Senior Manager, People & Organizational Effectiveness

About the role

The Senior Manager, People & Organizational Effectiveness serves as the operational backbone of our people function. Reporting directly to Legal, you will work closely with the CEO, CFO, and business unit heads, providing support on employee relations, workforce planning, and organizational issues. This role requires a high level of autonomy, quick problem-solving, and strong business acumen.

Responsibilities

• Assist HR, outside employment counsel, the full leadership team, and employees on sensitive matters, coordinating communications, advising on next steps, and translating legal guidance into practical management actions.
• Act as the dedicated people-operations partner to the C-suite and business unit heads, understanding each division's workforce needs, escalation patterns, and operational rhythms to anticipate issues.
• Respond rapidly to employee relations matters, investigations, complaints, and workplace concerns with sound judgment and legal defensibility.
• Prevent unnecessary escalation while maintaining consistency and defensibility across all employee actions.
• Advisory on responses to individual compensation concerns, helping frame conversations and reinforcing that compensation decisions must be explainable and defensible.
• Address contractor classification questions, workforce design issues, agency workers, independent contractors, and visa-sponsored employee matters.
• Manage cross-border employment considerations and H-1B coordination as they arise.
• Identify recurring issues and build permanent process improvements—policies, forms, templates, workflows, and governance mechanisms—that reduce future risk.
• Develop compensation request forms, employee action forms, and approval processes that encourage written business justification and consistent decision-making.
• Draft and implement policies that create organizational consistency without unnecessary bureaucracy.
• Advise on clearer requisition criteria, posting practices, and candidate evaluation standards to strengthen recruiting governance.
• Document historical commitments (compensation, sign-on bonuses, relocation) where records are incomplete.
• Create scalable systems and decision frameworks that support rapid growth while maintaining compliance and defensibility.
• Manage and develop the HR Coordinator, delegating onboarding logistics, HRIS data entry, employee records, and recruiting coordination while ensuring consistent quality and compliance standards.
• Ensure compliance with California employment law, multi-state requirements, and federal regulations (including ITAR/EAR).
• Partner with internal and outside legal counsel on employment matters, investigations, and organizational risk—leveraging your embedded position within the Legal function to eliminate bottlenecks.
• Maintain operational discipline across employee relations, compliance, compensation administration, and HR systems.
• Leverage HRIS, ATS, AI-enabled tools, and people analytics to support scalable operations and workforce insights, owning system configuration, data integrity, and reporting while the HR Coordinator handles routine data entry and recordkeeping.
• Own onboarding and offboarding design—offer documentation, I-9 process, new-hire orientation, and exit logistics—while the HR Coordinator executes day-to-day scheduling and administration; step in directly on sensitive exits or terminations.
• Support OFCCP compliance and affirmative action requirements as applicable.
• Ensure all people decisions—compensation, terminations, promotions, and transfers—are properly documented and defensible.
• Coach managers on handling specific employee situations—providing tactical guidance, not theoretical frameworks.
• Help managers acknowledge employee concerns while clearly explaining business decisions and process.
• Draft or review manager communications for sensitive situations (performance concerns, compensation conversations, role changes).
• Encourage constructive escalation and help distinguish between situations requiring immediate action vs. ongoing monitoring.
• Support managers in navigating difficult interpersonal dynamics, team friction, and cross-functional coordination challenges.
• Serve as a confidential sounding board for leaders navigating sensitive organizational situations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, related field or equivalent experience.
• Operator with built processes, managed people issues, and operated under compliance pressure without a traditional HR background.
• 7+ years of progressive HR and/or operational experience, including significant depth in employee relations, investigations, and California employment law.
• 3+ years’ experience managing, leading, or mentoring at least one direct report.
• Experience serving as an operational partner to legal counsel on employment matters.
• Experience building HR processes, policies, forms, and governance mechanisms from the ground up.
• Knowledge of compensation administration, governance processes, and documentation standards.
• Experience coaching managers through difficult conversations and employee relations situations.
• Experience with contractor classification, workforce design, and multi-state compliance.
• Experience utilizing HRIS, ATS, AI-enabled tools, and people analytics platforms.

Required Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship required due to ITAR regulations, with the ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance.
• 7+ years of progressive HR and/or operational experience, including significant depth in employee relations, investigations, and California employment law.
• 3+ years’ experience managing, leading, or mentoring at least one direct report.
• Experience serving as an operational partner to legal counsel on employment matters.
• Experience building HR processes, policies, forms, and governance mechanisms from the ground up.
• Knowledge of compensation administration, governance processes, and documentation standards.
• Experience coaching managers through difficult conversations and employee relations situations.
• Experience with contractor classification, workforce design, and multi-state compliance.
• Experience utilizing HRIS, ATS, AI-enabled tools, and people analytics platforms.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in defense, aerospace, manufacturing, or venture-backed high-growth technology environments.
• Experience supporting organizations through rapid scaling or organizational transformation.
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification.
• Experience with OFCCP, ITAR/EAR workforce requirements, and government contractor compliance.
• Experience working with founders and entrepreneurial leadership teams.
• Multi-state employment law experience beyond California.
• Master’s degree in HR, Business, or related discipline.

Benefits & Perks

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans.
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan.
• Equity grants for new hires.
• Unlimited PTO.
• Generous Parental Leave.
• Life insurance, AD&D, and disability insurance.
• Accident insurance.
• Basic Life/AD&D, short-term and long-term disability insurance.
• Company holiday calendar, including a holiday hiatus in July, & December.
• Parental Leave Lifestyle Spending Account.
• Free mental health resources 24/7.