Manager of People Operations

Muon Space, Inc.; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Parental leave

Generous time off

401(k) + equity management

HQ lunch program

Dog-friendly office

Job summary

Muon Space, Inc. is seeking a senior leader to head People Operations, building scalable HR programs for rapid headcount growth. You will partner with the VP of People Operations to govern onboarding, payroll, benefits, HRIS, and policy development.

You will shape a inclusive, high-trust culture, lead annual enrollment, manage vendor relationships, and oversee sensitive employee relations with confidentiality and emotional intelligence.

Qualifications

• 8–12+ years of progressive experience in People Operations or HR.
• 4+ years of direct people management experience.
• Experience scaling HR programs during hyper-growth; aerospace familiarity is a plus.
• Strong executive partnership and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Partner with VP of People Operations to design scalable HR strategies and infrastructure.
• Oversee onboarding, benefits, payroll, HRIS, and offboarding processes.
• Build inclusive culture grounded in integrity and psychological safety.
• Lead pulse surveys and drive continuous improvement in workplace culture.
• Ensure compliance with federal/state/local laws including ITAR/EAR considerations.
• Lead annual Open Enrollment, vendor management, and total rewards strategy.
• Manage sensitive employee relations and investigations with discretion.
• Provide confidential employee support and guidance to leadership.
• Develop governance and documentation for HR systems and policies.

Skills

People Operations

Executive presence

Stakeholder partnerships

Strategic HR planning

Team leadership

Emotional intelligence

Policy governance

Communication

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, or related field

Tools

Rippling

Lattice

Google Workspace

Confluence

Job description

• Directly partnering with the VP of People Operations to design and execute scalable HR strategies, programs, and infrastructure built for rapid headcount growth to support the company
• Ensure seamless execution across the employee lifecycle from onboarding, benefits administration, payroll processing, internal employee support and offboarding
• Foster an inclusive, supportive, and kind workplace culture grounded in integrity, psychological safety, and clear communication
• Design, launch, and analyze regular pulse surveys to measure employee engagement, gather actionable feedback, and drive continuous improvement in workplace culture
• Maintain full compliance with federal, state, and local labor laws (including FLSA, FMLA, ADA, and aerospace-specific regulations like ITAR/EAR), and continuously update company policies as needed
• Lead annual Open Enrollment, vendor management, and benefits strategy to ensure competitive and compassionate total rewards packages
• Oversee accuracy and compliance in payroll workflows, HRIS management, and time-tracking systems
• Lead and empower your team and be a role model for the company of management capability
• Serve as a trusted, approachable point of contact for employees, handling complex personal or professional inquiries with total confidentiality
• Manage sensitive employee relations and conflict resolution with fairness, discretion, and deep emotional intelligence

Benefits

• 100% health, dental, and vision coverage for employees; 50% coverage for dependents (Concierge Medical offered through One Medical where available)
• Parental leave for primary and secondary caregivers
• Generous time off policy
• 401(k) plan through Betterment and equity management through Carta
• Fully stocked kitchen at our HQ and we cater lunch 3 days per week
• Dog-friendly office

Experience

8-12+ years of progressive experience in People Operations or Human Resources, with at least 4+ years of direct people management experience

Scaling & Growth

Proven track record of building, scaling, and managing People Operations functions through rapid hyper-growth phases

Executive Partnership

Strong executive presence with proven success advising and partnering with stakeholders across our growing organization on people strategies

Autonomy & Drive

Proven ability to translate broad business goals into actionable project roadmaps and execute independently with minimal direction

Problem Solving & Discretion

Demonstrated mastery in handling complex employee relations, internal investigations, and sensitive organizational challenges with exceptional emotional intelligence, discretion, and high integrity

Total Rewards Strategy

Strategic expertise in Total Rewards and benefits design, vendor negotiations, and overseeing end-to-end Open Enrollment strategy

Communication Skills

Outstanding verbal and written communication skills with a natural approachability and warmth

Systems and Documentation

Hands-on experience architecting and managing modern HR systems (Rippling, Lattice) and building out accessible and clear documentation (Google Workspace, Confluence)

Adaptability

Excited to work in a fast-paced environment with new challenges each week

We encourage you to apply, even if you don't check all the boxes, and we look forward to reviewing your application!

Legal Compliance

Deep knowledge of multi-state federal, state, and local employment laws, compliance frameworks, and complex HR governance

Aerospace Regulations

Familiarity with ITAR/EAR regulatory compliance and security clearances and its implications on talent acquisition, onboarding, and export control workflows