People Operations Specialist

About the role

The People Operations Specialist owns the end-to-end employee experience at Astro Mechanica, designing and executing scalable processes that make the company feel cohesive no matter how quickly we grow. You are the guardian of consistency, ensuring every interaction an employee has is seamless, thoughtful, and aligned with our mission of building things that work well. This role requires a high-trust, people-first mindset that balances operational rigor with genuine empathy for colleagues across the business. You will translate complex policies and systems into clear, simple experiences that remove friction from the employee journey. You move fast yet stay precise, navigating ambiguity while maintaining structure and visibility into critical people metrics. Most importantly, you will shape the culture and cadence of how we work by owning the systems that support our team every day.

Key facts

What you'll do

Design and implement scalable People Operations processes that allow Astro Mechanica to grow efficiently while maintaining a lean, high-performing team.

Support end-to-end recruiting operations, including interview scheduling, candidate coordination, ATS administration, and the production of hiring health reports that clarify where we are strongest and where we need to improve.

Own benefits administration from start to finish, managing enrollment, ongoing employee support, vendor relationships, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvements that enhance the overall experience of working at Astro Mechanica.

Lead HR compliance administration across multiple states, overseeing claims management, ensuring strict compliance, and coordinating closely with insurance carriers and external partners to identify and close gaps before they become liabilities.

Execute flawless onboarding experiences, handling employment documentation, HRIS setup, benefits enrollment, and first-day readiness so every new teammate can start contributing on day one.

Support compensation planning, market benchmarking, equity administration, and annual compensation review cycles in close partnership with company leadership to ensure our packages remain competitive and aligned with our goals.

Act as the primary point of contact for employee questions on benefits, policies, and HR operations, using sound judgment to resolve issues independently or escalate appropriately to leadership or outside counsel.

Own, maintain, and continuously improve HR systems, documentation, workflows, and reporting, reducing administrative burden and increasing efficiency for the entire organization.

Coordinate cross-functional initiatives that impact people processes, aligning with engineering and operations to ensure policies and tools reflect the realities of our high-speed, hardware-focused work.

Drive data-informed decisions by tracking key employee metrics and translating insights into practical changes that improve retention, engagement, and operational health.

Build and maintain trusted relationships across the organization by communicating clearly, handling sensitive information with discretion, and demonstrating reliability in every interaction.

Champion a culture of ownership by proactively identifying problems, proposing solutions, and following through on initiatives with minimal direction in a fast-moving, high-growth environment.

Support the rollout of new tools and systems that streamline HR operations, ensuring smooth adoption through thoughtful documentation and targeted communication.

Maintain up-to-date knowledge of employment regulations and best practices so Astro Mechanica can continue to operate compliantly as we expand across states and roles.

Requirements

You bring 3-6+ years of hands-on experience in People Operations, HR Operations, Benefits Administration, or a generalist HR role with significant operational ownership and a proven ability to manage complex workflows.

You have a strong working knowledge of U.S. employment law and multi-state HR compliance, and you exercise sound judgment when deciding whether to resolve issues independently or escalate them to leadership or outside legal counsel.

You have independently owned a benefits renewal cycle from start to finish, including broker coordination, plan evaluation, employee communications, and open enrollment, ensuring a smooth and transparent process for all employees.

You demonstrate exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail, with a track record of managing multiple priorities simultaneously and ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks in a fast-paced environment.

You possess strong interpersonal and communication skills, building trust across all levels of the organization while consistently handling sensitive and confidential information with discretion and professionalism.

You have a proactive, ownership-oriented mindset, capable of building processes from the ground up, solving problems independently, and driving initiatives forward even when direction is minimal.

You are comfortable operating within a fast-paced, high-growth startup environment where priorities can shift quickly and you are expected to adapt without losing focus on execution.

You are comfortable working in a setting that may involve exposure to ITAR-related facilities and defense-focused work, and you hold any required U.S. government clearances or eligibility requirements if applicable to your role.

Nice to have

Prior experience in aerospace, defense, or another hardware-focused industry that aligns with our mission of high-speed, point-to-point global mobility.

Familiarity with ITAR compliance and working with controlled technologies or sensitive government programs.

Practical notes

This is a full-time remote role.

No specific working hours are mandated, but you are expected to be available during standard business hours to support collaboration and respond to employee needs.

There may be occasional travel required for team gatherings or meetings as the company grows.

Visa sponsorship is not currently available for this position.

Employment is at-will, and both Astro Mechanica and the employee may terminate the relationship at any time.

This job description is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, and duties may evolve as the company scales.