Position Overview

As an HR Specialist at the AI Robot Association (AIRoA), you will play a key role in building the operational foundation of the organization, with a primary focus on HR and labor management. Your responsibilities will include time and attendance / working hours management, handling onboarding, offboarding and internal transfers, managing various social insurance and labor-related procedures, maintaining and updating HR policies and regulations, acting as the secretariat for performance evaluation operations, managing data related to compensation and grading, coordinating onboarding and internal moves, and serving as the first point of contact for harassment and compliance-related inquiries. You will support researchers, engineers, and business professionals from the back office, enabling them to work in a safe and productive environment.

【What Makes the “HR Specialist” Role at AIRoA Unique】

AIRoA is a non-profit organization that aims to build an open, large-scale robot data ecosystem and develop and release foundation models for robots by integrating AI and robotics technologies across industries. The challenges we tackle are societal in nature, and the projects we run can be described as “national-level” initiatives that seek transformation through the realization of general-purpose robots.

In this role, you will work right next to the front lines of research and development, creating HR structures and processes that allow people to focus on experiments and product development. There is real satisfaction in building a system that lets cutting-edge researchers and engineers fully concentrate on advancing AI and robotics.

【The Appeal of Taking On This Challenge at AIRoA, Just as We Are Getting Started】

Founded in December 2024 with a mission to build a robot data ecosystem and entering full-scale operation in FY2025, AIRoA is very much in its launch phase. Major corporations and startups participate as full members, together with universities and research institutions, forming a truly unique and rarely seen ecosystem.

Within this context, there is still significant room to enhance our HR systems, labor workflows, and evaluation operations. As an HR Specialist, you will listen closely to voices from the field and translate them into clear policies and processes, step by step. You will have the opportunity to design from scratch what “good HR practice” should look like for this association, turning it into the natural standard for AIRoA.

【Other】
While remote work is possible, this role is primarily expected to be office-based.
Most of our engineers and researchers also work on-site, conducting research and development directly in front of the robots.

【About AIRoA】
AIRoA was established in December 2024 with two core objectives: “to revolutionize the technology of robot development through the fusion of robots and AI” and “to promote the use of robots in society.” While AI is rapidly advancing worldwide, the shortage of data in robot development has become a critical issue.

To address this challenge, we are running a national flagship project funded by NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization), with an investment of over JPY 20 billion.

●Recruitment Background

At AIRoA, multiple initiatives are progressing in parallel, including the collection and integration of robot operation data, the development of robot foundation models, and joint projects with member companies. As a result, a diverse range of talent—researchers, engineers, business professionals, and back-office staff—are joining the organization, and both our organizational size and ways of working are rapidly expanding.

Looking ahead to further growth, it has become essential to have a dedicated specialist role focused on HR and labor management. We are therefore seeking an HR Specialist who will work with us to build and operate the HR foundation that supports AIRoA’s continued development.

●Future Mission

After joining AIRoA, you will first be responsible for steadily running day-to-day operations such as attendance and labor management, onboarding and offboarding procedures, and acting as the secretariat for performance evaluation processes, while also reviewing and standardizing existing workflows.

In the mid to long term, your role is expected to evolve toward more planning and system-design responsibilities—for example, proposing updates to HR policies based on changes in work styles and workforce composition, planning initiatives to improve well-being and the overall work environment, and using HR data to detect risks and recommend improvements.

Working closely with the recruitment team, your ultimate mission as an HR Specialist at AIRoA will be to help create an environment where the people we hire can continue to perform at their best over the long term.

Requirements

Required Qualifications:

• 3+ years of hands-on experience in HR and labor management (in-house at a business company, startup, etc.)
• Experience handling onboarding and offboarding procedures, time and attendance management, and social insurance procedures
• Basic knowledge of labor laws and social insurance
• Strong ability to communicate carefully and coordinate with various internal departments

Preferred Qualifications:

• HR, general affairs, or labor management experience at a startup or in an early-stage organization
• Experience operating performance evaluation systems or participating in HR policy/system revision projects
• Experience implementing and operating HR, time & attendance, and labor-related systems
• Experience handling harassment reports and other compliance-related consultations
• Strong interest in AI, robotics, and deep tech, with a willingness to continuously learn about technical topics

Benefits

●Our Office

We currently operate out of a spacious office and research facility of over 1,000 m² located in the Ryutsu Center area. In this space, our business teams and engineering teams work in close collaboration, advancing both day-to-day operations and R&D with AI robots always close at hand. The facility is frequently visited not only by members of the AI Robot Association, but also by engineers and researchers from partner companies and representatives from member companies. As a result, it serves as a hub where diverse experts at the forefront of AI and robotics gather and interact.

●Your Colleagues

Today, highly skilled engineers and researchers from around the world are part of our organization. Some members have even relocated from overseas to Japan to join our projects on site. We aim to build a globally open R&D organization where diverse talent, regardless of nationality or background, come together, inspire one another, and shape the future.

People & Talent Development Programs

●Training & Development

On-the-job training (OJT) ・Participation in external conferences, including overseas events

・Communication and management training

・Organizational development training

Internal Programs ・Performance reviews twice a year (every half year)

・In-house study sessions

・In-house library

・Support for external training programs

Benefits ・Support for book purchases

・Subsidies for lunch and light snacks

・Free drinks

・Commuting allowance (up to JPY 50,000 per month)

・Monthly company-wide events (AIRoA Circle, social gatherings)

・Family Day

・AIRoA-branded shirts and other items provided