Human Resources Manager

Inversion Space Company; California; On-site; USD 134,000 - 195,000; Full time

Job summary

Inversion is seeking its first HR hire to build the People function from the ground up, designing systems, programs, and culture for rapid growth. The role starts hands-on and will grow into people management within 12–24 months, with reporting to the Senior Director of Talent & People and collaboration with the CEO.

You will own onboarding, benefits, compliance (CA and federal contractor), employee relations, and HR operations (Gusto).

Qualifications

• 7+ years of HR generalist experience, including CA-based work
• Deep knowledge of CA employment law and compliance requirements
• Experience with federal contractor compliance (OFCCP, EEO-1, VEVRAA, 503)
• Proven ability to own benefits administration through open enrollment
• Hands-on employee relations experience including investigations and terminations
• Experience operating as a solo HR professional or in a lean team
• Proficiency with HRIS platforms (Gusto)
• Exceptional written and verbal communication; high discretion and judgment
• Ability to obtain/maintain U.S. government security clearance

Responsibilities

• Design and build the HR function from the ground up
• Own onboarding, offboarding, and CA-compliant final pay processes
• Administer benefits programs end-to-end and manage open enrollment
• Advise managers on performance and employee relations
• Ensure CA and federal contractor compliance and policy updates
• Lead performance management, goal setting, and career development
• Drive engagement and culture initiatives across teams
• Develop HR operations and reporting infrastructure (HRIS, headcount, metrics)
• Plan for headcount, compensation benchmarking, and team growth

Skills

HR Generalist

CA Employment Law

Federal Compliance

Benefits Administration

Employee Relations

HRIS (Gusto)

Security Clearance

Communication

Independent Contributor

Tools

Gusto

Job description

Advanced Reentry Technologies

Who We Are:

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

Team Leadership (Year 1–2)

• 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 headquarters is located in Playa 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.

ITAR Compliance:

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 .

Equal Employment Opportunity:

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.