Location: Santa Clara, CA (Onsite)
Reports to: Head of HR
About Velaura
Velaura delivers proven, breakthrough compute for cloud, edge, and physical AI applications, driven by ultra-low-power technology. As AI expands beyond the datacenter into robots, autonomous mobile systems, and other embodied platforms, we are building the silicon and systems that make intelligent machines possible in the real world. We are a world-class team of researchers, architects, and engineers rethinking the foundations of AI compute, and we are positioned for significant growth.
Job Description
The Director of Human Resources will take ownership of Velaura’s existing recruiting and onboarding processes and scale them to support the company’s next phase of growth. Reporting to the Vice-President of Finance and Human Resources, this is a highly hands-on role: the Director will not only refine and implement HR processes but actively manage them day to day, operating as an individual contributor while laying the foundation for the team they will eventually lead. The ideal candidate pairs deep talent acquisition and onboarding expertise with practical command of PEO-based HR operations in a fast-moving technology environment.
Responsibilities
- Own and scale Velaura’s full-cycle recruiting function, from sourcing strategy through offer and close, across technical and operational roles.
- Refine and actively manage existing recruiting processes, tooling (ATS), interview frameworks, and metrics to support the company’s growth.
- Partner with engineering and functional leaders to define hiring plans, role requirements, and candidate scorecards.
- Steward the employer brand and candidate experience across all stages.
- Run and continuously improve a structured onboarding program that ramps new hires quickly and consistently.
- Serve as an early and ongoing point of contact for new employees, ensuring a strong first ninety days.
- Manage the day-to-day relationship with Velaura’s PEO, including benefits administration, payroll coordination, and compliance.
- Ensure adherence to federal, state, and local employment law across applicable jurisdictions.
- Maintain accurate employee records, HR policies, and documentation.
- Partner with the Head of HR on broader people strategy, workforce planning, and the future structure of the recruiting and onboarding team.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field; advanced degree or HR certification (SHRM-SCP, SPHR) a plus.
- 8+ years of progressive HR experience, with significant focus on talent acquisition and onboarding.
- Demonstrated experience scaling recruiting and onboarding processes at a high-growth technology company.
- Hands-on familiarity with Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) and the operational realities of running HR through a PEO model.
- Working knowledge of employment law and HR compliance.
- Proficiency with applicant tracking systems and modern HR tooling.
- Excellent communication, organizational, and stakeholder-management skills.
- Comfort operating as a hands-on sole contributor in a lean environment while building toward a team.
- Onsite presence in Santa Clara, CA.
The pay range for this role is $200,000 and $250,000. Individual compensation will be commensurate with the candidate’s experience aligned with Velaura’s internal leveling guidelines and benchmarks.
Velaura is an Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. We also take affirmative action to offer employment opportunities to minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and protected veterans.
Velaura is committed to working with qualified individuals with physical or mental disabilities. Applicants who would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or who need special assistance or a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process may contact us at: careers@velaura.ai. This contact information is for accommodation requests only. Evaluation of requests for reasonable accommodation will be determined on a case-by-case basis.