Senior People & Culture Generalist

AeroVironment, Inc.; Simi Valley (CA); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401K with company matching

9/80 work schedule

Job summary

AeroVironment, Inc. in California seeks a Senior People & Culture Generalist (Contractor) to support HR compliance, engagement, performance management, and policy implementation.

This hybrid role spans Simi Valley, CA and Herndon, VA locations, collaborating with the P&C Business Partner team across AeroVironment sites. The role requires 5+ years in HR, strong knowledge of onboarding, compensation, and benefits, and solid understanding of employment laws.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, or related field or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• 5+ years of related experience working in human resources
• Knowledge and understanding of a variety of areas within Human Resources including onboarding, performance management, compensation, and benefits
• Possess current understanding of federal, state, and local employment laws
• Demonstrated excellence in verbal and written communication, with the ability to "think on one's feet" in high pressure situations
• Highly collaborative style, capable of working across multiple functional areas to represent the People & Culture team
• Resourceful mindset and strong attention to detail
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects successfully
• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Operating Systems, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word

Responsibilities

• Develops partnerships across the People & Culture team to deliver value-added service to leaders and employees that reflect P&C and company objectives
• Provide general P&C support to employees and managers, such as answering P&C related inquiries/tickets, supporting P&C team with addressing employee concerns, and providing guidance on P&C policies and procedures
• Partners with P&C Business Partners to provide day-to-day guidance to leaders in the form of coaching, counseling, career development, basic employment law compliance, and disciplinary actions
• Assists employees with day-to-day P&C inquiries; works with internal P&C Centers of Excellence to ensure employee questions are answered thoroughly and timely; completes full circle follow up to employee
• Assists in the development and execution of P&C policies and procedures; provides guidance and interpretation to leaders and employees
• Suggests new policies and procedures for improving the employee experience, company culture, and the efficiency of the P&C department
• Supports P&C by maintaining compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations; recommends best practices and supports in the review of policies and practices to maintain compliance
• Performs administrative P&C processes by completing various business processes in Workday to support the employee lifecycle (e.g. talent acquisition, separations, promotions, etc); maintains paper and online employee records
• Manages/supports the employee separation exit process, including exit meetings, processing separations in Workday, separation paperwork and proper documentation for both contingent and non-contingent workers
• Manages and/or supports global employee programs and events (e.g. Corporate Social Responsibility program, Employee Culture Club) as needed
• Continuously strives to identify, formulate, and execute process improvements and efficiencies
• Manages and/or supports the implementation of approved P&C and business strategies
• Manages and/or supports specific P&C projects as needed
• Act as an AV employer brand ambassador to both internal and external candidates and stakeholders

Skills

HR Generalist

Compliance

Employee relations

Performance management

Microsoft Excel

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR

Tools

Workday

Job description

Worker Type Contractor Job Description Summary

The People & Culture Generalist, Sr. will provide support in the areas of Human Resource compliance, engagement, performance management, process improvement projects, and employee relations. The People & Culture Generalist primary responsibility is to assist in the development and implementation of P&C policies, programs, and initiatives to meet the needs of the organization and its employees. The P&C Generalist is responsible for assisting the P&C Business Partner team with a variety of HR duties across all AeroVironment locations. In this position, the People & Culture Generalist will use their HR functional expertise to align critical human resources principles with business objectives. Position is hybrid in Simi Valley, CA or Herndon, VA.

Position Responsibilities:

• Develops partnerships across the People & Culture team to deliver value-added service to leaders and employees that reflect P&C and company objectives
• Provide general P&C support to employees and managers, such as answering P&C related inquiries/tickets, supporting P&C team with addressing employee concerns, and providing guidance on P&C policies and procedures
• Partners with P&C Business Partners to provide day-to-day guidance to leaders in the form of coaching, counseling, career development, basic employment law compliance, and disciplinary actions
• Assists employees with day-to-day P&C inquiries; works with internal P&C Centers of Excellence to ensure employee questions are answered thoroughly and timely; completes full circle follow up to employee
• Assists in the development and execution of P&C policies and procedures; provides guidance and interpretation to leaders and employees
• Suggests new policies and procedures for improving the employee experience, company culture, and the efficiency of the P&C department
• Supports P&C by maintaining compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations; recommends best practices and supports in the review of policies and practices to maintain compliance
• Performs administrative P&C processes by completing various business processes in Workday to support the employee lifecycle (e.g. talent acquisition, separations, promotions, etc); maintains paper and online employee records
• Manages/supports the employee separation exit process, including exit meetings, processing separations in Workday, separation paperwork and proper documentation for both contingent and non-contingent workers
• Manages and/or supports global employee programs and events (e.g. Corporate Social Responsibility program, Employee Culture Club) as needed
• Continuously strives to identify, formulate, and execute process improvements and efficiencies
• Manages and/or supports the implementation of approved P&C and business strategies
• Manages and/or supports specific P&C projects as needed
• Act as an AV employer brand ambassador to both internal and external candidates and stakeholders

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience):

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, or related field or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• 5+ years of related experience working in human resources
• Knowledge and understanding of a variety of areas within Human Resources including onboarding, performance management, compensation, and benefits
• Possess current understanding of federal, state, and local employment laws
• Demonstrated excellence in verbal and written communication, with the ability to "think on one's feet" in high pressure situations
• Highly collaborative style, capable of working across multiple functional areas to represent the People & Culture team
• Resourceful mindset and strong attention to detail
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects successfully
• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Operating Systems, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies:

• Prior Human Capital Management system experience (Workday preferred)
• Experience with multiple large, company-wide program implementations
• Able to work effectively and efficiently across functions and have a proven track record of working successfully across multiple levels of an organization
• Able to excel in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, where small teams share a broad variety of duties
• Displays strong initiative and drive to accomplish goals and meet company objectives
• Takes ownership and responsibility for current and past work products
• Is committed to learning from mistakes and driven to improve and enhance performance of oneself, others, and the company
• Focuses on teamwork and puts the success of the team above one's own interests

Physical Demands:

Ability to work in an office environment (Constant) Required to sit and stand for long periods; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Frequent)

Special Requirements:

U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (Green Card holder) or asylee/refugee status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) required. Clearance Level No Clearance AeroVironment considers several factors, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills. ITAR Requirement: This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations ("ITAR") and/or the Export Administration Regulations ("EAR"). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A "U.S. person" according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits:

• AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown.

For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits. We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

Who We Are

Based in California, AeroVironment (AVAV) is a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical missile systems. Founded in 1971 by celebrated physicist and engineer, Dr. Paul MacCready, we’ve been at the leading edge of technical innovation for more than 45 years. Be a part of the team that developed the world’s most widely used military drones and created the first submarine-launched reconnaissance drone, and has seven innovative vehicles that are part of the Smithsonian Institution’s permanent collection in Washington, DC. Join us today in developing the next generation of small UAS and tactical missile systems that will deliver more actionable intelligence to our customers so they can proceed with certainty – and succeed.

What We Do

Building on a history of technological innovation, AeroVironment designs, develops, produces, and supports an advanced portfolio of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical missile systems. Agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense and allied military services use the company’s hand-launched UAS to provide situational awareness to tactical operating units through real-time, airborne reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition. We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.

About AV

AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best. We don’t just build defense technology—redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve. Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next. If you’re ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV. Careers at AeroVironment