HR & Talent Operations Specialist

SubSea Craft Limited; Virginia Beach (VA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

SubSea Craft is seeking an experienced HR & Talent Operations Specialist to manage the employee lifecycle from candidate attraction through offboarding in our Virginia Beach, onsite team. You will own recruiting, onboarding, payroll coordination, benefits support, and HR data integrity.

The role blends strategic thinking with hands-on implementation, enabling you to shape HR processes in a fast-growing startup while collaborating across functions and ensuring compliance with employment laws.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field.
• 5-7 years of progressive HR experience.
• Experience managing recruiting, onboarding, payroll coordination, and employee lifecycle administration.
• Strong understanding of employment law and HR best practices.
• Experience with HRIS and payroll systems.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills.
• Strong communication skills and attention to detail.
• Comfortable working in a start-up or rapidly changing environment, with the flexibility to adapt priorities as the business evolves.
• Self-starter with a strong sense of ownership and the ability to work independently, identify what needs to be done, and take action.
• Willingness to operate hands-on and build processes, systems, and solutions where they do not yet exist.

Responsibilities

• Manage full-cycle recruitment for exempt and non-exempt positions.
• Partner with managers to develop job descriptions and hiring strategies.
• Source, screen, interview, and coordinate candidate selection processes.
• Manage applicant tracking activities and maintain recruiting metrics.
• Coordinate background checks, employment verification, and pre-employment requirements.
• Prepare and extend offer letters.
• Coordinate all new hire onboarding activities.
• Ensure completion of required employment documentation.
• Partner with managers to create successful onboarding plans.
• Coordinate IT, facilities, and other onboarding logistics.
• Prepare and process payroll information accurately and in a timely manner.
• Maintain employee data within HRIS and payroll systems.
• Process employee status changes.
• Develop and maintain HR reports, metrics, and dashboards.
• Support annual audits and compliance reporting.
• Support employee benefit enrollment and changes.
• Coordinate with external vendors and brokers.
• Serve as a resource for employee questions regarding policies and procedures.
• Support employee relations matters and investigations.
• Assist with policy development and handbook updates.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws.
• Maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information appropriately.
• Manage resignation and termination processes.
• Coordinate final payroll transactions and benefits notifications.
• Ensure timely removal of system access and company assets.

Skills

Communication

Organizational

Project management

Attention to detail

Independent work

Hands-on problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP/PHR or equivalent

Tools

HRIS

Payroll software

Job description

About SubSea Craft

SubSea Craft is an innovative maritime technology company developing next-generation surface and subsurface marine vessels. We are building a high-performing team to support our continued growth and operational excellence in the United States.

Location: Virginia Beach, VA (Onsite)

Department: Human Resources

Reports To: Chief Financial Officer

SubSea Craft is seeking an experienced HR & Talent Operations Specialist to manage and optimize the employee lifecycle from candidate attraction through employee separation. This role is responsible for recruiting, onboarding, payroll administration, benefits support, employee records management, compliance, employee relations support, and offboarding activities.

The ideal candidate is organized, proactive, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced start-up environment where priorities can evolve and individuals are expected to take ownership and work with a high degree of autonomy. The successful candidate will be equally comfortable thinking strategically and executing hands-on, with the ability to build, improve, and implement HR processes rather than simply maintain established ones.

This position offers the opportunity to play a key role in shaping the HR function as SubSea Craft grows. The successful candidate will have a genuine opportunity to influence how we attract, onboard, develop, support, and retain our people.

We are looking for someone who thrives in an environment where not everything is already defined. At SubSea Craft, you will have the opportunity to build, improve, and influence how we operate.

Talent Acquisition & Recruiting

• Manage full-cycle recruitment for exempt and non-exempt positions.
• Partner with managers to develop job descriptions and hiring strategies.
• Source, screen, interview, and coordinate candidate selection processes.
• Manage applicant tracking activities and maintain recruiting metrics.
• Coordinate background checks, employment verification, and pre-employment requirements.
• Prepare and extend offer letters.

Onboarding & Employee Experience

• Coordinate all new hire onboarding activities.
• Ensure completion of required employment documentation.
• Partner with managers to create successful onboarding plans.
• Coordinate IT, facilities, and other onboarding logistics.

HR Operations & Payroll

• Prepare and process payroll information accurately and in a timely manner.
• Maintain employee data within HRIS and payroll systems.
• Process employee status changes.
• Develop and maintain HR reports, metrics, and dashboards.
• Support annual audits and compliance reporting.

Benefits Administration

• Support employee benefit enrollment and changes.
• Coordinate with external vendors and brokers.

Employee Relations & Compliance

• Serve as a resource for employee questions regarding policies and procedures.
• Support employee relations matters and investigations.
• Assist with policy development and handbook updates.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws.
• Maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information appropriately.

Offboarding & Workforce Administration

• Manage resignation and termination processes.
• Coordinate final payroll transactions and benefits notifications.
• Ensure timely removal of system access and company assets.

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field.
• 5-7 years of progressive HR experience.
• Experience managing recruiting, onboarding, payroll coordination, and employee lifecycle administration.
• Strong understanding of employment law and HR best practices.
• Experience with HRIS and payroll systems.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills.
• Strong communication skills and attention to detail.
• Comfortable working in a start-up or rapidly changing environment, with the flexibility to adapt priorities as the business evolves.
• Self-starter with a strong sense of ownership and the ability to work independently, identify what needs to be done, and take action.
• Willingness to operate hands-on and build processes, systems, and solutions where they do not yet exist.

Preferred

• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or equivalent certification.
• Experience in manufacturing, maritime, defense, engineering, technology, or government contracting environments.
• Experience with BambooHR or similar HR platforms.
• Previous experience working in rapidly growing early-stage or start-up environment.

Compensation

$95,000 - $105,000

Why Join SubSea Craft?

• Opportunity to build and improve HR processes within a growing organization.
• Direct exposure to leadership and strategic business initiatives.
• Broad responsibility across recruiting, operations, and employee experience.
• Work alongside innovative professionals developing advanced maritime technologies.