Sr. People Operations Generalist

What you'll do:

• Serve as a trusted People Operations partner to managers and employees across technical and operational organizations
• Coach managers on performance management, employee development, organizational effectiveness, communication, accountability, and team dynamics
• Partner with leaders to support organizational scaling, workforce planning, team structure and succession readiness
• Help leaders navigate challenging people matters with sound judgment, confidentiality, and compliance awareness
• Provide practical, business-focused People Operations guidance in a fast-moving engineering and manufacturing environment

• Manage employee relations matters promptly, fairly, and professionally, including investigations, conflict resolution, corrective actions, and performance concerns
• Identify workplace risks proactively and recommend solutions before issues escalate
• Support the development of a respectful, inclusive, high-performance culture aligned with Astrolab’s mission and operational goals
• Build credibility and trust with employees at all levels of the organization
• Partner cross-functionally to improve employee engagement, retention, communication, and workplace effectiveness

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, with strong emphasis on California labor law compliance
• Support compliance efforts related to wage and hour practices, leave administration, accommodations, investigations, employee documentation, and policy implementation
• Assist in developing, improving, and scaling People Operations policies, SOPs, and internal processes
• Maintain accurate and compliant employee records and HR documentation practices
• Partner with payroll, benefits, recruiting, EH&S, and leadership teams to ensure operational alignment

• Support and improve onboarding, offboarding, internal transfers, promotions, and employee development processes
• Partner with Recruiting and hiring managers to ensure a strong new hire experience and effective organizational integration
• Drive performance management processes including calibration discussions, employee feedback cycles, and development planning
• Support workforce changes, organizational restructuring, and scaling initiatives as the company grows

• Lead and contribute to cross-functional People Operations initiatives and special projects
• Help build scalable infrastructure, programs, and workflows that support company growth
• Analyze trends and provide recommendations related to retention, engagement, turnover, and organizational health
• Utilize HR systems and reporting tools to improve efficiency and decision-making
• Support implementation and optimization of HRIS, performance management, and employee engagement platforms

What you'll bring:

• 6–10+ years of progressive HR or People Operations experience, including experience supporting technical, engineering, manufacturing, or operational teams
• Strong experience in high-growth, fast-scaling startup or aerospace/technology environments
• Deep working knowledge of California employment law and HR compliance practices
• Demonstrated experience managing complex employee relations matters and workplace investigations
• Proven ability to coach managers through difficult conversations, performance management, and organizational challenges
• Experience supporting both exempt and non-exempt employee populations
• Strong project management and process improvement capabilities
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on operational execution
• Excellent communication, judgment, and interpersonal skills
• High level of professionalism, discretion, and emotional intelligence
• Experience using HRIS and performance management systems such as Lattice, Rippling, ADP Workforce Now, Insperity, BambooHR, or similar platforms
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification preferred

• Experience supporting aerospace, advanced manufacturing, hardware engineering, robotics, automotive, defense, or other highly technical industries
• Experience supporting rapid headcount growth and organizational scaling
• Experience partnering with engineering leadership, program management, production teams, and executive leadership
• Familiarity with government contracting environments or compliance-driven organizations is a plus

Benefits and Perks

• Join a team of best-in-class engineers building the foundation of planetary surface exploration
• Equity ownership in the company
• Comprehensive health benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and mental health support
• 401(k) plan with company match
• Flexible PTO and parental leave
• Home office set up reimbursement
• Weekly lunch stipend, plus complimentary snacks and beverages on-site
• Once a month social hour on-site with food and drinks