Our client is looking for a hands-on, proactive, People Manager to support their small US facility in Austin, Texas. As the company’s first US based People Manager, you will manage all core People operations for their growing US presence.

You will build foundational processes - including payroll and People administration - while partnering with leaders to shape an exceptional employee experience. You will work closely with the Global People Director and international People Team to ensure alignment across regions and to contribute to global initiatives. You will be instrumental in scaling their US team, implementing People practices that are consistent with the company mission, values, and global standards.

As the primary onsite HR lead, you will manage day to day people operations, ensure compliance with U.S. employment laws, support talent acquisition and act as a key liaison to their international headquarters. This is a broad human resources role suited to someone who enjoys autonomy, problem solving, and building strong, trust-based relationships.

Key Responsibilities:

People Operations and Payroll

• Serve as the primary HR point of contact for employees at the facility.

• Managing day-to-day people operations and maintaining accurate employee records and HRIS data integrity.

• Oversee benefits administration, including enrolment, queries, and annual renewals.

• Ensure full compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and HR regulations.

• Partner with the global People team to ensure local practices align with global policies, values, and standards.

Employee Relations and Support

• Provide guidance and coaching to employees and managers on performance, behavior, development, and conflict resolution.

• Handle employee relations matters, escalating sensitive issues to HQ as required.

• Promote a positive, inclusive, and safe workplace culture.

Recruitment and Team Growth

• Manage recruitment for US roles, partnering with hiring managers to source, interview, and select top talent.

• Build strong talent pipelines for a variety of key positions.

• Deliver a smooth onboarding experience, coordinating with HQ on systems, processes, and training requirements.

Performance, Training and Development

• Facilitate performance review cycles and ensure consistency across teams.

• Work with HQ to roll out global HR and talent initiatives across the U.S. site.

• Support the identification of learning needs and coordinate learning opportunities, working with managers to support growth conversations.

Health, Safety, Policies & Compliance and Risk Management

• Support onsite safety protocols, training, documentation, and incident reporting.

• Create, update, and maintain any specific US HR policies, ensuring compliance with employment legislation and company global policies.

• Monitor changes in US employment law and proactively adjust practices and policies, keeping the global team informed.

Culture and Engagement

• Champion culture, supporting initiatives that promote wellbeing, inclusion, and engagement.

• Build trust and strong relationships with US and global employees, fostering open communication and high morale.

• Partner with global colleagues to implement engagement surveys, action planning, and employee experience projects.

People Strategy and Projects

• Lead or contribute to People projects such as policy updates, systems implementation, culture initiatives, people analytics, and process improvements.

• Support organizational change initiatives and help nurture an agile, adaptable culture.

• Provide local insights to help shape global HR strategies and programs and ensure effective and relevant for local context.

• Support cross border coordination with HQ and other country People teams to ensure harmonized practices.

Skills, Experience, and Education Requirements:

• 5+ years of HR generalist experience, with experience supporting US employees.

• Strong working knowledge of US employment law (including wage and hour rules, exemptions, at will employment, benefits requirements, and state-specific compliance obligations).

• Experience setting up and managing US payroll and benefits administration.

• Experience of a small site or standalone HR environment.

• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.

• Ability to work independently while aligning with global stakeholders across time zones.

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, or related field, or professional HR certification (PHR, SHRM-CP, or similar).

Desirable experience:

• Experience scaling People processes in a startup or high-growth environment.

• Experience in scientific research, agri-tech, or biotech environments.

• Prior experience in a global organization.

• Analytical approach with the ability to interpret and use People data for insights and recommendations.

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People Manager