At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. We are building artificial gravity space stations, allowing long-term stays in space without the adverse effects of zero-gravity. Our initial crewed space habitat will be Haven-1, scheduled to be the world’s first commercial space station when it launches into low-Earth orbit in 2026. It is part of our stepping stone approach to continuous human presence in LEO. Our team is all-in, committed to executing our mission safely and on time. If you want to work with the most talented people on Earth furthering space exploration for humanity, come join us.
Vast is looking for an Employee Relations Manager, reporting to Senior Manager of People Business Partners, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations.
This person will oversee and manage employee relations matters with a focus on ensuring compliance with company policies, employment laws, and regulations. This role involves conducting comprehensive investigations, resolving workplace conflicts, and partnering with internal stakeholders to promote a fair, ethical, and inclusive work environment. This role will also oversee compliance and the development of policies. The ideal candidate will possess strong investigative skills, sound judgment, and a proactive approach to identifying and mitigating risk.
This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location.
Responsibilities:
- Lead and manage complex and sensitive workplace investigations.
- Provide thought leadership to the team of People Business Partners; operate as a Center of Excellence.
- Ensure investigations are conducted thoroughly, objectively, and in compliance with company policies and applicable employment laws.
- Document investigation processes, ndings, and conclusions effectively, ensuring detailed case management.
- Analyze case notes and prepare comprehensive executive summaries.
- Provide recommendations on appropriate corrective actions, discipline, or policy changes following investigations.
- Collaborate with Legal, People Business Partners, and senior, and C-level business leaders to resolve employee relations issues while ensuring consistency and fairness.
- Ensure consistent application of company policies and procedures across all departments.
- Stay current with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations to ensure organizational compliance.
- Conduct audits and assessments to evaluate potential risk areas and recommend improvements to minimize legal exposure.
- Maintain detailed records of investigations, including key ndings, timelines, and outcomes.
- Enhance reporting tools to analyze trends, identify risk patterns, and recommend proactive solutions.
- Present ndings and insights to C-level leadership to support decision-making and risk mitigation strategies.
- Conduct regular reviews of the employee handbook to ensure compliance with employment laws and industry best practices.
- Collaborate with legal counsel to ensure policies reect current legal requirements and risk management considerations.
- Ensure all policies are written in clear and accessible language for employees at all levels.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for employee questions related to handbook policies.
Minimum Qualifications:
- 10+years of progressive experience in employee relations, investigations, or compliance roles.
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, related fields or equivalent years of experience.
- Strong knowledge of employment laws , including wage & hour, ADA, FMLA, FLSA, and EEO regulations.
Preferred Skills & Experience:
- Exceptional investigative skills, including interviewing, documentation, and analysis.
- Ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters with discretion and professionalism.
- Strong conflict resolution and mediation skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with stakeholders across various organizational levels.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a high performing and fast-paced environment.
Additional Requirements:
- This role may require occasional travel for investigations or meetings
- Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones
Pay Range:
- Senior Employee Relations Manager: $105,000 - $150,000
- Staff Employee Relations Manager: $130,000 - $175,000
U.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE STATUS
The person hired will have access to information and items subject to U.S. export controls, and therefore, must either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.62 or otherwise eligible for deemed export licensing. This status includes U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and asylees and refugees with such status granted, not pending.EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
What We Do
Vast is developing next-generation space stations to ensure continuous human presence in space for America and its allies, enabling advanced microgravity research and manufacturing, and unlocking a new space economy for government, corporate, and private customers. Using an incremental, hardware-rich and low-cost approach, Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station. Haven Demo’s 2025 success made Vast the only operational commercial space station company to fly and operate its own spacecraft. Next, Haven-1 is expected to become the world’s first commercial space station when it launches in 2026, followed by additional Haven modules to enable permanent human presence by 2030.
With more than 1,000 employees at its Long Beach, California headquarters and over a billion dollars in private capital invested, Vast has built the facilities required to manufacture and operate America’s next space station. The company plans to develop future habitats for the Moon and Mars, dedicated space stations for government partners, and other crewed systems that will unlock the expanding long-term space economy.
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