(Senior) People & Culture Manager (mfd)

As our first dedicated HR hire in the US based in Austin - TX youll build the foundation of our People function and play a key role in shaping how RobCo grows on the ground. With over $58 million from top investors including Sequoia Capital Lightspeed Venture Partners and experienced business angels we are growing fast. Youll support our US teams partner closely with leadership and help create a workplace where people can thrive as we scale.

Your responsibilities:

Recruiting & Talent Acquisition

• Own the full US hiring process from defining roles to signing contracts.

• Identify and engage great talent through active sourcing supported by data-driven targeting and market insights.

• Shape clear job descriptions structured interview processes and a positive candidate experience using consistent evaluation criteria and measurable hiring benchmarks.

• Build a talent pipeline that supports our upcoming growth.

HR Business Partnering & People Operations

• Be a trusted partner for employees and managers on day-to-day People topics.

• Support the full employee lifecycle: onboarding development feedback and offboarding.

• Provide practical HR guidance and ensure smooth compliant operations in the US.

• Set up and improve HR processes tools and documentation from the ground up.

• Collaborate with our global People team to stay aligned while tailoring solutions to local needs.

• Oversee core People Operations including payroll benefits administration HRIS management and maintaining accurate employee data.

• Own HR compliance and risk management across federal state and local laws handling employee relations audits investigations and coordination with Finance Legal and external partners.

• Build and maintain the US HR infrastructurepolicies handbooks onboarding multi-state standardswhile tracking key People KPIs to support scalable growth.
  

Culture & Engagement

• Help create an environment where people feel connected supported and excited to contribute.

• Drive initiatives that strengthen team engagement and collaboration across US locations.

• Support learning and development efforts to help our teams grow.

• Contribute to our employer brand and represent RobCo in the local talent market.

• Experience across both recruiting and generalist HR topics

• Comfortable working independently and building processes from scratch

• Strong communicator who builds trust quickly

• Solid understanding of HR best practices; familiarity with US employment basics is helpful

• Hands-on practical and proactive in how you approach people and problems

• Experience with payroll processes employment law fundamentals and HR compliance in the US

• Strong verbal and written English skills

• Proven ability to operate as the sole HR owner in a scaling environment driving both strategic and operational HR work and ensuring strong alignment and collaboration with the team in Germany.

• Diverse responsible and autonomous work in a dynamic startup.

• Flat hierarchies with an open and direct feedback culture including a 360 development feedback aiming for holistic professional development.

• Youll join a supportive international team: Close collaboration with both US and European colleagues with plenty of space to learn and shape the journey.

• Shape the people side of a fast-growing software-defined modular robotics startup.