasks
— “You spot delays, follow up proactively, and resolve issues before they affect a new hire’s start.”

Pace · SteadyCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

new hires feel expected and cared for
background checks completed accurately
first-week travel arranged

Typical background

HR operations experience

Skills & requirements

Required

Onboarding CoordinationHR OperationsCross-functional Collaboration

Preferred

Executive Onboarding

Stack & domain

OnboardingHr Onboarding OperationsCross-functional Follow-throughProactive CoordinationProcess ImprovementCommunicationTeamworkProblem-solvingAttention To DetailCustomer ServiceHuman ResourcesTechnology

About the role

Original posting from Cognition via Ashby

WE ARE AN APPLIED AI LAB BUILDING END-TO-END SOFTWARE AGENTS.
We're the makers of Devin, the first AI software engineer.
Our team is extremely talent-dense. Among our founding team, we have world-class competitive programmers, former founders, and leaders from companies at the cutting edge of AI including Scale AI, Palantir, Cursor, Waymo, Tesla, Lunchclub, Modal, Google DeepMind, and Nuro.
Building Devin is just the first step—our hardest challenges still lie ahead. If you’re excited to solve some of the world’s biggest problems and build AI that can reason on real-world tasks, apply to join us.
WHY ARE WE HIRING FOR THIS ROLE?
Cognition is growing quickly across teams and international offices. Every new hire should feel welcomed, prepared, and ready to contribute from day one. That takes someone who cares about the employee experience and stays ahead of every detail behind it.
We need someone to own onboarding from offer acceptance through a new hire’s first week. Those early days shape how someone feels about joining Cognition, so you’ll bring warmth and care to every interaction while staying ahead of the details. You’ll build the onboarding program and first-week sessions, communicate proactively with new hires, and coordinate background checks, I-9 verification, HR system setup, travel, laptop deliveries, and systems access. You’ll work closely with Recruiting, IT, managers, and office teams, checking in directly with each new hire to make sure they have what they need. As we grow, you’ll keep improving the checklists and handoffs that make a great first week possible.
WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE?
New hires feel expected and cared for. They know where to go, what to expect, and who to ask for help before their first day.
Background checks, I-9 verification, employee records, and other required onboarding steps are completed accurately and on time.
First-week travel is arranged, laptops arrive when needed, accounts work, and schedules are clear. You check directly with each new hire rather than assuming everything is set.
Give executive hires a white-glove and personal onboarding experience
Immigration and visa needs are identified early, routed to the right people, and tracked through the next step.
Recruiting, IT, managers, and office teams know what they own. You spot delays, follow up proactively, and resolve issues before they affect a new hire’s start.
Trackers, checklists, and communications stay current as hiring grows.
WHAT ARE THE CRITICAL COMPETENCIES?
Proactive coordination. You can juggle many starts, owners, and deadlines without losing track of the details. You anticipate what could go wrong, follow up before someone has to ask, and keep each start moving.
Care for the employee experience. You know a warm welcome is built through both thoughtful communication and reliable execution. You make new hires feel expected, check that they have what they need, and respond quickly when something isn’t working.
HR onboarding operations. You can manage background checks, I-9 verification, employee records, and HR system setup accurately and on time. You handle sensitive information with care.
Cross-functional follow-through. You keep Recruiting, IT, managers, office teams, and immigration partners aligned. You make ownership clear and stay with an issue until it’s resolved.
Process improvement. You spot recurring gaps in a checklist, handoff, or message and fix them. You make onboarding more reliable while keeping it personal.
Low ego, high ownership. You’re as willing to improve a workflow as you are to find a delayed laptop or help a new hire access their account. You care that the first week works.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Cognition is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities throughout the hiring process - please let us know if you need any.

Source: Cognition careers (Ashby)