Head of People

TerraFirma; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

TerraFirma in Austin is seeking an experienced head of HR to own the people function from onboarding through every stage of employment.

You will define people strategy with leadership, implement compliance, benefits, employee relations, and organizational development, and optimize the Rippling platform as the company scales.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of HR experience with employee relations, compliance, and HR program ownership.
• Strong understanding of employment law and HR compliance requirements in Texas.
• Clear written and verbal communication with the ability to build trust across all levels of the organization.

Responsibilities

• Own TerraFirma's HR function end-to-end, including employee relations, benefits administration, compliance, and onboarding.
• Partner with leadership and managers to support workforce planning, org design, and compensation structure as the company scales.
• Build and improve HR systems and processes using Rippling and other needed tools.
• Ensure compliance with employment law, safety regulations, and labor requirements across office and field personnel.
• Design and roll out performance management, career development, and employee engagement programs for a fast-scaling startup.
• Manage leaves of absence, workers' compensation, and other field-operations HR needs.
• Serve as the primary contact for employee relations and workplace matters.
• Build a people-first culture that reflects TerraFirma's mission and operating standards.
• Analyze people data and metrics to inform leadership decisions.

Skills

HR experience

employee relations

compliance

HR policy development

Texas employment law

Tools

Rippling

Job description

At TerraFirma, we’re redefining how the world moves earth for construction. Founded by former SpaceX engineers and backed by Kleiner Perkins and Bain Capital Ventures, TerraFirma is automating construction to make it faster, cheaper, and safer.

Our Story & Mission

At SpaceX, we were part of the teams that built the largest rocket in human history, launched the largest constellation of satellites ever made, and delivered connectivity to millions of people worldwide. What we learned was simple: infrastructure is everything.

At Starbase, the biggest barrier to launching missions to Mars was not building the rocket. It was how slow, expensive, and complex it was to build the infrastructure around it. We lacked buildings, roads, water, power, communications, and waste management, and constructing them took far more time and resources than it should have.

From a first-principles perspective, that doesn't make sense. It shouldn't be this hard or costly to create the foundations for progress. That’s when we realized something important: the same engineering mindset that enabled us to tackle space exploration and mass manufacturing could be applied to infrastructure. By bringing the principles of simplification, iteration, acceleration, and automation to construction, we can unlock a new era in how the world builds.

Accelerating infrastructure unlocks progress across every domain, creating a self-sustaining engine for tackling humanity’s toughest challenges. The innovations we develop on Earth will lay the groundwork for the technologies that one day make settlement on Mars possible.

Job Overview

You will take full ownership of the people function at TerraFirma. As the primary driver of our HR strategy and execution, you will build and run the systems, policies, and programs that support our employees from onboarding through every stage of their time here. You will own HR end-to-end, from defining people strategy with leadership to the tactical execution of compliance, benefits, employee relations, and organizational development. You'll utilize and build upon what's already in place, including Rippling, while designing the systems and programs that support the company going forward. We are looking for someone who understands that how we support our people is as important as who we hire, and who operates with the precision and care required to build a world-class organization.

Responsibilities

• Own TerraFirma's HR function end-to-end, including employee relations, benefits administration, compliance, and onboarding
• Partner directly with leadership and managers to support workforce planning, org design, and compensation structure as the company scales
• Build and improve HR systems and processes using our existing infrastructure (Rippling) and whatever else is needed as the company grows
• Ensure compliance with employment law, safety regulations, and labor requirements across a workforce that includes both office and field/manufacturing personnel
• Design and roll out performance management, career development, and employee engagement programs appropriate for a fast-scaling startup
• Manage leaves of absence, workers' compensation, and other field-operations-specific HR needs unique to a hardware and construction environment
• Serve as the primary point of contact for employee relations and workplace matters, handling sensitive issues with judgment and discretion
• Build a people-first culture that reflects TerraFirma's mission and operating standards, from the office to the job site
• Analyze people data and metrics to identify issues, measure program effectiveness, and inform leadership decisions

Basic Qualifications

• 5+ years of HR experience, including employee relations, compliance, and HR program ownership
• Demonstrated ability to understand complex organizational needs and translate them into effective HR programs and policies
• Strong understanding of employment law and HR compliance requirements in Texas
• Clear written and verbal communication skills with the ability to build trust across all levels of the organization

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience as a founding or early HR hire at a startup or fast-growing company
• Experience supporting a workforce that includes both office-based and field/manufacturing/construction personnel
• Familiarity with HR needs specific to construction, manufacturing, or hardware companies (e.g., workers' comp, field safety compliance, union or apprenticeship considerations)
• Hands-on experience with Rippling or a similar HRIS platform
• PHR/SPHR or SHRM-CP/SCP certification

Additional Requirements

• Must be willing to work extended hours when needed to support critical employee-relations or compliance needs
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced startup environment
• Must be willing to relocate to Austin, TX if not within commuting distance