Director of People & Talent

About FirstPrinciples:
FirstPrinciples is a non-profit organization building an autonomous AI Physicist designed to advance humanity's understanding of the fundamental laws of nature. Our goal for the AI Physicist is to achieve a breakthrough that unifies quantum field theory & general relativity and to explain the deepest unresolved phenomena in our universe by 2035. To do this, we're pioneering a new approach to scientific discovery by creating an intelligent system that can explore theoretical frameworks, reason across disciplines, and generate novel insights. We're a non-profit that operates like a tech start-up by moving quickly and continuously iterating to accelerate scientific progress. By combining AI, symbolic reasoning, and autonomous research capabilities, we're developing a platform that goes beyond analyzing existing knowledge to actively contribute to physics research.

Job Description:
We are looking for a Director of People and Talent to own the full people journey at FirstPrinciples from talent acquisition to the development of long-term people engagement and retention strategies. Reporting into the Founder of FirstPrinciples, you will be at the center of hiring, people operations, and culture, making sure we attract mission-driven experts and give our world class talent the support they need to do their best work. The ideal candidate will be comfortable working on a team of one to develop and run the HR function, has a strong record of building and scaling people teams, pairing big-picture talent strategy with hands-on HR expertise to turn bold scientific goals into a well-supported, engaged and motivated team.

Key Responsibilities:

Hiring Strategy:

• Work with the executive team to develop multi-year headcount plans across key functions, including AI research, engineering, data science, operations, admin and fundraising.
• Translate long term hiring plans into a clear quarterly roadmap, with details around role priorities, skill requirements, and budget impact.
• Develop and maintain up to date compensation bands that consider FirstPrinciples’ nonprofit status, competitive market salaries and cost-of-living dynamics in hiring jurisdictions.

Full-Cycle Recruiting Execution:

• Manage the entire recruitment process from preliminary screening calls through offer acceptance and onboarding.
• Scope and implement creative and diverse candidate sourcing channels including LinkedIn outreach, in-person attendance of community meetups/conferences, monitoring & participation in online communities, and targeted outreach to world-class talent.
• Design structured interview processes with clear evaluation metrics to ensure comparability and elimination of interviewer biases.
• Optimize toward time-to-hire by tracking funnel data, flagging bottlenecks, and deploying quick fixes and process tweaks.

Onboarding & Culture Integration:

• Design and implement onboarding plans and processes that combine training, goal-setting and culture touch-points.
• Implement surveys and other data collection efforts to consistently improve onboarding processes.
• Launch culture alignment programs to ensure long term development of FirstPrinciples’ culture and integration within the broader team.
• Coordinate and plan quarterly team building events, both in face-to-face and virtual settings.

HR Operations & Compliance:

• Manage existing systems for payroll, benefits, applicant tracking and performance reviews.
• Own the employee handbook, maintaining policies around time off, remote work, conduct, and data privacy current with Canadian law and other regions where we hire.
• Maintain corporate records around employment contracts, T4s, payroll tax filings, and more to ensure we stay audit-ready and compliant with CRA and other tax authorities.
• Stay up to date with policy changes from ESA, CRA, and other regulatory bodies, updating processes before compliance deadlines hit.

Learning & Growth:

• Design and run workshops to help managers and employees develop soft skills to advance their careers.
• Schedule and conduct quarterly and annual performance reviews with clear OKRs, peer & manager feedback, and self-reflection.
• Manage a professional development budget; track usage and have participants document how the course or conference changed their work.

Qualifications:

• Educational Background: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field.
• Experience: 5+ years in recruiting, talent acquisition or HR generalist roles with specific focus on hiring engineers and other technical talent. 
• Technical Skills: Familiarity with tech platforms including HRIS, ATS, etc., Canadian labour laws, and data driven practices.
• Collaboration & Communication:
  • Comfort in hiring engineers, researchers and other technical team members.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  • Comfortable working in a startup-style, cross-functional, remote team.
• Bonus Skills:
  • Has experience with or strong interest in physics and/or fundamental science topics.
  • Experience building remote first teams.

Application Process:

• Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume, a cover letter detailing their qualifications and vision for the role, and references. Please include "Director of People & Talent" in the cover letter.

Join us at FirstPrinciples and be a part of a transformative journey where science drives progress and unlocks the potential of humanity.