HR Business Partner

About Periodic LabsThe most important scientific discoveries of our time won’t happen in a traditional lab. We’re an AI and physical sciences company building state-of-the-art models to accelerate breakthroughs across materials, energy, and beyond. Backed by world-class investors and growing rapidly, we operate at the pace the frontier requires. Our team brings deep expertise, genuine ownership, and an insatiable drive to push the boundaries of what’s scientifically possible.About The RolePeriodic Labs is growing fast — and we’re building the people infrastructure to match. As our first HR Business Partner, you’ll be embedded across our engineering and research organization, partnering directly with technical leaders to build high-performing teams, navigate complex people challenges, and design the talent systems that will define how we grow.This isn’t a generalist HR role. We need someone who has worked inside engineering organizations — ideally in frontier AI, physical products, semiconductors, manufacturing, or a hardware-forward startup — and who deeply understands how technical teams operate under pressure. You’ll be a trusted advisor to managers and ICs alike, bringing both strategic judgment and operational rigor to everything from performance cycles to org design.What You’ll DoServe as the embedded HRBP for business, engineering and lab teams, building trusted relationships across disciplinesPartner with people managers on performance management, compensation calibration, career development, and organizational design as the company scalesLead employee relations work with professionalism and sound judgment — handling sensitive situations, investigations, and manager coaching with discretionSupport the design and execution of performance review cycles, promotion frameworks, and leveling guides suited to a technical and scientific workforceWork closely with recruiting to shape workforce planning, headcount prioritization, and organizational designIdentify and address retention risks proactively, partnering with leadership to build engagement and career pathing frameworks that match the ambition of our teamDesign and iterate on onboarding programs that integrate new engineers and scientists quickly into the Periodic Labs culture and way of workingHelp build and operationalize people programs from scratch — from manager training and feedback culture to compensation bands and career laddersAdvise on org design and team structure as we grow, including when and how to add management layers, form new functions, and scale specialized teamsUse people data and analytics to surface insights and drive evidence-based decisions on headcount, attrition, and team healthYou Will Thrive in This Role If You Have10+ years of HR or people experience, with at least 3 years in an HRBP role embedded in an engineering or technical organizationA background supporting teams in physical products, semiconductors, manufacturing, or a hardware-forward startup — you understand the operational rhythms and talent profiles of these environmentsExperience navigating the intersection of research and engineering cultures — where intellectual rigor, speed, and hands-on problem-solving all coexistStrong command of performance management, comp calibration, employee relations, and organizational designA builder’s mindset — you’re comfortable in ambiguous environments where people programs are still being defined and you’ll often have to create the playbook from scratchHigh EQ and communication skills — you build trust quickly with engineers and scientists, and you know how to navigate difficult conversations with directness and careSound judgment on sensitive matters — you handle employee relations and investigations with appropriate seriousness and discretionData fluency — you use people analytics to diagnose issues, identify trends, and support decisions with evidenceAbility to operate at multiple altitudes: you can advise a VP on org design in the morning and help a first-time manager handle a difficult conversation in the afternoonEspecially Strong Candidates May Also HaveExperience at an AI lab, deep tech company, or research institution where the talent profile is unusually specializedFamiliarity with compensation design for rare technical roles — physicists, materials scientists, ML researchers — where standard comp benchmarks don’t applyExperience partnering with recruiting on technical hiring strategy, including sourcing for niche disciplinesA background in operations, finance, or program management that brings additional analytical depth to the people functionExperience scaling an HR function in a startup environment from early stage through a growth financing eventMechanicsMinimum education: bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and training or experienceLocation: Our lab is located in Menlo Park and we prefer folks to be located in Menlo Park or San Francisco but can be flexible based on roleCompensation: The annual compensation range for this role is $200,000-$300,000Visa sponsorship: Yes, we sponsor visas and will do everything we can to assist in this process with our legal support. We’re building a team of the world’s best — the scientists, engineers, and problem-solvers who don’t just follow the frontier, they define it. If you’re driven to bring AI to life in the physical world and make discoveries that have never been made before, you belong here.