Founding People Business Partner
Join HappyRobot as a Founding People Business Partner to build and lead the HRBP function in a high-growth AI startup.
Posted by employer 1 week ago
First seen on Joblaze 1 week ago
Last verified on the company career page 6 hours ago
What you'll build
- Build the HRBP function
- Coach and advise managers
- Own the Impact Review program
- Lead employee relations
- Design and launch engagement programs
Must have
- 7-10+ years of HR experience
- 3+ years as an HR Business Partner
- Experience building HRBP programs from scratch
- Strong employee relations judgment
- Credibility and executive presence
- Experience supporting teams across multiple countries
Nice to have
- Experience scaling a company through hypergrowth
- Background in workforce planning or org design
- Experience at an AI or fast-moving tech startup
AI in the day-to-day
Comfort using AI tools and modern HR technology to work more efficiently.
Requirements
- Experience
- 7–10 years
Not disclosed in this posting: compensation, work arrangement, visa sponsorship.
Benefits
Joblaze summary
The Founding People Business Partner at HappyRobot is responsible for establishing and leading the HRBP function, focusing on coaching managers and implementing performance management processes. This role requires extensive HR experience, particularly in high-growth environments, with a strong emphasis on employee relations and organizational design. Ideal candidates will have a proven track record in building HR programs from the ground up and should be comfortable navigating complex situations with sound judgment. HappyRobot, a startup backed by prominent investors, is looking for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
Joblaze insights
- Listed 12 days ago — first seen on Joblaze October 31, 2026. Last confirmed on HappyRobot's careers page November 12, 2026.
Quick facts
- How much experience is required?
- 7–10 years of relevant experience for this Founding People Business Partner role.
- What seniority level is this role?
- HappyRobot targets senior candidates for this position.
- Is this full-time or contract?
- Full-time for this Founding People Business Partner role at HappyRobot.
From the original posting
About the Role
We are looking for an experienced People Business Partner to build and lead our HRBP function as we scale. This is a high-ownership, high-impact role for someone who will partner closely with leaders across the company to develop strong managers, run fair and effective performance and employee relations processes, and keep our organization healthy as we grow. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys building from scratch, coaching leaders with candor, and eventually hiring and leading a team of People Business Partners.
What You’ll Do
Build the HRBP function. Define how we partner with the business, set priorities as we scale, and grow into hiring and leading a team of People Business Partners.
Coach and advise managers at every level, and build leadership training that helps new and experienced leaders give feedback, run effective 1:1s, and develop their people.
Own our Impact Review program end to end, including calibration, and build lightweight goal-setting and continuous-feedback practices so nothing comes as a surprise at review time.
Lead employee relations, guiding managers through performance issues, PIPs, and exits with good judgment, fairness, and discretion, in partnership with People Ops and Legal.
Design and launch engagement and development programs that promote inclusivity, grow skills, and support career and leadership development.
Build our leadership pipeline by assessing readiness for lead roles and supporting new managers through the transition.
Keep a pulse on org health. Understand team structures, reporting lines, and how teams work together, spot risks early (attrition, burnout, team friction), and recommend changes to org design.
Use people data to guide recommendations on performance, retention, and team health.
Must Have
7-10+ years of HR experience, including 3+ years as an HR Business Partner in high-growth or complex environments, with deep knowledge of performance management, employee relations, and org design.
Experience building HRBP programs from scratch, not only running existing ones.
A track record of designing and running performance review cycles and manager development programs.
Strong employee relations judgment. You’ve handled complex, sensitive situations and know how to balance employee care with business needs and legal risk.
Credibility and executive presence. You build trust fast, coach with candor, and push back on leaders, founders included, when it matters.
Experience supporting teams across multiple countries (US and EU strongly preferred).
Interest in leading a team. People management experience is a plus.
High ownership, comfort with ambiguity, and a bias toward building and simplifying.
Comfort using AI tools and modern HR technology to work more efficiently.
Nice to Have
Experience scaling a company through hypergrowth, for example from about 200 to 500+ employees.
Background in workforce planning or org design.
Experience at an AI or fast-moving tech startup.
Why join us?
Join a world-class team of engineers and builders.
Comprehensive Benefits including healthcare, dental, vision coverage.
Our Operating Principles
Extreme Ownership
Craftsmanship
For more information, visit https://www.happyrobot.ai/privacy-policy
Standard company text repeated across HappyRobot's postings is omitted here.