Senior People Business Partner

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About CoLab At CoLab, we help mechanical engineering teams bring life-changing products to market years sooner. We build AI for engineers designing cars, medical devices, and jet engines. Products this complex aren't sketched and sent to production. Teams spend months on iterations, reviews, and tests, predicting how every part performs before anything is built. CoLab is where those reviews happen, and we capture the rationale behind every change. Other tools show what changed between versions. Only CoLab knows why. That's how our AI helps manufacturers like Bobcat, Triumph Motorcycles, and GE Appliances make better decisions, eliminate rework cycles, and get to market faster. Proudly based in St. John’s, Newfoundland, CoLab started with one customer in 2018. Since then we’ve raised a $72M Series C, been named the 57th fastest growing company in North America by Deloitte (Fast 500™), signed multi-year AI partnerships with companies like Bombardier, and grown to a team of 250+. About the Role As our People Business Partner, you’ll play a critical role in building the foundation that helps CoLab scale while keeping things human. This is a new role created to support our growth, and you’ll be the go-to person for core people operations across our R&D business units, employee support, and all the pieces that make the day-to-day experience at CoLab smooth, compliant, and meaningful. You’ll manage everything from onboarding and benefits, to performance cycles, compensation logistics, and ad hoc people programs. You’ll also provide broader support across the People team, jumping in across recruitment, employee experience, and other team priorities as needed. This role is for someone who thrives on autonomy, figures things out without being asked, and takes ownership from day one. If you’ve worked in a fast-paced environment and want to help shape how a modern People function runs at a high-growth company, this is your opportunity. Our Ideal Candidate You have a strong foundation in HR operations and people programs, ideally in a scale-up or high-growth setting. You don’t need hand-holding, but you do want context and collaboration. You’re confident in owning the details, whether leading onboarding for a new cohort, navigating the latest benefits policy, or coordinating a cross-border work permit, and you communicate clearly and respectfully, even when things get complex. You care deeply about helping people thrive at work, and you bring structure, empathy, and good judgment to everything you do. What You’ll Be Responsible For • Owning core people operations: onboarding, offboarding, benefits administration, performance and compliance • Partnering with managers as a trusted advisor on team performance, feedback practices, employee relations, and other people related needs • Leading or supporting our approach to performance reviews, total rewards, and policy updates • Assisting with payroll administration as needed • Managing day to day employee questions and provide people-related support across teams, ensuring clear guidance on policies, benefits • Supporting PR/work permit coordination and documentation • Pitching in on recruitment logistics (e.g. reference checks, scheduling) as needed • Collaborating with the Employee Experience Lead on office operations, events, and employee initiatives Qualifications Must-Haves • 8+ years in a People Ops, HRBP, or similar role • Experience running onboarding, benefits, and compliance workflows • Strong organizational skills with the ability to self-manage and prioritize across tasks • Clear written and verbal communication, with a high attention to detail • Experience interpreting and applying employment law and standards Nice-to-Haves • Experience managing audits or leading audit-readiness programs • Prior experience in a high-growth SaaS or startup environment • Exposure to PR/work permit processing and immigration support • Strong judgment and ability to navigate ambiguity with confidence and care The Extra Details • Compensation: Full-time, permanent position with competitive salary and stock options • Benefits: Extended health plan, unlimited paid vacation, RRSP matching • Location: This role is remote in Canada with preference given to Eastern, Atlantic and Newfoundland Standard timezones. Equity Note Frequently cited statistics show that people who identify with historically marginalized groups are likely to apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. We encourage you to help us break that statistic and apply even if you don’t meet every single qualification — your potential is what matters most to us.