Building the Future of AI at Pebl

Meet James, Senior Software Engineer

When you ask James Robertson what he loves most about working at Pebl, his answer is simple: the freedom to build, whether it’s products, tools, or entirely new ideas.

Based in Denver, Colorado, Robertson is a Senior Software Engineer on the Conversational AI team. In just nine months at Pebl, he’s already helped push the boundaries of what AI can do for global employment.

Robertson and his team are the minds behind Alfie, Pebl’s customer-facing AI assistant. Alfie helps customers navigate everything from country-specific labor laws and compliance questions to hiring timelines, compensation benchmarks, and onboarding best practices. 

“If you have a question about global employment, Alfie is here to help,” said Robertson.

From conversational AI to agentic AI

Robertson joined Pebl while actively searching for opportunities in AI. A referral from a former employee and longtime company advocate initially sparked his interest, but it was the conversations during the interview process that sealed the deal.

“When I started talking to the team, I knew it was the right fit,” said Robertson.

Since joining, his title hasn’t changed, but the scope of his work has grown significantly.

“When I joined, we were focused on conversational AI, making Alfie a great chatbot. Now we’re moving into agentic AI, which means Alfie won’t just answer questions, it will actually perform actions on behalf of customers,” said Robertson.

That evolution reflects Pebl’s commitment to staying on the leading edge of innovation, aimed at advancing the future of AI for global HR. Robertson has deepened his expertise in agentic workflows, Model Context Protocol (MCP), and vendor integrations, all in an environment that encourages experimentation and speed.

“The AI landscape is moving incredibly fast,” said Robertson. “Pebl gives us the space to stay at the forefront of it.”

From hackathon idea to global stage

One of Robertson’s proudest moments at Pebl started as a hackathon project.

His team built Alfie Voice AI, a voice-enabled version of Alfie capable of speaking multiple languages. What began as an internal innovation quickly gained momentum. Soon, Robertson was traveling with the sales team to debut it at TechCrunch 2025.

“Standing at our booth and watching Alfie Voice AI engage attendees in their native languages was surreal. It started as a hackathon idea, and within weeks it was representing Pebl on a global stage.”

Today, the sales team brings Alfie Voice AI to conferences around the world. It’s a clear example of how fast ideas turn into real-world impacts at Pebl.

A culture of trust and high impact

Robertson describes Pebl’s culture in three words: collaborative, high-impact, and trusting.

On his team, trust runs deep. “There’s no micromanagement. Everyone shows up, relies on each other, and delivers,” said Robertson. “We’re all focused on shipping delightful AI experiences for our customers.”

That trust fuels speed and fulfillment. “There’s very little red tape here,” said Robertson. “We get to build. And we get to see our work make a real difference for customers navigating something as complex as global employment.”

Life outside of code

When he’s not building the future of AI, Robertson is a competitive chess player who recently surpassed a 2,000 rating online and won his first in-person tournament.

Living in Denver, he and his wife take full advantage of the outdoors. From cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter to biking around Lake Dillon in the summer (a place that holds special meaning to him, as it’s where he proposed to his partner), recharging in nature is part of how he recharges.

Fast facts about working at Pebl

Working at Pebl is like being on a startup team with the backing of a global company.

What motivates him every day? Knowing that what he builds goes out into the world and helps people navigate the complexities of global employment.

And if you ask him to describe Pebl’s culture in one emoji? 🤝