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Wayve is building an AI platform for autonomous driving, pioneering an end-to-end AI approach that enables vehicles to learn from real-world experience. This People Operations Associate role is based in Yokohama, Japan, and offers the opportunity to help build and shape the operational backbone of Wayve's People team from an early stage.
You will manage the full employee lifecycle across onboarding, offboarding, HRIS administration, working hours management, social and labour insurance, payroll and tax coordination, benefits and health, documentation, and compliance. Day-to-day responsibilities include preparing employment contracts and offers, managing leave balances and attendance records, coordinating with external payroll and benefits providers, handling Japanese labour insurance enrolments and withdrawals, managing the 36-Agreement compliance, processing year-end adjustments, arranging health checks and occupational physician meetings, and maintaining employee records and wage ledgers.
This is not a role executing a finished playbook—there is significant white space to shape processes and systems. You'll work cross-functionally with employees, managers, and external partners, identifying inefficiencies and driving improvements. The role suits someone who enjoys autonomy, problem-solving, and building foundations in a fast-growing scale-up environment.
Wayve operates a hybrid model with main hubs in London, Sunnyvale, Yokohama, Herzliya, Vancouver, and Leonberg. The company offers competitive salaries benchmarked annually, meaningful equity, learning and development budgets, comprehensive benefits including health insurance, dental, enhanced parental leave, retirement/pension, access to therapists, and wellbeing partnerships.
**Requirements:**
Essential:
- At least one year of experience in a People Operations or HR administrative role, with solid understanding of the full employee lifecycle
- Knowledge and hands-on experience of Japanese HR administration, including payroll, social and labour insurance, and working-hours management
- Ability to spot where processes can be improved and make improvements happen
- Strong multitasking and prioritization skills
- Strong, considerate communication skills with ability to build trust with employees, managers, and external partners
- Fluency in Japanese (N1 or above) and ability to work in English (written and verbal communication with stakeholders)
Desirable:
- Experience in a start-up or fast-growth environment
- Experience supporting teams across multiple locations or geographies
- Experience using AI tooling to improve workflow efficiency
