People Associate
About us
Materials Nexus is a deep-tech business using AI to discover novel sustainable materials. Materials contribute to 50% of global CO2 emissions, those critical to the net-zero transition such as magnets, semiconductors, hydrogen fuel, batteries are some of the biggest contributors. We have raised over £3m from top VC funds, Google, Microsoft and AWS to accelerate the change to net-zero materials.
About the role
We are looking for an ambitious individual who is passionate about a career in People and Culture to be the foundational member of this function in the business. You will be given the autonomy to shape the people function and grow it with the business. Given our ambition, this is an incredibly exciting opportunity to work with a rapidly expanding business working in the cutting-edge of scientific discovery.
This is a critical hire for the business as we scale and deliver on our mission. We are keen to hear from people who are passionate, ambitious and aligned with our goals, though advertised at the associate level seniority of this role can vary for the right candidate.
You will report to Head of Operations, Luxia Broadbent and work closely with the co-founders to execute hiring strategy and HR processes across all areas of the business.
Responsibilities:
Depending on your experience you will either grow into these responsibilities or own them from day one.
End-to-end ownership of the recruitment cycle – from job description to onboarding
Build out the company’s “HR” practices, data management, processes and policies – for the UK and other future global office locations
Champion and cultivate our company culture – conduct pulse-checks and eNPS, plan team activities, drive DEI practices, build our employer brand
Work with business leaders on hiring strategies, conduct skill gap analysis, drive roles and responsibilities reviews
Be point of contact for day-to-day People queries internally and externally
Grow with the business, likely into a Head of People role
This is a unique opportunity for an individual from a generalist People and Culture background to join a company on the forefront of technological disruption, work with a team of scientific pioneers and build this business function from the ground up.
About you
You are self-starting, ambitious and passionate about making a difference in the world
You are excited by the prospect of scaling an organisation, creating a resilient company culture and driving people development
You appreciate the challenges facing deep-tech start-ups and value the opportunity of joining an early-stage business
You likely have experience in hiring and recruitment (in-house or at a firm) – you will need to be confident across the hiring process from candidate comms to leading interviews, or be willing to learn these skills working closely with Head of Ops
You may have an HR qualification eg. CIPD – you will need to be well-verse in UK employment law or willing to spend time becoming familiar with this
You likely have a degree, in any field – we’re excited by diversity of experience. Training in relevant “People” fields such as HR Business Management/Organisational Psychology, scientific backgrounds in Engineering/Chemistry/Physics/CompSci, or something totally different are all of interest
You have at least 2 years of full-time work experience, most likely in People/HR functions, recruitment, consultancy or start-up environments – you will need to be familiar with best-practices and excited to share your perspectives and insights
You must have the right to live and work in the UK
If you do not think you are an exact fit but are still passionate about our mission and work we’d still like to see your application!
Benefits of working with us:
📈 Stock Options: We value our employees and you to share in the success of the company. You will be a vested partner in our future achievements.
🌍 Shape the company's future: Joining us at this early-stage presents a unique opportunity to shape the direction of the company and have a meaningful impact as we continue to grow.
🏦 Future security: We are VC backed and have secured future funding. This stability provides you with confidence and assurance in your contribution to the business.
🌴 Flexible holidays: 33 days holiday/year which can be used on UK public holidays or on more convenient days for you.
🎂 Your birthday day off: Enjoy a well-deserved day off to celebrate and recharge.
💻 Flexible work arrangements: The team work face to face on an average 3 days per week in our London office. Flexible working times can also be arranged.
📒 Continuous learning and growth: We’re pioneers in our field, so you'll be encouraged to expand your knowledge and skills in new areas too.
Recruitment process:
We like to complete interview processes within two weeks. In-person interviews will likely be scheduled for w/c 22nd April.
Three stage process:
Initial 30 min video call "get to know" with Head of Operations, Luxia Broadbent.
1.5 hour in-person interview, including a short presentation, at our London offices with members from the broader team
Final culture and values chat
Successful candidates will need to complete:
Belbin teams role profile (personality profile of which you’ll receive a full report)
References from two separate employers
DBS check
Materials Nexus actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society. Research suggests women only apply when they meet 100% of the criteria. Our hiring data shows female applicants were 3 times more likely to proceed to first round interviews than male applicants. We encourage you to apply even if you do not feel you are an exact fit to the spec as we are excited by diversity of experience and above all passion to make a difference.