People Partner, Pilot and Central Operations

Niron Magnetics is commercializing the first new permanent magnetic material in decades—a breakthrough Iron Nitride technology that eliminates rare earths, strengthens supply chains, and drives a more sustainable future. At Niron, we’re not improving what exists—we’re building what’s never existed before. The materials, processes, and standards are being created in real time by our team.  We were named one of “America's Top GreenTech Companies” for 2024 and 2025 by TIME Magazine, Fast Company World Changing Ideas wins in 2024, 2025 and winners of the Minneapolis/ St. Paul Business Journal Minnesota Manufacturing Awards in 2025 and 2026.

As we scale to commercial production, your impact is immediate and visible—on the plant floor, in the lab, and in the products our customers bring to life. We set a high bar because what we’re building will last—and so will the legacy of the people behind it.

Pilot and Central Operations is where it all starts: a first-of-its-kind facility scaling our breakthrough process on the way to our first full-scale manufacturing plant. We are looking for a People Partner who wants to be at the heart of building something new. At Niron, we’re not an HR function people call when something goes wrong, but someone the teams know by name, who understands the work, and who helps leaders build the organization while it is still being built. You will report to the Chief People Officer and work with a high degree of autonomy. This role will evolve as Niron scales, and you will act as both a strategic partner for leaders, and hands on support for employees.  

The successful People Partner exemplifies Niron's core competencies every day. They build trust through collaboration, communicate openly and directly, act decisively, prioritize people and safety, and take ownership for delivering business results. As a leader, they help others grow, align teams around the future, and remove barriers to execution. 

Expect to spend most of your week with the teams, on the production floor and in their meetings. The goal is that you see issues forming before anyone has to bring them to you.

Be a trusted partner to leaders and employees

• →Build strong relationships across Pilot and Central Operations by demonstrating Build as One Team, developing trust, fostering collaboration, and helping teams work through challenges together.

• →Know the work, the people and the team dynamics well enough to spot trends and feedback early before they become problems and act before they grow.

• →Advise leaders on decisions about structure, roles, staffing and team effectiveness, using data and what you hear on the floor.

• →Be an accessible resource for technicians and operators as much as for senior leaders.

Invest in and build frontline and new leaders

• →Coach supervisors, leads, and managers on feedback, accountability, performance management, and employee development, helping them Grow Teams that Thrive.

• →Partner with operational leaders to establish scalable leadership practices that reinforce Niron's culture, expectations, and values.

• →Help the new COO stand up the new plant startup team's structure, roles and ways of working.

• →Design practical leader development for first-line supervisors that fits a production schedule.

Help the organization scale

• →Partner with Talent Acquisition and business leaders to attract, assess, and hire talent aligned with Niron's mission, values, and competency expectations.

• →Build onboarding that gets new technicians and operators productive and engaged and keeps them past their first 90 days.

• → Support talent reviews, succession planning, and career development processes that identify, develop, and retain key talent. 

• →Collaborate with People Partners and business leaders across sites to create consistent and scalable people practices while maintaining the agility needed in a fast-growing environment.

• →Balance startup speed and flexibility with steady, consistent application of employment law and policy.

Strengthen engagement and culture

• →Own engagement surveys and listening for your groups and help leaders turn results into action plans they follow through on.

• →Help leaders navigate organizational growth and change by providing clear communication, practical guidance, and thoughtful change management support.

• →Partner with EHS and operational leaders to reinforce Niron's commitment to safety, inclusion, and employee well-being.

• →Champion a culture of feedback, accountability, innovation, and collaboration that reflects Niron's core competencies and values

Handle employee relations with good judgment

• →Guide leaders through performance management, investigations, corrective action, and conflict resolution while demonstrating fairness, consistency, and integrity.

• →Address employees’ concerns fairly and quickly, and conduct investigations where appropriate, escalating sensitive matters to the CPO.

• →Apply policies consistently and build the scalable people practices a growing manufacturing company needs, including those for hourly, shift-based work.

• →Know where flexibility helps the business and where policy, compliance and legal requirements are non-negotiable.

• →Help leaders make difficult decisions around talent with empathy, good judgment, and a focus on both business outcomes and employee experience.

• 7+ years in HR Business Partner, People Partner or broad HR roles, including direct employee relations work.

• Experience supporting manufacturing, operations, engineering or other technical teams, including hourly, shift-based employees.

• A track record of coaching leaders, including new supervisors, and influencing decisions at every level.

• Comfort with ambiguity and building things that don't exist yet, without waiting for a playbook.

• Bachelor's degree in HR, business, organizational development or a related field, or equivalent experience.

• Experience at a startup or scale-up, or supporting a plant startup, production ramp or new site.

• Experience partnering with a new executive to build a team or function.

• Working knowledge of Minnesota employment law.

This position may require access to information, technology, or technical data controlled under U.S. export control laws, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR, 22 C.F.R. Parts 120–130) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR, 15 C.F.R. Parts 730–774), as well as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) as defined under 32 C.F.R. Part 2002. Where such access is required, the Company will evaluate all available license exceptions and exemptions before determining that a formal export authorization is necessary. If an export authorization is required, the Company will determine, based on legitimate business and regulatory considerations alone, whether to pursue one. The Company is not obligated to seek an export authorization in every circumstance, and any decision regarding authorization will never be based on a candidate's citizenship status, immigration status, or national origin. Each candidate's eligibility will be evaluated individually through a consistent, documented review process. The Company complies fully with all applicable federal anti-discrimination laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq.), the anti-discrimination provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. § 1324b), and Executive Order 11246 as implemented by 41 C.F.R. Part 60. The Company does not discriminate on the basis of national origin, citizenship status, or immigration status in any aspect of employment. 

This role may involve access to Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). Candidates selected for roles involving CUI will be required to comply with all applicable safeguarding and handling requirements, including those under NIST SP 800-171 and any governing contractual obligations.