HR Generalist

The Nuclear Company; Lexington (KY); On-site; USD 69,000 - 83,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation packages

401k with company match

Job summary

The Nuclear Company in Lexington, KY, is seeking an HR Generalist to support the full employee lifecycle and partner with field teams across a technically complex organization.

Join a fast-growing, AI-driven startup and help administer leaves, onboarding, data accuracy, and HR operations, while contributing to a high-trust safety culture and continuous learning.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of HR generalist/operations experience.
• Experience administering leaves of absence (FMLA, disability).
• Proficient with UKG HRIS and HR data management.
• Strong organizational skills and confidentiality.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Administer leaves of absence and coordinate disability claims.
• Own onboarding and offboarding processes end-to-end.
• Maintain accurate HR data in UKG and related systems.
• Support employee relations and field workforce inquiries.
• Assist with compliance, policies, and handbook updates.

Skills

HR generalist experience

Leave administration

UKG HRIS

Data accuracy

Communication

Education

PHR/SHRM-CP or equivalent

Tools

UKG

Job description

The Nuclear Company is the fastest growing AI tech-enabled startup in the nuclear and energy space, pioneering a fleet-scale approach to building the next generation of nuclear reactors. Through our design-once, build-many model, we're accelerating the deployment of safe, reliable, and affordable nuclear energy.

We operate with an AI-first mindset.Every employee is expected to leverage AI, technology, and the Nuclear Operating System (NOS) as integral components of their role to improve the quality, speed, and impact of their work. We expect every team member to continuously identify opportunities to automate workflows, enhance decision-making, improve processes, and contribute to the ongoing evolution of NOS as a strategic operating capability that enables The Nuclear Company to scale with excellence.

We hire people who are driven by purpose, thrive in ambiguity, and are energized by building what has never been built before.Our team combines intellectual curiosity with high agency, embraces candid feedback and continuous learning, and holds themselves and others to exceptional standards. Our values—Transparency, Responsibility, Unity, Scrappiness, and Tenacity—guide how we hire, collaborate, and make decisions every day. They are not words on a wall; they are the standard by which we operate. TRUST is the foundation of our safety culture, fostering intellectual honesty, accountability, and open communication, while our values challenge every team member to execute with urgency, humility, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to our mission.

About the role

The HR Generalist is the operational backbone of our HR team, delivering hands-on HR support across the entire employee lifecycle for the organization. This role executes the day-to-day programs and transactions that keep the employee experience running smoothly: onboarding and offboarding, leave of absence administration, employee data and systems accuracy, background checks, contractor management and relocation coordination, and early career program logistics. You'll also be the go-to resource for general HR questions from our Field Services team including the temporary field workforce. You will work closely with both the VP, HR and the Director, HR & HR Technology, giving you visibility across a broad, technically complex organization while building deep expertise in HR operations. This team does not handle talent acquisition or recruiting — that is owned by a separate Talent team.

Responsibilities

Leave management

• Administer all employee leaves of absence (FMLA, state/local, personal, military, parental) and coordinate short- and long-term disability claims with our carrier (Lincoln), from intake through return to work.
• Manage ADA accommodation requests and track leave eligibility and case status in UKG, keeping employees, managers, and case files accurate, compliant, and up to date.

Onboarding & offboarding

• Own new hire onboarding end-to-end — orientation, paperwork, and background check verification (Checkr) — for a smooth start for every new hire.
• Lead offboarding, including exit interviews and timely, accurate termination processing in UKG.

HR operations & systems

• Serve as day-to-day UKG super-user for employee data changes, leave tracking, and terminations, partnering with the Director, HR & HR Technology on process and system design.
• Support HR compliance work, including maintenance of the employee handbook and policies, alongside the VP, HR.

Employee relations & talent program support

• Provide first-line employee relations support, documenting concerns and triaging issues to the appropriate HRBP .
• Support execution of enterprise talent programs (performance management, merit planning, succession/talent reviews) and coordinate early career/internship program logistics.
• Serve as the first point of contact for general HR questions from the Field Services team and our temporary/contract field workforce — policies, pay, and benefits basics — escalating as needed.

Contractor management & relocation

• Manage day-to-day contractor onboarding and offboarding, and coordinate employee relocations with our relocation partner (Altair).
• Provide operational support during M&A integration activities as needed.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in an HR generalist, HR coordinator, or HR operations role.
• Hands-on experience administering leaves of absence, including FMLA and disability coordination; working knowledge of ADA interactive process.
• Experience with an HRIS platform (UKG strongly preferred) and comfort owning system transactions accurately and on deadline.
• Strong organizational skills and follow-through — this role juggles many concurrent, deadline-driven cases across two client groups.
• Sound judgment on when to resolve an issue directly versus elevate to the VP or Director.
• Discretion in handling confidential employee information, including medical and leave-related data.
• Clear, empathetic communication with employees navigating sensitive situations (leave, accommodations, offboarding), including a geographically distributed and temporary/contract field workforce.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting employees in technical, engineering, or regulated/industrial environments.
• Familiarity with background check platforms (Checkr) and relocation management.
• PHR, SHRM-CP, or equivalent certification.
• Competitive compensation packages
• 401k with company match

Estimated Starting Salary Range

The estimated starting salary range for this role is $69,000 - $83,000 annually less applicable withholdings and deductions, paid on a bi-weekly basis. The actual salary offered may vary based on relevant factors as determined in the Company’s discretion, which may include experience, qualifications, tenure, skill set, availability of qualified candidates, geographic location, certifications held, and other criteria deemed pertinent to the particular role.

EEO Statement

The Nuclear Company is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an environment of inclusion in the workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We prohibit discrimination in all aspects of employment, including hiring, promotion, demotion, transfer, compensation, and termination.

Export Control

Certain positions at The Nuclear Company may involve access to information and technology subject to export controls under U.S. law. Compliance with these export controls may result in The Nuclear Company limiting its consideration of certain applicants.