HR People & Culture Generalist

About Blackwave

Blackwave designs, manufactures and ships flight-qualified, commercial off-the-shelf composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) for launch vehicles and satellites. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Munich, Germany, the company delivers COPVs from a standardized portfolio with flight heritage. The approach reduces lead time from months to days while ensuring that each tank is qualified and flight-ready. Blackwave's mission is to end COPV failure in spaceflight. The company employs more than 150 people across manufacturing facilities in Germany and Texas.
More information at Blackwave.com and the procurement platform COPV.com.
Your Mission

Build and own the HR and People function for Blackwave's growing US organization.
As we scale our US operations, you'll establish the processes, systems, and employee experience that allow our team to grow successfully. You'll work closely with our Head of People & Culture in Germany while adapting our global approach to the needs of our US team.
This is a hands-on builder role for someone who enjoys creating structure, solving problems, and shaping culture in a fast-growing environment.
What You'll Achieve

High Performance
Build a scalable US HR and hiring foundation to support Blackwave's rapid growth.
Togetherness
Connect the US team with our German People organization and bring our global People strategy to life locally.
Candor
Establish compliant, reliable HR, payroll, and employee processes from day one.
Playfulness
Help create a safe, engaging workplace where people enjoy showing up and doing their best work.
Accountability
Build the systems and processes needed to scale our US organization effectively.
What You'll Do

HR Operations & Compliance

Own day-to-day HR operations for our US organization

Build and maintain scalable HR processes, policies, and documentation

Ensure compliance with applicable US and Texas employment laws

Manage and continuously improve our employee handbook, benefits, time-off policies, and other people programs

Partner with our German People team to ensure consistency between global and US practices

Employee Relations & People Partnership

Build trusted relationships with employees and leaders across the organization

Serve as a go-to partner for employee questions, feedback, and concerns

Support leaders with people-related decisions and challenges

Balance employee needs with the realities of a fast-growing business

Develop thoughtful, practical solutions that help our people and business succeed

Payroll & Benefits

Own US payroll operations through Gusto

Ensure accurate and timely payroll processing

Support compliance with applicable payroll and tax requirements

Manage and continuously improve US benefits offerings, including health insurance, 401(k), and time-off policies

Partner with external providers and advisors where appropriate

Talent Acquisition

Own and improve the full-cycle recruiting process for the US organization

Manage and maintain our Applicant Tracking System

Partner with hiring managers to define hiring needs and build effective recruiting processes

Ensure a consistent and positive candidate experience

Build scalable recruiting processes that support Blackwave's rapid growth

Health, Safety & Workplace Experience

Establish foundational Health & Safety practices for our Texas operation

Identify applicable OSHA requirements and coordinate implementation

Support risk assessments and development of workplace policies

Help create an office and workplace experience where employees want to be

Contribute to initiatives that strengthen connection, collaboration, and Blackwave culture

People Systems & Processes

Build HR processes and documentation from the ground up

Configure and continuously improve our HR systems

Create clear, accessible documentation for employees and managers

Identify opportunities to simplify, automate, and scale HR operations

Ensure key processes can be effectively handed over and supported by the broader People organization

What We're Looking For

Must Have

Education & Background
Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field, OR equivalent HR operations experience (3+ years)
US HR & Employment Law
You have deep knowledge of US federal and Texas employment law, including FLSA, ADA, FMLA, and EEO requirements.
Payroll
You have hands-on experience running US payroll. Experience with Gusto is strongly preferred.
Talent Acquisition
You have owned full-cycle recruiting and have experience managing or implementing an ATS. Teamtailor experience is a plus.
Builder Mindset
You've built HR processes from scratch in a startup, scale-up, or similarly fast-moving environment. You don't wait for someone else to create the playbook — you're comfortable creating it yourself.
Manufacturing Experience
You understand the realities of supporting employees in a manufacturing environment and can translate HR best practices into practical processes for an operational team.
Cross-Cultural Collaboration
You're comfortable working closely with an international team and can collaborate effectively across Germany and the US.
Language Skills
English is required (fluent)

German is a plus

Spanish is a plus

Nice to Have

SHRM or PHR certification is a plus

Experience working in aerospace, advanced manufacturing, or another highly regulated industry

Experience implementing HR systems and processes during a period of rapid growth

Experience with OSHA and workplace Health & Safety

Experience working with distributed or international teams

Experience with Applicant Tracking Systems; bonus if it's Teamtailor

Experience with payroll systems; bonus if it's Gusto

How You Work

We are looking for someone who:
Takes ownership and follows things through

Is comfortable operating without a fully defined playbook

Balances employee advocacy with business needs

Builds trust quickly with both employees and leaders

Communicates clearly and directly

Knows when to make a decision independently and when to ask for help

Is pragmatic, resourceful, and solutions-oriented

Enjoys building things that didn't exist before

Can move between strategic thinking and hands-on execution

Believes that great company culture is something you build through everyday actions

Why Blackwave?

Blackwave is growing quickly, and this is an opportunity to have a foundational impact on our US organization.
You'll be joining an international team at an exciting stage of growth, with the opportunity to build the HR infrastructure that will support our people as we scale.
You'll work closely with colleagues in both the US and Germany and have significant ownership over how we build our US workplace, processes, and employee experience.
The Fine Print

Location: On-site in San Antonio, Texas
Employment: Full-time
Blackwave is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
ITAR Requirement
This position requires eligibility under U.S. export regulations (ITAR). Candidates must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, or otherwise authorized to access export-controlled information.
For this U.S.-based role, your application may be managed by our global People Team in Germany.

J-18808-Ljbffr