HR Generalist

Harmattan AI; Vaud; Hybrid; CHF 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Harmattan AI is seeking an HR Generalist to support Crissier and Zurich. You will translate company priorities into concrete HR actions: contracts, onboarding, development, employee relations and Swiss employment-law compliance.

In this dual-site role you will partner with R&D leadership, manage payroll and benefits, handle permits (G, B, L), maintain HR files in HiBob, and ensure timely regulatory filings. Fluency in French and English is essential, with Swiss-German a plus.

Qualifications

• Master’s or equivalent in HR, law, management or related field.
• Strong knowledge of Swiss employment law and social insurance.
• Experience with Swiss work permits (G, B, L) is a plus.
• Proven track record as HR Generalist or HRBP in SME/scale-up.

Responsibilities

• Own Swiss employment-law compliance across the employee lifecycle.
• Manage payroll, benefits and social declarations monthly.
• Oversee contracts, onboarding, and personnel administration.
• Partner with R&D and leadership; support mobility between Crissier and Zurich.
• Handle work permits (G, B, L) and liaise with cantonal authorities.

Skills

HR Generalist

Swiss Employment Law

HR Business Partner

Payroll & Benefits

HiBob HRIS

Contract Administration

Employee Relations

Talent Onboarding

Education

Master's degree in HR / Law / Management

HR Manager certificate (Certificat de Gestionnaire RH, HRSE)

Tools

HiBob HRIS

Payroll software

HR analytics tools

Job description

About Us

Harmattan AI is a next-generation defense prime building autonomous and scalable defense systems. Following the close of a $200M Series B, valuing the company at $1.4 billion, we are expanding our teams and capabilities to deliver mission-critical systems to allied forces.

Our work is guided by clear values: building technologies with real-world impact, pursuing excellence in everything we do, setting ambitious goals, and taking on the hardest technical challenges. We operate in a demanding environment where rigor, ownership, and execution are expected.

About The Role

As HR Generalist, you are the go-to HR contact for managers and teams in Crissier and Zurich. You turn company priorities into concrete HR actions: contract administration, onboarding, development, employee relations and compliance with Swiss employment law.

Responsibilities

Manager & Employee Partnership

• Work in close collaboration with R&D management to support them in the design of the organization
• Act as the single HR contact for Switzerland: present daily in Crissier, and a reliable remote partner for Zurich with regular visits
• Give managers concrete, operational HR answers grounded in Swiss law, and address employee concerns promptly
• Communicate with the teams with pedagogy to support and explain the organization

Stay aligned with the Paris HR team and group policy while remaining locally compliant

Local Compliance & Employment Law

• Own compliance with Swiss employment law across the employee lifecycle (contracts, probation, working time, leave, termination) and adapt group contracts and HR policies to Swiss requirements
• Manage relations with cantonal labor and migration authorities (Vaud and Zurich): filings, registrations, inspections
• Handle employee representation obligations as headcount grows and keep leadership ahead of regulatory change

Payroll & Social Declarations

• Own the monthly payroll cycle with our provider and Finance: validate variable inputs (absences, overtime, bonuses, joiners, leavers) and cross-check payslips
• Ensure timely social and tax declarations and manage benefits (health, accident, pension)

HR Operations & Personnel Administration

• Manage individual employee situations end to end: disciplinary procedures, conflict resolution, sensitive cases
• Handle personnel administration (contracts, amendments, files, certificates), run absences in HiBob and produce HR metrics
• Own work permit applications (G, B,L) for foreign nationals joining Crissier and Zurich: file with the DGEM, follow up until approval, and handle related cantonal and residence formalities

Onboarding, Offboarding & Mobility

• Work with Talent Acquisition, who own recruitment: take over once an offer is accepted and run contracts, administration and onboarding for both sites
• Handle offboarding with correct Swiss formalities and clear handover

Candidate Requirements

• Master's degree or equivalent in HR, law, management or a related field
• HR Manager certificate (Certificat de Gestionnaire RH, HRSE)
• 10+ years in generalist HR or HR Business Partner roles, ideally in an SME or scale-up
• Strong knowledge of Swiss employment law and social insurance; experience with work permits (G, B, L) is a plus

Skills

• Credibility with managers and engineers; able to advise and decide
• Rigor, confidentiality, autonomy and a taste for building processes
• Comfort with an HRIS (HiBob) and reporting tools

Languages

• Fluent French and English; Swiss-German is an asset for Zurich

Nice to have

• Experience in defense, aerospace or deeptech, and with multi-site teams

We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.