Sr. People Operations Generalist
Astrolab
People & HR, Operations
Hawthorne, CA, USA
USD 125k-145k / year + Equity
Posted on Jun 3, 2026
Venturi Astrolab, Inc. (Astrolab) is pioneering new ways to explore and operate on distant planetary bodies. We are singularly focused on designing, building, and operating a fleet of multi-purpose commercial planetary rovers to extend and enhance humanity’s presence in the solar system. We are seeking motivated, creative, and exceptional people to join our world-class team.
This position combines strategic partnership with hands-on execution. The ideal candidate is comfortable in ambiguity, managing complex employee relations matters, improving processes, coaching leaders, and helping build a high-accountability, high-performance culture during a critical stage of company growth.
This position combines strategic partnership with hands-on execution. The ideal candidate is comfortable in ambiguity, managing complex employee relations matters, improving processes, coaching leaders, and helping build a high-accountability, high-performance culture during a critical stage of company growth.
The Sr. People Operations Generalist plays a key role in supporting the full employee lifecycle while helping leaders scale teams’ responsibility, compliantly and efficiently.
- Department
- People Operations
- Employment Type
- Full Time
- Location
- Hawthorne, California
- Workplace type
- Onsite
- Compensation
- $125,000 - $145,000 / year
What you'll do:
Strategic Partnership
- Partner with leaders on performance, employee development, workforce planning, and organizational growth.
- Provide practical HR guidance and support complex employee matters.
Employee Relations & Culture
- Manage employee relations, investigations, conflict resolution, and performance issues.
- Promote a positive, inclusive, and high-performing workplace culture.
Compliance & Administration
- Ensure compliance with employment laws, policies, and HR processes.
- Maintain accurate records and partner with key stakeholders on HR operations.
Employee Lifecycle
- Support onboarding, promotions, transfers, performance management, and organizational changes.
- Partner with Recruiting to deliver a strong employee experience.
Operations & Projects
- Lead HR initiatives, improve processes, and support company growth.
- Analyze workforce trends and leverage HR systems to drive effective decision-making.
What you'll bring:
What’s Prepared You:
- 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
Preferred Experience
- 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
About Astrolab
Having a strong, inclusive, and inspired team is essential to accomplishing our bold mission. Employees are our biggest asset, and we are deeply committed to them and our values. At Astrolab we…
Demonstrate and inspire trust. Interactions are direct, honest, and respectful. We are fair and transparent with what we do and why.
Thrive in balance. Balance gives us perspective and keeps us motivated and inspired. We commit to rewarding work and a fulfilling personal life.
Seek diverse perspectives. We ask questions, engage in productive debate and offer alternatives to ensure our solutions and products are robust and a reflection of our collective best.
Move with purpose. Quality and reliability are accomplished through efficient ideation and iteration. We act with a sense of urgency and deliver what we promise, always with the big picture in mind.
Make an impact. We intentionally move our community and industry into the future through our work, practices, and actions.
Our Hiring Process
Stage 1:
Application Review
Stage 2:
Recruiter Phone Interview
Stage 3:
Video Interviews
Stage 4:
On-site Interview
Astrolab is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, gender, gender identity, parental or pregnancy status, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, or veteran status. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to careers@astrolab.space. We strive to remove unconscious and unnecessary barriers to build the best team. While we’ve outlined what an ideal candidate could look like, we know that you may bring something unanticipated and essential to the team. If you’re reading this and can see yourself contributing, please register below.
