Sr. People Operations Business Partner

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+ years of HR or People Operations experience, including experience supporting technical, engineering, manufacturing, or operational teams  
• Experience in high-growth, fast-scaling startup or aerospace/technology environments  
• Experience and knowledge in California employment law and HR compliance practices  
• Experience managing complex employee relations matters and workplace investigations  
• Experience coaching managers through difficult conversations, performance management, and organizational challenges  
• Experience supporting both exempt and non-exempt employee populations  
• Experience using HRIS and performance management systems such as Lattice, Rippling, ADP Workforce Now, Insperity, BambooHR, or similar platforms  

• Experience supporting aerospace, advanced manufacturing, hardware engineering, robotics, automotive, defense, or other highly technical industries  
• Experience supporting rapid headcount growth and organizational scaling 
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification
• Experience partnering with engineering leadership, program management, production teams, and executive leadership  
• Experience 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
• Weekly lunch stipend, plus complimentary snacks and beverages on-site
• Once a month social hour on-site with food and drinks