People Operations Specialist

At Mainblades, we're redefining how airplanes get inspected. Our automatic drone system captures high-resolution images, detects defects using machine learning, and is being used at major airlines across the globe.

We've proven the concept. Now we're scaling from 35 people to 50+ by year-end, and the operational systems need to scale too. That's where you come in.

The challenge

As our People Operations Specialist, you will work alongside our People and Culture Lead to own the operational and administrative side of growing the team. While the P&C Lead focuses on strategy and culture, you make sure the day-to-day operations run smoothly.

You handle offer letters, onboarding, contracts, compliance, payroll coordination, and benefits administration. This is hands-on work, with not all processes in place yet. Which means that you need to adapt quickly, and make pragmatic decisions that keep things moving.

You will:

• Own the employee lifecycle: onboarding, contracts, offboarding, and everything between

• Coordinate payroll, benefits, and third-party administrators for accuracy and compliance

• Manage recruitment operations: scheduling, candidate communication, offers, and tracking

• Maintain HR systems and records with attention to detail

• Ensure compliance with Dutch labor law and work permit processes

• Identify and fix process bottlenecks before they scale

• Build documentation that others can execute without you

What we're looking for

What matters most:

• 3+ years in people operations or HR, ideally in a tech or startup environment

• Experience with the full employee lifecycle in the Netherlands, including labor law and work permits

• Strong operational skills: you build systems, spot inefficiencies, and fix them

• Clear communication and ability to work independently

• High standards for accuracy—payroll mistakes and compliance gaps don't happen on your watch

Nice to have:

• Experience scaling teams through rapid growth

• Familiarity with HR systems (BambooHR, Personio, or similar)

• Experience in hardware, robotics, or deep-tech companies

• Comfort working in English and Dutch

What we offer

• Competitive compensation that reflects your experience and impact

• 30 vacation days + 8 flexible public holiday swap days

• Employee incentive plan—a real stake in what you help build

• Optional pension contribution (3rd pillar)

• Fresh fruit, good coffee, and colleagues who like building useful things

• The chance to shape not just a product, but how an industry works