Human Resources Generalist

About Avalanche Energy

Avalanche Energy is a Washington-based startup building compact, deployable fusion systems through rapid hardware iteration. Rather than pursuing fusion as a single grid-scale outcome, Avalanche develops transportable fusion machines designed to be built, tested, and operated on short cycles, turning real hardware into steady progress. This approach enables near-term applications that demand extreme energy density and endurancestarting with fusion neutron production for radioisotope power and other defense and space useswhile advancing the underlying fusion platform. Backed by U.S. government programs and a team experienced in delivering complex systems, Avalanche is focused on building fusion that runs in the real world, not just on paper.

Avalanche might be a fit for you if:

You enjoy helping teams stay organized, supported, and able to move quickly. You like balancing operational detail with employee interaction and support, and you thrive in fast-moving environments where priorities evolve and no two days look the same. You take pride in building low-friction systems and processes that make life easier for employees and managers, and you enjoy being a trusted resource for people across a growing organization.

About the Role

Avalanche is seeking an HR Generalist to support and strengthen the companys day-to-day people operations as we continue to grow. This role will help ensure employees and candidates have a positive, organized, and responsive experience throughout the employee lifecycle.

The HR Generalist will support benefits administration, recruiting processes, onboarding, employee operations, review cycles, and general HR coordination. This role is highly cross-functional and works closely with employees, managers, recruiting partners, finance, and leadership teams to help keep people processes running smoothly and efficiently. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys helping people succeed while building the operational foundation that keeps a growing company running well.

Responsibilities

• Employee Lifecycle & HR Operations
• Support the employee lifecycle from onboarding through offboarding, helping ensure a smooth, organized, and positive employee experience.
• Administer employee benefits programs, including enrollments, changes, and employee support.
• Maintain employee records, HR documentation, and internal systems with strong attention to detail and confidentiality.
• Support payroll coordination, timekeeping follow-up, and general HR operational processes.
• Help maintain compliance with company policies and employment requirements.
• Recruiting & Candidate Experience
• Support recruiting efforts in partnership with hiring managers and the broader recruiting team.
• Manage job postings, candidate communications, conduct initial candidate screenings and help guide candidates through the hiring process.
• Assist with drafting and issuing job offers and coordinating onboarding activities for new hires.
• Employee Support, Rewards and Culture
• Serve as a day-to-day resource for employees on HR policies, benefits, onboarding, and general people operations questions.
• Support employee engagement, communication, and culture-building initiatives as the company grows.
• Assist with administration and coordination of performance review cycles, compensation updates, and other employee rewards and recognition processes.
• Help ensure employee-facing people processes are organized, timely, and clearly communicated.
• Process Improvement & Organizational Support
• Help improve HR workflows, documentation, and operational processes as Avalanche scales.
• Identify opportunities to reduce friction and improve clarity in employee-facing systems and processes.
• Support implementation and maintenance of HR systems, recruiting tools, and internal documentation.

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in HR, People Operations or related functions.
• Experience supporting onboarding, benefits administration, recruiting processes, and general HR operations.
• Bachelors degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or related field. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to manage sensitive information with professionalism and discretion.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-moving, evolving environment.
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams and follow through reliably on operational details.

Bonus Qualifications

• HR certifications such as SHRM-CP, PHR, or equivalent
• Experience in startups or high-growth technical organizations.
• Familiarity with HRIS, payroll, or applicant tracking systems.
• Experience supporting technical recruiting or scientific/engineering organizations.
• Exposure to multi-state employment operations or compliance requirements.

Additional Considerations

• Location : Prefer onsite to support in-person team.
• Sites : Tukwila, Washington.
• Travel : Occasional travel for team events as needed.
• Schedule : Standard business hours, with flexibility during critical periods.

Benefits

• Excellent medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• 10 paid holidays and a company-wide December holiday break.
• Generous paid vacation and sick time.
• Small, tight-knit team with low barriers to action.
• Exposure to a wide range of challenging, hands-on engineering problems.
• Meaningful equity in the form of stock options.

We value people of all races, ethnicities, genders, ages, religions, and sexual orientations. We are an equal opportunity employer, and you do not need to match every listed qualification to apply. If youre excited about building real hardware and making difficult systems work, we encourage you to apply.

This position may require access to export-controlled information. In order to comply with U.S. export control laws, applicants must be a U.S. person as defined by U.S. trade control laws (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual).