Position: Principal People Partner

Location: Boston Metro (Woburn, MA) - hybrid

About Us

Familiar Machines & Magic, Inc. (FM&M) is using robotics and AI to pioneer an exciting new category of home robots in the health and wellness space with a significant focus on human-robot interaction. 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 “World Cup Team” of high performers, grounded in our Culture Principles, including trust, respect, kindness, candor, pragmatic optimism, and having fun together, FM&M is also creating a “10x Organization” that can scale without growing in the way that traditional robotics companies have, by leaning into emerging AI and automation opportunities.

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.