Founding HR Leader

compensation bands and career ladders Advise on org design and team structure as we grow, including when and how to add management layers, form new functions, and scale specialized teams Use people data and analytics to surface insights and drive evidence-based decisions on headcount, attrition, and team health You Will Thrive in This Role If You Have 10+ years of HR or people experience, with at least 3 years in an HRBP role embedded in an engineering or technical organization A background supporting teams in physical products, semiconductors, manufacturing, or a hardware-forward startup — you understand the operational rhythms and talent profiles of these environments Experience navigating the intersection of research and engineering cultures — where intellectual rigor, speed, and hands-on problem-solving all coexist Strong command of performance management, comp calibration, employee relations, and organizational design A builder’s mindset — you’re comfortable in ambiguous environments where people programs are still being defined and you’ll often have to create the playbook from scratch High EQ and communication skills — you build trust quickly with engineers and scientists, and you know how to navigate difficult conversations with directness and care Sound judgment on sensitive matters — you handle employee relations and investigations with appropriate seriousness and discretion Data fluency — you use people analytics to diagnose issues, identify trends, and support decisions with evidence Ability to operate at multiple altitudes: you can advise a VP on org design in the morning and help a first-time manager handle a difficult conversation in the afternoon Especially Strong Candidates May Also Have Experience at an AI lab, deep tech company, or research institution where the talent profile is unusually specialized Familiarity with

compensation design for rare technical roles — physicists, materials scientists, ML researchers — where standard comp benchmarks don’t apply Experience partnering with recruiting on technical hiring strategy, including sourcing for niche disciplines A background in operations, finance, or program management that brings additional analytical depth to the people function Experience scaling an HR function in a startup environment from early stage through a growth financing event Mechanics Minimum education: bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and training or experience Location: Our lab is located in Menlo Park and we prefer folks to be located in Menlo Park or San Francisco but can be flexible based on role

Compensation: The annual

compensation range for this role is $200,000-$300,000 Visa sponsorship: Yes, we sponsor visas and will do everything we can to assist in this process with our legal support. We’re building a team of the world’s best — the scientists, engineers, and problem-solvers who don’t just follow the frontier, they define it. If you’re driven to bring AI to life in the physical world and make discoveries that have never been made before, you belong here.

A meeting lands on your calendar

If they’re a yes, I book the chat. You show up — that’s the whole job-hunt.