Director, Human Resources - EMEA

Role Overview 

Astera Labs is seeking a dynamic HR Director to lead our EMEA human resources team, overseeing operations across our Israel Design Centers in Haifa and Tel Aviv, as well as our R&D center in Aachen, Germany. This is a critical leadership role that will shape the people strategy for our rapidly expanding EMEA presence as we continue to scale our world-class engineering teams building the connectivity solutions powering the AI revolution. 

As HR Director, you will operate as a true business leader who happens to specialize in people strategy—not a support function, but a driver of business outcomes. You will partner with EMEA site leadership to accelerate product development timelines, improve engineering productivity, and build the organizational capabilities required to win in the AI infrastructure market. Equally critical, you will serve as the connective tissue between EMEA and our global corporate teams, ensuring seamless alignment on programs, policies, and priorities while representing EMEA needs in global discussions. This role demands a commercially-minded leader who connects every HR initiative to measurable business impact, whether that's reducing time-to-hire for critical roles, improving retention of top performers, or building leadership bench strength to support our expansion. You will build and scale a high-performing HR team while partnering closely with our global HR function to deliver results. 

Key Responsibilities 

Business Partnership & Strategic Impact 

• Drive EMEA people strategy that directly accelerates business outcomes including product delivery, engineering velocity, and market expansion 

• Operate as a member of the EMEA leadership team, contributing to business decisions beyond traditional HR scope 

• Translate business challenges into people solutions—identify where talent, organizational design, or capability gaps are limiting growth and take action 

• Establish and track HR metrics tied to business performance, holding the function accountable for measurable results 

Global Alignment & Collaboration 

• Partner closely with global corporate teams including HR, Finance, Legal, and IT to ensure EMEA alignment on company-wide initiatives and programs 

• Serve as the primary HR liaison between EMEA sites and headquarters, advocating for regional needs while maintaining global consistency 

• Collaborate on the design and rollout of global HR programs, adapting implementation for local markets while preserving intent 

• Build strong cross-functional relationships across geographies to enable effective decision-making and execution 

Talent Strategy & Competitive Advantage 

• Build a world-class semiconductor talent pipeline that gives Astera Labs a competitive edge in EMEA markets 

• Partner with engineering leadership to forecast talent needs and proactively address skill gaps before they impact delivery 

• Design compensation and retention strategies that protect critical talent and reduce regrettable attrition 

• Drive workforce planning that aligns headcount investments with product roadmap priorities 

Team Building & Scaling 

• Build, develop, and lead a high-performing HR team across Israel and Germany oriented around delivering business results 

• Effectively manage and develop remote teams across international borders, fostering collaboration and accountability across multiple sites 

• Drive scalable HR processes and infrastructure to support rapid growth without sacrificing speed or quality 

• Create clear accountability and performance expectations within the HR function 

HR Operations & Compliance 

• Ensure execution excellence in HR operations including employee relations, compensation, benefits, and performance management across EMEA 

• Maintain compliance with local labor laws and regulations in Israel and Germany 

• Continuously improve operational efficiency to free up capacity for strategic priorities 

Culture & Performance 

• Champion a high-performance culture that attracts ambitious talent and drives accountability 

• Implement initiatives that improve employee engagement and productivity, not engagement for its own sake 

• Foster an environment where top performers thrive and underperformance is addressed swiftly 

Basic Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field 

• 10+ years of progressive HR experience with significant time in HR leadership roles 

• 3+ years of experience managing and developing HR teams 

• Demonstrated ability to manage remote teams across international borders and multiple time zones 

• Experience in the semiconductor or high-tech hardware industry 

• Strong knowledge of Israel labor law and HR practices; familiarity with German employment regulations 

• Proven track record of scaling HR functions in high-growth environments 

• Demonstrated business acumen with a history of tying HR initiatives to measurable business outcomes 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Master's degree in Human Resources, MBA, or related advanced degree 

• Experience supporting engineering-heavy organizations in fast-paced, product-driven companies 

• Multi-country HR management experience across EMEA 

• Experience partnering with US-headquartered companies and navigating global/regional dynamics 

• Hebrew language fluency; German language skills a plus 

• Experience with M&A integration or establishing new site operations 

• HR certification (SHRM-SCP, CIPD, or equivalent)