Principal People Partner

About Us Familiar Machines & Magic, Inc. (FM&M) is a Massachusetts company focused on creating artificial life to build a more caring world. Our EQ-first Physical AI platform blends personality, memory, and motion so machines can relate, remember, and support their users.

Founded by industry leaders from iRobot, Disney, and Amazon and fully-funded by leading Venture Capitalist, we are currently in stealth mode.

We are assembling a world-class team of roboticists, engineers, and designers to bring our vision to life at scale. Familiar Machines & Magic is building a “high-expectations” team based on core values of trust, respect, kindness, and candor.

Position Overview

We are seeking a Principal People Partner to serve as FM&M’s senior People Team lead and strategic business partner. In this role, you will shape and operationalize the People strategy across a fast-moving, high-growth consumer AI & robotics startup. You will partner closely with senior leadership to lead critical people initiatives, build scalable frameworks, drive organizational health, and ensure a best-in-class employee experience.

You will operate with autonomy and influence, owning the design and execution of People Operations as FM&M grows; overseeing hiring; identifying, prototyping, and embedding AI and automation opportunities into FM&M; and providing the data and insights to support effective executive decision-making. The ideal candidate is a seasoned generalist who thrives in ambiguity, is energized by building from zero-to-one, and is passionate about innovation, execution, and a culture-forward workplace.

What You’ll Do

• People Operations Ownership: Lead day-to-day HR operations, including onboarding, employee relations, compensation cycles, performance processes, and people systems, ensuring they scale effectively.
• AI-Forward HR Innovation: Champion the integration of AI and automation across HR processes, experimenting with new tools to improve efficiency, consistency, and employee experience.
• Culture Stewardship: Support and Help cultivate FM&M’s Mission, Vision, Culture Principles, and Ways of Working "high-expectations + high-care” culture.
• Strategic Business Partnering: Serve as a trusted advisor to FM&M executive leaders, translating business goals into actionable people strategies that support scale, speed, and innovation.
• Organizational Design & Workforce Planning: Support org design decisions, conduct scenario planning, and guide org evolution as FM&M rapidly grows.
• Talent Acquisition Management: Oversee contract recruiters and external partners to drive an efficient, high-quality, and equitable end-to-end hiring process that supports FM&M’s growth.
• People Programs: Design and execute cyclical programs (performance, compensation, promotions, engagement) and ad hoc initiatives that align with FM&M’s culture and goals.
• Org Health: Use data and qualitative insights to assess organizational effectiveness, identify gaps or friction points and recommend solutions to senior leadership.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Finance, Operations, Talent Acquisition, and technical teams to ensure seamless processes and a cohesive employee experience.
• Perform other responsibilities as assigned

What You’ll Bring:

What You’ll Have

• 8–12+ years of progressive HR/People leadership experience, including work as an HR Business Partner or People Partner.
• Prior experience in a high-growth environment; startup or early-stage company experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated generalist experience across people operations, employee relations, organizational design, talent programs, and leadership coaching.
• Experience advising senior leaders and driving cross-functional, strategic initiatives.
• Track record of applying AI, automation, and modern HR tools to enhance HR workflows and decision-making.
• Highly proficient in Google GSuite and Slack. Experience with tools like Notion or Coda is preferred.

What You’ll Need to Succeed

• Strategic doer: Able to craft strategy and then roll up your sleeves to execute quickly.
• Curious systems thinker: Excited by ambiguity and energized by building frameworks from scratch.
• AI-forward mindset: Actively leans into modern HR technologies and experiments with new tools.
• Connector & influencer: Builds credibility, trust, and strong relationships across levels.
• Data-informed decision-maker: Uses analytics, trends, and pattern recognition to guide leaders.
• Excellent communicator: Clear, concise, and capable of simplifying complex issues.
• High judgment & discretion: Able to effectively handle sensitive or complex employee situations.
• Mission-driven: Passionate about consumer products and shaping a healthy, high-performance culture.

Please Note: We have often hired those that do not meet the exact requirements but that we found to be a great culture fit and have the relevant experience to be successful in the role. Please consider applying if this is you.

Familiar Machines & Magic is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace where all individuals are valued and respected. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status.