About Horse Powertrain

Horse Powertrain Limited is an independent new powertrain solutions business, with over 125 years of heritage from Renault and Geely. We develop and produce world-class hybrid and combustion engines and transmissions to move our industry forward, offering many different paths to net zero.

Horse Powertrain has 19,000 dedicated and determined employees, working in 17 manufacturing plants, and 5 R&D centers on three continents. This role is based at in Detroit, United States.

Why join us?

At Horse Powertrain, you’ll have opportunities to grow your career while making a difference. This is a dynamic, international environment, staffed by caring and collaborative people. If you’re ready to create excellence with us, you’ll be appreciated and rewarded.

What you will be doing

As the HR Manager for the U.S. market, you will build Horse Powertrains HR foundation from the ground up as we enter and scale across North America. You will be part of a global HR network with center of excellences and established processes and the trusted partner for local leaders and employees - ensuring full compliance with U.S. federal and state labor laws, while translating and adapting global HR frameworks to the U.S. context. Working closely with Division and Country HR teams globally, you’ll connect the U.S. organization with our international HR community and help create a high-performing, values-led employee experience.

• Set up core U.S. HR infrastructure: policies, processes, and governance compliant with federal and state labor regulations.

• Support entity setup activities (as applicable) with Legal, Finance, Mobility, and other stakeholders.

• Implement the foundational HR operating model (recruitment, onboarding, compensation/benefits basics, HRIS workflows, employee relations).

• Select and onboard an outsourced payroll provider; support payroll setup and vendor management.

• Partner with global/division HR on workforce planning for the U.S. market; translate plans into actionable hiring roadmaps.

• Manage end-to-end recruitment for priority roles, including leadership positions.

• Design and roll out onboarding that reflects HORSE culture while meeting local expectations.

• Act as the primary HR Business Partner for U.S. leaders and employees (employee relations, engagement, performance enablement).

• Advise leaders on organizational design, capability building, and talent development, and serve as the HR liaison to EU/China counterparts.

What we’re looking for

• 7+ years HR experience in multinational/matrix organizations, with strong hands-on exposure to the U.S. market (Detroit experience preferred).

• Proven track record of building HR operations in early-stage, greenfield, or expansion environments.

• Strong knowledge of U.S. labor law, compliance, and employment practices, including state-level requirements.

• Experience supporting manufacturing, automotive, or technical workforce environments is a plus.

• HR certification is a plus (e.g., SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP/PHR/SPHR).

• Strong stakeholder management and cross-cultural communication skills; able to influence without heavy structure.

• Comfortable working independently, leading through ambiguity, and balancing strategic direction with hands-on execution.

• Able to collaborate effectively across global time zones and align local actions with global governance and values.

Equal opportunities employer

As a company, we are committed to equal opportunities, and recruit people based on their competencies and qualifications. We encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply for our job vacancies. If you believe you have the skills and passion to excel in this role, we would love to hear from you. Let’s explore the possibilities together.

Horse Powertrain Limited is a global leader in powertrain solutions. Learn more at www.horse-powertrain.com