Director, People Systems & Analytics

Apptronik; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Apptronik is seeking a Director, People Systems & Analytics to lead HRIS implementation and establish critical analytics capabilities as the company scales.

This hands-on leadership role requires a systems-oriented leader with significant HRIS experience. The position will drive substantial investments in people systems to provide real-time insights into workforce health.

The ideal candidate will collaborate with executives and teams across the organization to manage projects and ensure effective people data use.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading or co-leading a major HRIS implementation.
• Strong project management discipline for multi-workstream implementations.
• Ability to translate workforce data into executive-level insights.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and executive communication skills.
• High integrity and discretion in handling sensitive data.

Responsibilities

• Lead HRIS implementation, managing scope and stakeholder alignment.
• Drive people analytics capabilities to give real-time workforce insights.
• Ensure compliance with privacy regulations and local requirements.
• Act as primary systems partner to the executive team.
• Manage relationships and integration with external vendors.

Skills

HRIS implementation

Project management

People analytics

Stakeholder management

Data governance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, Information Systems, or related field

12+ years of progressive experience in HRIS, People Analytics

Tools

Workday

SAP

Job description

Apptronik is a human-centered robotics company developing AI-powered robots to support humanity in every facet of life. Our flagship humanoid robot, Apollo, is built to collaborate thoughtfully with people, starting with critical industries such as manufacturing and logistics, with future applications in healthcare, the home, and beyond.

We operate at the cutting edge of embodied AI, applying our expertise across the full robotics stack to solve some of society's most important problems. You will join a team dedicated to bringing Apollo to market at scale, tackling the complex challenges like safety, commercialization, and mass production to change the world for the better.

JOB SUMMARY

We are looking for a Director, People Systems & Analytics to lead our HRIS implementation and build the people data infrastructure that will scale with our business. This is a high-impact, hands‑on leadership role at a robotics company in rapid growth mode, you will drive one of the most consequential people systems investments we will make while building the analytics capabilities that give our leadership team real‑time visibility into workforce health.

The ideal candidate is a systems-oriented leader who brings deep HRIS implementation experience and a genuine passion for data. You know how to run a complex implementation by managing vendors, aligning stakeholders, and holding a timeline. You bring the analytical depth to configure and leverage the system in a way that actually tells the story of our people. You are as comfortable in a steering committee as you are building a workforce dashboard from scratch.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES or KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

HRIS Implementation & Program Leadership

• Transform, mature and elevate the People Operations foundation to manage rapid growth, expansion domestically and internationally
• Serve as the internal program lead for our HRIS implementation, owning scope, timeline, stakeholder alignment, and executive reporting throughout the project lifecycle
• Manage day-to-day relationships with the implementation partner; hold the SI accountable to deliverables, quality, and timeline while protecting the company’s interests
• Lead change management efforts across HR, Finance, and IT to ensure successful adoption; develop training materials, communication plans, and rollout sequencing
• Drive configuration decisions for HCM, Benefits, and Payroll modules in alignment with business requirements and best practices
• Oversee data migration strategy and execution ensuring clean, auditable, and complete people data enters the new system
• Manage integrations between the HRIS and adjacent platforms (payroll processors, equity management, benefits carriers, ATS) in partnership with IT
• Build the internal systems ownership model post-go-live: define ongoing governance, admin responsibilities, and upgrade management processes

People Analytics & Insights

• Build people analytics capabilities that give leadership real‑time visibility into workforce cost, headcount trends, attrition risk, and org health
• Design and maintain dashboards and reporting frameworks that translate raw people data into decision‑ready insights for the executive team and board
• Partner with Finance on headcount planning, workforce cost modeling, and scenario analysis for fundraising, board reporting, and organizational change
• Develop a people data governance framework: define data standards, ownership, and quality controls across all HR systems
• Partner with the VP, People Operations & IT to determine the AI strategy, productivity metrics, and deployment plan for the People function; contribute to the broader organizational strategy
• Identify and close gaps in data quality, system coverage, and reporting maturity as the company scales

Cross-Functional Partnership & Stakeholder Management

• Act as the primary systems and analytics partner to the VP, People Ops, CIO, CFO, and executive team, translating business questions into people data solutions
• Partner with Talent Acquisition, HR Business Partners, IT and Finance to ensure data flows cleanly across all workforce processes
• Advise hiring managers and HR business partners on how to interpret and act on people data; build their analytical fluency over time
• Ensure all people systems and data practices remain compliant with applicable privacy regulations, FLSA, and state and local requirements across all operating locations

SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Proven experience leading or co‑leading a major HRIS implementation (Workday, SAP, or equivalent)
• Strong project management discipline; able to manage a complex multi‑workstream implementation with a cross‑functional team and external SI partner
• Demonstrated ability to build people analytics programs and translate workforce data into executive‑level insights
• Exceptional stakeholder management and executive communication skills; comfortable presenting to the C‑suite and Board
• High integrity and discretion in handling sensitive people data
• Embodies our values: Curiosity, Humility, Integrity, Passion, and Creativity (CHIPC)

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• 12+ years of progressive experience in HRIS, People Analytics, or a combined role, with at least 3 years in a leadership capacity
• Direct experience managing or leading a Workday (or equivalent) implementation project required
• Demonstrated track record building or maturing people analytics capabilities at a venture‑backed or high‑growth technology company
• Experience in robotics, deep tech, hardware, or a technical product company strongly preferred
• Experience supporting a company through a fundraising round, secondary transaction, or pre‑IPO systems review is a strong plus
• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, Information Systems, or a related field; advanced degree a plus

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times
• Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen
• Hearing and speech to communicate in person and via video conference

*This is a direct hire. Please, no outside Agency solicitations.

Apptronik provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.