Senior People Ops Generalist

About the role

Reporting directly to the SVP of People & Workplace, this is the most senior HR role on the team, carrying the full breadth of the HR function: employee relations, compliance, total rewards, talent, and the systems underneath all of it. You’ll operate as a true generalist, handling tasks ranging from launching performance check-ins to coaching employees through leave processes, advising managers on difficult conversations, and providing compensation data for headcount decisions. This role serves as the escalation point for day-to-day HR matters, with a close partnership with the SVP for strategic decisions.

Responsibilities

• Talent acquisition: Partner with hiring managers on full-cycle recruiting for priority technical and operations roles, and support workforce planning and headcount tracking.
• Talent development: Build frameworks defining competencies and career pathways for technical and non-technical tracks, ensuring consistency as new roles emerge. Design and deliver learning programs, including manager training, onboarding, and development for individual contributors moving toward technical leadership. Integrate competencies into job descriptions, interview scorecards, review criteria, and compensation decisions.
• Employee relations: Serve as the trusted first point of contact for employees and managers. Investigate and resolve sensitive matters with fairness and discretion. Coach managers through performance concerns, corrective action, and difficult conversations.
• Compliance and HR operations: Own compliance, update policies and the employee handbook as the company scales. Administer HRIS, ATS, and benefits platforms, ensuring data integrity. Manage the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, transfers, leave, and offboarding.
• Total rewards: Administer and explain benefits programs, acting as the escalation path for issues. Support annual compensation cycles, benchmarking, equity administration, and payroll accuracy in partnership with Finance.
• Engagement: Run engagement surveys and translate results into actionable recommendations.

Requirements

• 8+ years of progressive HR or People Operations experience, including time at a fast-scaling tech, deep tech, or engineering-driven company.
• Genuine breadth across employee relations, compliance, benefits, recruiting, talent development, and HR systems.
• Direct experience building competency or career frameworks.
• Strong working knowledge of employment law and compliance requirements.
• A track record of owning HR work independently.
• Excellent judgment in ambiguous and sensitive situations, with a high bar for confidentiality and integrity.
• Communication skills to translate HR complexity for scientists, engineers, and executives.
• Proficiency with a modern HRIS and related systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting a technical workforce of engineers, scientists, and researchers.
• Experience as the sole or most senior generalist supporting an executive people leader.
• Learning and development depth: facilitation, instructional design, or program management.
• PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP certification.
• Background in compensation analysis or total rewards.
• Prior experience at a venture-backed or growth-stage company.

Pay

Estimated salary range: $120,000–$150,000 annually. Candidates may be considered for other positions at Zap Energy, and actual salary will be based on relevant education, experience, and other qualifications. Range is published in accordance with Washington Equal Pay and Opportunity Act.

Employment may be conditioned upon the ability to obtain export authorization.