Director of People & Business Operations

Overview

Create Me is an AI robotics company pioneering automated manufacturing for soft materials, starting with apparel. Built on the belief that the Future of Fashion is Bonded™, the company has developed a unified platform that combines advanced robotics, proprietary adhesive bonding, and Physical AI to deliver a new standard of precision, consistency, and speed.

By replacing stitch-based construction with digitally applied adhesives and automated material handling, the platform enables localized, on-demand production that reduces waste, shortens supply chains, and improves recyclability by design. Core technologies include Pixel™ micro adhesive bonding, the MeRA™ robotic assembly system, and Thermo(re) set™ reversible adhesive science, advancements that make scalable, automated production possible within compact, localized facilities.

Create Me partners with brands and manufacturers seeking to modernize how products are made. With more than 95 patents across robotics, adhesives, and Physical AI, the company is defining the infrastructure for bonded manufacturing globally.

Create Me is seeking a Director of People & Business Operations to serve as a strategic and operational partner to the company. Reporting directly to our Founder & CEO, this role leads HR, Recruiting, and Business Operations, while acting as a trusted peer and support to the executive team and department leaders. This is a hybrid leadership role at an early-stage Series A company, working with a growing team of 25, with a roughly 60% focus on HR and Recruiting and 40% on Business Operations.

In this highly collaborative role, you’ll work closely with the exec team and functional leaders to understand priorities, drive alignment, and help resolve cross-functional challenges, bringing both an operations mindset and strong project management discipline. As our HR and Recruiting lead, you’ll own talent strategy end-to-end—from role definition and hiring through onboarding, PEO-supported benefits and payroll, and the overall employee experience—at a pivotal moment for talent growth in 2026.

With demonstrated impact and strong partnership across the business, this role is intended to progress into a seat on the Executive Leadership Team and participation in Board activities as an observer and operational support.

The ideal candidate is self-directed, brings a “no task too small” mindset, and operates like an owner—comfortable in a fast-paced environment, willing to think creatively, and motivated to push beyond the limits of a legacy industry.

This is a role for someone seeking real challenge, exposure to building a company at its most critical stages, and meaningful responsibility as a path to growing into a senior business leader.

This role is onsite in Newark, CA and is not eligible for relocation assistance.

This position is not eligible for new employment visa sponsorship. Candidates must have full authorization to work in the United States.

Human Resources and Recruiting

• Serve as the strategic and operational People leader, and the HR Business Partner to the business. This includes our largest team, Engineering, led by our Chief Engineer.
• Lead the talent strategy, role development, and end-to-end recruitment
• Lead candidate experience to employee onboarding
• Build and enhance the overall employee experience, including leading a culture of feedback and development, harmonizing a range of employee personalities
• Lead employee relations, conflict management, and performance management in a fair, consistent, sensitive, and confidential manner
• Complete all HR, benefits, and pay compliance requirements
• Own benefits, payroll, and HR system programs, communications, and technical support alongside our PEO and VP of Finance
• Manage all HR and Recruiting vendors
• Manage all HR and Recruiting systems and data, including our PEO’s HRIS, our ATS, and Compensation and Benefits benchmarking and tooling

Business Operations

• Lead and support all general business operations, including supporting each function leaders’ top priorities and challenges, working to collaboratively achieve and resolve them
• Lead agenda and presentation prep…