Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP)

Hitachi Ventures GmbH; Kearny (NJ); On-site; USD 80,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health benefits

Employee equity stock options

20 days PTO

Job summary

A leading firm in fusion energy is seeking a Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) for its Kearny location, responsible for the full employee lifecycle. The ideal candidate will have over 3 years of HRBP experience in a high-growth startup or manufacturing environment, a strong grasp of labor laws, and the ability to foster an inclusive culture. The position offers a salary range of $80K – $140K, comprehensive health benefits, and employee equity options.

Qualifications

• 3+ years as a HRBP in high-growth startup or manufacturing.
• Strong knowledge of state and federal labor laws.
• Experience in a lab or hardtech environment is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead employee relations and maintain an inclusive culture.
• Refine and execute the performance review cycle.
• Identify skills gaps and create training programs.
• Handle compensation benchmarking and benefits administration.
• Manage compliance with labor laws and safety standards.
• Execute internal engagement initiatives.
• Serve as a DEI consultant to improve workforce representation.

Skills

HRBP experience

Knowledge of labor laws

Employee relations coaching

Learning and Development

Data-driven HR metrics

Emotional intelligence

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher

Tools

Microsoft Office

SharePoint

JustWorks

Job description

About Thea Energy

Thea Energy is leveraging recent breakthroughs in stellarator physics and engineering to create a faster and simpler approach to commercializing fusion energy. The company is reinventing the stellarator using computer-controlled arrays of planar coils thereby replacing the intricate, complex modular magnets required in all other stellarator architectures. Thea Energy is on a mission to create a limitless source of zero emission energy for a sustainable future.

Position Overview

As a Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP), you will be responsible for the "employee lifecycle" beyond the initial hire. You will report directly to the Head of People, and handle the day‑to‑day "boots on the ground" HR needs of a best‑of‑class, high‑growth hardtech company.

Key Responsibility Areas

• Employee Relations & Culture: Lead the charge in maintaining a high‑performance, inclusive culture. Manage complex employee relations, conduct investigations when necessary, and provide conflict resolution coaching.
• Performance Management: In partnership with Thea Energy’s VP – People and management team, refine and execute the Company’s performance review cycle, including goal setting, continuous feedback loops, and promotion calibrations.
• Learning & Development: Identify skills gaps within the employees and leadership; create and deliver training programs that foster professional growth.
• Total Rewards & Compensation: Partner with the VP – People on compensation benchmarking, benefits administration, and equity education to ensure we remain competitive in the deep‑tech market.
• HR Operations & Compliance: Maintain and enhance data integrity, manage compliance (labor laws, safety/OSHA standards for the lab), and help to refine internal HR policies and handbooks.
• Employee Engagement: Execute internal engagement initiatives (team building, pulse surveys) that keep our team aligned and motivated.
• DEI: Serve as a strategic DEI consultant to business leaders, auditing talent lifecycles to eliminate bias and implementing data‑driven inclusion initiatives that measurably improve workforce representation and employee belonging.

Ideal Experience & Skillsets

• 3+ years as a HRBP within a high‑growth startup, engineering, or manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge of state and federal labor laws including OSHSA.
• HR Experience in a manufacturing, lab, or other hardtech environment is a significant plus.
• Experience coaching managers on employee relations issues.
• Learning and Development experience in creating and delivering training.
• Experience with modern HRIS platforms and a data‑driven approach to HR metrics.
• Exceptional emotional intelligence and the ability to communicate effectively with everyone from PhD physicists to lab technicians.
• A "builder" mentality – you enjoy creating processes from scratch and are comfortable with the ambiguity of a fast‑moving startup.
• Experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Experience with SharePoint and Slack is a plus.
• Experience with JustWorks is a plus.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher is required.

Company Benefits

• Salary range $80K – $140K depending on experience
• Comprehensive health benefits (e.g. medical/dental/vision)
• Employee equity stock options
• 20 days PTO

It’s not necessary to meet all of the skillsets outlined above. Please feel free to send us a note and tell us why you would still be a great fit for this role or Thea Energy.

Diversity and Inclusion

Thea Energy is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a company of diverse backgrounds. By creating a diverse environment, we will bring new ideas and approaches to solving some of the world’s hardest (and most important) problems. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, family or marital status, age, disability, veteran’s status, or other characteristic protected by applicable laws and regulations.