Director, Human Resources

Job Description

Job Description

Darkhive does not provide visa sponsorship for this position. Due to our work with export-controlled technologies, all candidates must be a "U.S. Person" as defined by ITAR and EAR (e.g., U.S. Citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee).

About Darkhive, LLC

Established in 2021, Darkhive is redefining the future of autonomous systems. We design and build next-generation hardware and software solutions that seamlessly integrate into critical public safety and defense networks. Our core focus centers on developing tactical, human-machine interfaces and scaling the mass production of affordable, attritable uncrewed systems alongside our government partners.

At Darkhive, we are a high-growth team of U.S. Special Operations veterans, aerospace engineers, robotics perception experts, and DevSecOps professionals. Above all, we are a mission-first culture. We believe that global teams operating on the front lines deserve high-quality, intelligent tools that ensure safety when each second counts.

If you are a free-thinking problem solver looking to build cutting-edge robotics in a fast-paced, highly collaborative startup environment, apply with Darkhive today!

Role Summary

We are seeking a hands-on, roll-up-the-sleeves Director of Human Resources to manage our HR operations, workforce administration, and internal compliance footprint. Located at our headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, this individual will balance day-to-day generalist duties with internal culture-building and team management.

The ideal candidate brings a blend of employee relations and talent management coupled with deep transactional HR administrative skills. This is a critical building role for someone execution-oriented who possesses the capability, ambition, and trajectory to grow into a future Vice President of HR as our operation expands.

Reports To: VP of Finance & Business Operations

Employment Type: Full-Time, On-site in San Antonio, Texas

Key Responsibilities

HR Operations, Systems & Compliance

• Manage Federal, State, and Local reporting requirements specific to emerging companies scaling beyond 50+ employees (including EEO-1 reporting, FMLA infrastructure, and OSHA standards)
• Ensure total compliance with applicable federal, Texas, and local employment laws and regulations
• Maintain and execute standard operating practices related to employee relations, leave administration, wage and hour requirements, workplace investigations, and employment documentation
• Directly administer and manage our HRIS infrastructure, payroll coordination, personnel files, and general record keeping

Compensation & Benefits Optimization

• Oversee and execute the administration of employee benefits programs, coordinating directly with third-party brokers and providers
• Support executive leadership and Finance teams in the deployment of compensation programs, salary benchmarking structures, and internal equity frameworks
• Serve as an internal operational checkpoint to balance market competitiveness with baseline financial discipline

Talent Management & Organizational Execution

• Partner with leadership to translate business priorities into structured hiring plans, people programs, and HR processes
• Conduct workforce planning across functional business units to resolve immediate staffing priorities and develop structured pipelines
• Deliver comprehensive onboarding frameworks that accelerate employee integration, alignment, and productivity
• Execute disciplined recruiting, interviewing, selection, and localized employer brand outreach

Performance, Training & Culture

• Develop and facilitate workplace training programs focused on management readiness, internal professional growth, and regulatory scaling needs
• Deploy the company-wide performance management framework to cultivate accountability, objective metric structures, and constructive feedback loops
• Serve as a trusted, highly accessible resource for employees and mid-level managers to address operational bottlenecks
• Investigate and document sensitive employee relations issues with absolute discretion, consistency, and professional judgment
• Build, sustain, and champion internal programs that protect our flat, mission-first startup culture

Qualifications

Required Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a closely related professional discipline
• 8+ years of progressive HR experience, combining strong hands-on HR administrative/generalist skills with modern employee relations and talent management exposure
• Proven capability managing strict regulatory reporting criteria required for corporate compliance thresholds reaching 50+ total workers
• Direct ownership over the implementation, utilization, and management of modern enterprise HRIS platforms
• Comprehensive working knowledge of Federal and Texas employment laws and statutory compliance standards

Preferred Experience

• Direct exposure to high-growth tech sectors, venture-backed groups, defense systems, advanced manufacturing, or highly regulated government contracting parameters
• Specialized familiarity navigating administrative requirements alongside government contractors, security-cleared groups, or export-controlled corporate structures

Profile & Location

• Location: San Antonio, Texas. This position is strictly on-site 5 days a week to maintain cultural alignment and daily accessibility for our workforce.
• Leadership Profile: You are an operator first and an administrator second. You are thrilled to build programmatic foundations from scratch, step into individual execution duties daily, and scale your responsibilities dynamically alongside organizational expansion. Crucially, you will act as a visible cultural anchor, directly interfacing with our broader employee base to champion, protect, and drive Darkhive's core organizational values.

Selection Process

• Hiring team reviews applications
• 20-minute phone screen with Darkhive recruiter
• 30-minute interview with the hiring manager
• Take-home functional project
• In-person loop with the hiring team

Benefits Darkhive Offers

• Comprehensive medical plans
• 100% employer-paid dental and vision insurance premiums
• Automatic 401(k) employer contribution with immediate vesting
• Paid vacation and personal time off
• 11 Paid holidays
• 5 days of sick leave
• Pre-IPO equity / stock options package

Darkhive is an equal-opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment against any employee or applicant because of race, color, gender (including pregnancy), age, gender identity, creed, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information, disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.