HR Manager

About the Company

Tiryaki USA LLC (Tiryaki Energy) is building a diversified investment platform focused on energy, mining, infrastructure, and strategic commodity-related opportunities in emerging markets, with an initial focus on Venezuela. As a newly established business, the company aims to develop and operate projects through disciplined investment, strong financial governance, and long-term strategic partnerships.

About the Role

As the company enters its founding phase, it is assembling a core leadership team responsible for building operational, financial, and people functions from the ground up. The HR Manager / Senior Manager will be a key member of this founding team, tasked with establishing the human resources infrastructure that will underpin all Venezuela-based operations. The HR Manager / Senior Manager will serve as the founding HR leader for Tiryaki USA LLC's Venezuela operations and will be responsible for building the HR function from scratch. This role will be critical in establishing people policies, legal compliance frameworks, organizational structures, and a workplace culture aligned with the company's values and strategic objectives. Working in close coordination with the CEO, CFO, and global HR team, this role will manage all aspects of human resources for a newly established entity operating in a complex regulatory and cultural environment — covering workforce planning, recruitment, compensation, labor law compliance, employee relations, and HR operations. This role requires a hands-on, entrepreneurial HR professional with demonstrated experience in greenfield or start-up HR environments, knowledge of Venezuelan labor law, and the ability to operate effectively across both strategic and operational dimensions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end setup of the HR function for the newly established entity in Venezuela — from designing HR policies and procedures to full operational execution.
• Establish and register the company's HR and legal framework in compliance with Venezuelan Labor Law, Social Security legislation, and applicable U.S. employment requirements, working closely with legal and compliance advisors.
• Define and implement HR governance frameworks, internal controls, and reporting structures aligned with global headquarters (HQ) standards.
• Develop and maintain the Employee Handbook, HR policies, disciplinary procedures, and code of conduct documentation.
• Design and implement the initial organizational structure, job architecture, and staffing plan in coordination with global business unit leaders and functional managers.
• Support the CEO and CFO in determining headcount requirements, role definitions, and compensation bands for all functions during the start-up phase.
• Partner with senior leadership to develop a phased workforce plan aligned with project timelines and operational milestones.
• Lead recruitment and onboarding processes for the initial workforce, including local leadership hires, technical field staff, and support functions.
• Build relationships with local talent networks, universities, recruitment agencies, and professional associations to establish a strong candidate pipeline.
• Design and implement a structured onboarding program that fosters cultural alignment, role clarity, and early engagement.
• Set up and manage payroll data entry processes, social security registration, legal notifications, and labor compliance obligations from the earliest stage of operations.
• Ensure full compliance with Venezuelan labor law, social security legislation, and all applicable U.S. and international employment regulations.
• Develop and manage field-oriented HR practices suited to industrial and energy sector environments, including health, safety, and welfare considerations.
• Act as the primary HR point of contact for local government bodies, labor authorities, and other external stakeholders during the establishment phase.
• Build a strong, inclusive, and performance-driven workplace culture from day one, aligned with Tiryaki USA LLC's values and long-term vision.
• Resolve employee and manager concerns in a timely, fair, and effective manner as the organization scales.
• Establish strong, trust-based, and sustainable relationships with all internal and external stakeholders, representing the company's values as it enters the Venezuelan market.
• Develop and implement employee satisfaction, engagement, and retention initiatives appropriate for a start-up industrial environment.
• Build working relationships with Centers of Excellence (COEs) such as Compensation, Labor Law, Employee Relations, HR Compliance, Learning & Development, Recruitment, Talent, and Performance Management — adapting global frameworks to the local context.
• Design and implement a performance management framework, including objective setting, evaluation processes, and development planning.
• Identify training and capability development needs for local staff and coordinate learning programs accordingly.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Law, or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in Human Resources, including hands-on experience as an HR Business Partner or HR Manager in industrial, energy, mining, or production environments.
• Willing and able to travel as needed for the role, with no travel restrictions.
• Demonstrated experience in greenfield operations, new entity/company setups, or organizational start-up projects.
• Strong knowledge of Venezuelan labor law, social security regulations, and local employment practices.
• Proficiency in both English and Spanish.
• Proven ability to build HR functions, policies, and processes from the ground up with limited existing infrastructure.
• Strong project management, analytical, and problem-solving skills with a proactive, result-oriented mindset.
• Excellent communication skills; team-oriented with a partnership and consultancy approach, able to work across global HQ and local stakeholders.
• Highly disciplined with a strong sense of ownership and accountability, capable of managing multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Comfortable operating at both strategic and operational levels — a true "hands-on" HR generalist in an early-stage organization.
• Dynamic, adaptable to change, resilient, and effective in ambiguous, fast-evolving, and resource-constrained environments.
• Willingness to travel locally and regionally; ability to work on-site at Venezuela operations as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, or Labor Law.
• Professional HR certification (SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, or equivalent).
• Experience in the energy, oil & gas, mining, or natural resources sectors.
• Prior experience supporting operations in Latin America and/or Venezuela specifically.
• Familiarity with U.S. employment regulations and cross-border HR compliance for U.S.-headquartered entities with international operations.
• Experience working with international HQ structures and implementing global HR frameworks in a local context.