People Operations Lead

Freshly backed by some of the top VCs in Silicon Valley, Trener is redefining robotics by combining advanced AI for intuitive programming with pre-trained skill models that are experts at industrial tasks. With offices in San Jose (USA) and Trondheim (Norway), we provide software that gives our users unprecedented ease-of-use and capabilities for their robots, allowing them to think, adapt, and perform complex tasks like any skilled worker.

We’re looking for a mission-driven and highly structured People Operations Lead to build and maintain a world-class culture that enables high-performance engineering, operational discipline, and rapid global scale. As our first dedicated People hire, you will shape how the company works, collaborates, and grows during a pivotal stage of expansion.

This role blends culture-building, people operations, and recruiting excellence with operational ownership of our San Jose workspace. You will design the systems, processes, and environment that allow top technical talent to do their best work. You will actively source, attract, and coordinate exceptional candidates through LinkedIn, recruiters, events, and direct outreach, while owning the entire people operations pipeline—from onboarding and payroll to policies and compliance.

You will also oversee the day-to-day operations of our San Jose office, ensuring a productive, well-run, and inspiring environment that reflects our mission and supports team performance. Your work will directly influence the culture, talent density, and execution velocity of Trener.

• Build, maintain, and continually improve a high-performance, mission-driven work culture.

• Drive recruiting operations: sourcing talent, coordinating interviews, managing ATS pipelines, and partnering with hiring managers.

• Identify and reach out to candidates across LinkedIn, recruiters, universities, and industry networks.

• Own onboarding, offboarding, employment documentation, and global compliance.

• Manage payroll operations across US + Europe through Deel and U.S. providers.

• Administer employee benefits, track eligibility, and manage annual renewals.

• Implement and maintain HRIS, ATS, and people-data workflows.

• Create and update people policies, employee handbooks, and internal documentation.

• Maintain accurate headcount data, compensation records, and people reporting.

• Serve as the primary People contact for employees, ensuring trust, clarity, and confidentiality.

• Oversee the operational environment of the San Jose office, including workspace organization, vendor coordination, supplies, and supporting an efficient in-office experience.

• Build scalable people and workplace processes that strengthen team performance as the company grows.

• 5+ years of experience in People Operations or HR at a technology startup.

• Direct experience owning onboarding, HR administration, and people processes for a team of 25–150 employees.

• Hands-on experience managing U.S. payroll and working with international payroll systems (e.g., Deel).

• Experience administering U.S. employee benefits and coordinating open enrollment.

• Experience implementing or managing an HRIS (Rippling, Deel, BambooHR, or similar).

• Experience managing ATS pipelines and supporting recruiting operations.

• Experience drafting or maintaining HR policies and employee handbooks.

• Strong proficiency with Google Workspace and HR systems.

• Demonstrated ability to operate independently in a fast-moving startup environment.

• Excellent written English and strong communication skills.

• Experience building or scaling People Operations in a Series A or B startup.

• Experience with Deel EOR or managing international teams.

• Familiarity with California employment practices.

• Experience designing culture frameworks or performance systems.

• A passion for sourcing and attracting exceptional technical talent.

• A unique opportunity to shape the culture, talent, and operational foundation of a cutting-edge robotics and AI company.

• A key role in a growing startup where your contributions have a direct and lasting impact.

• Competitive salary, employee equity, and bonuses.