About Us
Upside Robotics is on a mission to make farming more sustainable and efficient using "physical AI." We build autonomous, solar-powered robots that navigate cornfields to apply fertilizer with surgical precision—think of them as "Roombas for cornfields."
By delivering nutrients directly to the root exactly when the plant needs them, we help farmers reduce fertilizer waste by up to 70%, cut costs by $150 per acre, and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. With a $7.5M Seed round recently closed, we are growing our team of roboticists, engineers, and agronomists to meet the demands of a 200+ farm waitlist.
What We're Looking For
We are seeking a Head of HR, Culture & Recruiting to be the architect of our team and the guardian of our values. At a seed-stage startup, "culture" isn't a poster on the wall—it’s the collective grit, curiosity, and accountability of the people we hire.
You are a "talent magnet" who can find elite engineers and agronomists in a competitive market, and a strategic leader who can build the systems that keep them motivated and aligned. You understand that building a robotics company is hard, and you thrive on creating an environment where high-performers can do the best work of their lives.
Key Responsibilities
Full-Cycle Recruiting: Lead the end-to-end hiring process. From sourcing "purple squirrels" in robotics and AI to closing executive-level hires, you will ensure our bar for talent remains exceptionally high.Culture Architecture: Define and scale the Upside Robotics culture. You will ensure that as we grow from 10 to 50+ people, we maintain our "scrappy, high-accountability, low-ego" DNA.Onboarding & Experience: Design an onboarding experience that gets new hires productive and integrated fast. Ensure that every "Upsider" feels supported and challenged from day one.People Operations: Build the foundational HR infrastructure, including performance management cycles, compensation bands, and internal policies that make sense for a fast-moving startup.Employer Branding: Partner with Marketing to tell the story of why Upside Robotics is the best place to work in Canada. Make us a top-of-mind destination for tech and ag talent.Advisory & Coaching: Act as a trusted partner to the CEO and leadership team on organizational design, conflict resolution, and leadership development.Requirements
Experience: 6+ years in HR or Talent Acquisition, with at least 3 years in a high-growth startup environment (Series A-C experience is a major plus).Technical Fluency: You speak the language of engineers. You can differentiate between a great Robotics Engineer and a great Web Developer and know where to find them.Operational Excellence: Experience building HR processes from scratch—you know which "big company" policies to keep and which to kill in a startup environment.Communication: Exceptional emotional intelligence and communication skills. You can deliver tough feedback with empathy and represent the company with charisma.Location: Hybrid. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, with a presence in our office to keep your pulse on the team culture.Preferred Qualifications
Previous experience in a hardware-centric or deep-tech company.A track record of building diverse, high-performing teams from the ground up.Experience with Alan Health or similar modern HR and benefits platforms.Benefits & Compensation
Salary: Competitive salary.Equity: Meaningful founding-team equity stake.Healthcare: Comprehensive coverage through Alan Health.Vacation: Unlimited. We trust our leaders to manage their own time and energy.Impact: You are not just filling seats; you are building the team that is going to revolutionize the future of farming.How to Apply
Does this role sound like a good fit? Please apply through the link below:
https://upsiderobotics.com/about#contact
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