Head of People Operations

Job Title: Head of People Operations
Department: Human Resources
Job Level: L6
FLSA: Exempt

Job Summary:

This position will be for leading and overseeing all aspects of the company's people operation functions in the US. The individual will drive the development and implementation of HR strategies, policies, and programs that support the organization's goals and foster a positive and inclusive work environment. This role requires strong leadership skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to drive people-centric initiatives.

Key Duties/Responsibilities:

• HR Strategy and Planning: 
  • Define and execute a People strategy focused on stabilizing and scaling the organization, directly addressing retention, leadership capacity, and organizational clarity during periods of rapid growth and change.
  • Partner closely with the executive team on organizational design and workforce planning, including clarifying ownership, decision rights, and team structures as the company evolves.
  • Identify and resolve systemic issues such as elevated turnover, low engagement, and leadership gaps by translating data, employee feedback, and business priorities into targeted, measurable actions.

• Talent Acquisition and Management: 
  • Own and scale recruiting operations end-to-end, including candidate workflow, hiring operations, onboarding readiness, and data integrity, ensuring compliant, efficient, and scalable processes.
  • Lead recruiting operations teams, systems, and vendors, establishing clear standards, strong controls, and reliable reporting to support hiring at scale.

• Employee Experience: 
  • Create consistent, transparent employee experiences from onboarding through offboarding by fostering a positive and inclusive work culture that values employee feedback and promotes employee satisfaction.
  • Drive diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to create an inclusive work environment. Champion diversity efforts, implement diversity programs, and promote cultural awareness and sensitivity.
  • Provide guidance and support to managers and employees on employee relations matters, including conflict resolution, performance improvement, and disciplinary actions. Ensure compliance with employment laws and regulations.

• Performance Management and Retention: 
  • Design and own a scalable, fair, and low-friction performance management system that balances rigor with simplicity and is trusted by employees and managers.
  • Partner with leadership to ensure performance processes drive clarity, accountability, and development, while identifying retention risks and succession gaps, particularly in critical and senior roles.
  • Use performance data and employee feedback to continuously improve the system, driving higher morale, consistency, and trust without unnecessary administrative burden.

• Learning and Development: 
  • Design and implement manager and leadership development programs, with a focus on first-time and homegrown leaders.
  • Equip managers with the tools to lead effectively – performance management, feedback, communication, and team health – and coach senior leaders through periods of transition and scale.

• HR and Workplace Operations:
  • Oversee US payroll, immigration, HR systems, and core People Ops processes.
  • Ensure compliance with US employment laws while coordinating with global counterparts as needed.
  • Own US workplace operations, including office facilities and office support functions, to ensure an efficient, well-run, and employee-centric work environment.

• Perform other related duties or specialized areas as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Yes

Required Skills/Abilities/Qualifications: 

• 10+ years of experience in People leadership experience in high-growth tech, robotics, or complex product organizations, including periods of rapid scale or leadership change.
• Demonstrated experience in driving organizational design, workforce planning, effectiveness and talent management strategies in line with the Company goals.
• Proven ability to stabilize teams, reduce turnover, and rebuild morale and trust during times of growth or senior leadership departure.
• Strong track record of developing first-time and homegrown managers and strengthening leadership effectiveness at scale.Strong knowledge of US employment laws and regulations.
• Data-informed operator with strong People systems and operational foundations (HRIS, payroll, and other coworking tools). Experiences using Google Workplace, Slack, BreezyHR, Namely, and Confluence preferred.
• Exceptional communication, influence, and judgment; trusted advisor to leaders and teams.
• Ethical and confidential handling of sensitive employee information.
• Must be able to work onsite at our Redwood City, CA or Addison, TX office daily

Preferred Skills/Abilities/Qualifications: 

• Previous startup experience is preferred.
• Global mindset with experience supporting multi-entity or multi-region teams, while owning a primary region.
• PHR/SPHR

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or equivalent work experience. (Master's degree, SHRM-CP, PHP-CP is a plus.)
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive HR and talent management experience, including at least 5 years in a leadership role.

Physical Requirements: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Prolonged periods of sitting/standing at a desk and working on a computer. The employee routinely is required to sit; stand, walk; talk and hear; use hands to keyboard
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Ability to lift 20 lbs.

The pay range for this position is $130 - $192k + discretionary annual performance bonus. Pay varies subject to geo location and applicant's relevant experience.

Bear Robotics, Inc. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, or other characteristics protected by state or federal law or local ordinance.