Strategic HR Leader for Space Tech (CA & Federal)

Inversion is an aerospace and defense company pioneering advanced reentry technology to enable next-generation capabilities from space. By combining high-performance materials, precision aerodynamics, and mission-driven autonomy, Inversion is transforming reentry into an operational capability for an entirely new class of missions. The company’s highly maneuverable reentry spacecraft, Arc, is designed for rapid global cargo delivery, hypersonic testing, and other national security missions that require precise, controlled flight through the atmosphere. Arc creates an entirely new transportation domain, unlocking unprecedented speed and global reach. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Inversion designs, manufactures, and integrates its spacecraft under one roof, enabling the company to move rapidly from concept to flight. The company is backed by leading investors including Y Combinator, Spark Capital, and Lockheed Martin Ventures, with customers across the U.S. government and commercial space industry. Position Overview: We are a rapidly growing aerospace startup at an inflection point. As our first HR hire, you will build the People function from the ground up designing the systems, programs, and culture infrastructure that will carry us through our next phase of growth. This role starts as a hands-on individual contributor but is explicitly designed to grow into a people manager within 12–24 months, giving you the opportunity to shape both the function and the team beneath you. You will report directly to the Senior Director of Talent & People and have a true seat at the table on people decisions and interface directly with the CEO. Given the nature of our work, compliance is non-negotiable. You will be the company’s authority on California employment law and federal contractor HR obligations protecting the company while building a culture where people genuinely want to work. Key Responsibilities: Onboarding & Offboarding Design and own a structured new hire onboarding program, including orientation, I-9 compliance, and 30/60/90-day check-ins Partner with hiring managers to ensure smooth pre-boarding and day-one experiences Manage offboarding, exit interviews, and CA-compliant final pay processes Benefits Administration Own health, dental, vision, 401(k), and ancillary benefits programs end-to-end Manage open enrollment including employee communication and carrier coordination Ensure compliance with CA continuation requirements, COBRA, and more Employee Relations Serve as a trusted, neutral resource for employee concerns and any workplace issues Conduct investigations Advise and coach managers on performance Compliance - California & Federal Maintain full compliance with CA employment law: E.g. employee data, wage & hour, pay transparency, and mandatory leave Support federal contractor compliance: OFCCP, EEO-1 reporting, VEVRAA, Section 503, and applicable FAR HR clauses Maintain and annually update the employee handbook and all HR policies Performance Management Design and run the performance review cycle: goal setting, mid-year, and annual reviews Train and coach managers on feedback frameworks, calibration, and documentation best practices Build the infrastructure for career ladders and growth conversations as the company scales Engagement & Culture Run employee engagement surveys and translate results into actionable programs Partner with leadership on recognition and culture-building initiatives Be a visible, trusted presence across all teams. The person employees come to Define the scope and timing of the HR Generalist role in partnership with the Senior Director of Talent & People Establish clear ownership, workflows, and growth paths within the HR function Build a team culture of trust, responsiveness, and continuous improvement HR Operations & Systems Own day-to-day HRIS administration (Gusto) Maintain accurate headcount data, HR metrics, and reporting for leadership Partner with Finance on headcount planning and compensation benchmarking Required Qualifications: 7+ years of HR generalist experience, with at least 3 years based in California Deep, working knowledge of CA employment law Experience with federal contractor compliance (OFCCP, EEO-1, VEVRAA, Section 503) Demonstrated experience owning benefits administration through open enrollment Hands-on employee relations experience including investigations and terminations Experience operating as a solo HR professional or within a very lean team Proficiency with HRIS platforms Exceptional written and verbal communication; high discretion and sound judgment Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance. Desired Qualifications: Background in aerospace, defense, or technical startup environments Experience hiring and onboarding HR team members Our office headquartersis located inPlaya Vista, CA. This position requires in-office presence. The California annual base salary for this role is currently $134,000-$195,000. Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education and experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity. To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here . Inversion provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or disability. Inversion collects and processes personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws. If you are a US Job Applicant see the CCPA Privacy Policy Notice for further details. Create a Job Alert Interested in building your career at Inversion? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email. Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf Enter manually Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf LinkedIn Profile Website What are your base salary ($USD) expectations? Are you authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship? * Select... Were you referred to Inversion by a current employee? Select... If you were referred, please provide the name of the employee. To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Do you meet the above criteria? * Select... This role requires full-time onsite presence. Are you able meet this requirement? * Select... Voluntary Self-Identification For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file. As set forth in Inversion’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law. If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows: A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability. A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service. An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense. An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985. #J-18808-Ljbffr