People Operations Generalist

Available Location: McLean, VA area (preferred) or Remote

The Role: 

We are looking for a seasoned early-stage startup professional as our first dedicated People Ops hire. The People Ops Generalist will have an immediate impact in shaping our company culture, defining the employee experience, driving employee engagement, fostering a high-performance work environment, and ensuring we attract, develop, and retain top-of-market talent. 

The role will initially focus on talent acquisition and executing our aggressive hiring plan, growing into a larger role covering the People Operations lifecycle. 

What You’ll Do (not all at once): 

• Talent Management: Manage the end-to-end recruitment process, including role definition, scoping, sourcing, screening, interviewing, and offers. Support the development and implementation of an HR strategy, including a personnel planning process, that aligns with the overall business objectives. 

• People Operations: Manage all aspects of the employee experience, including employee onboarding, HR operations processes, growth, offboarding, and compliance. Oversee daily workflow, including payroll, HRIS/Insperity administration, and records management. Own and optimize people systems and processes, including external vendor management. 

• Employee Engagement: Help implement a performance management system that supports employee development. Serve as point of contact for HR-related employee questions. Support and help resolve employee relations issues as they arise. Coach employees and managers through difficult conversations. 

• Compensation & Benefits: Manage our benefits program, including annual reporting, running open enrollment, and supporting employees. Make recommendations to DEFCON AI’s Senior Leadership Team for compensation philosophies and benefits strategies. Work with CFO to estimate financial impacts of proposals and changes and include those estimates in the recommendations.   

• Culture: Assist in designing and implementing practices, policies, and plans that will enhance the company's culture and promote our Operating Principles. 

• Continuous Improvement: Identify areas to automate and leverage technology to scale. Improve operational efficiencies and data-driven decision by implementing systems for streamlined HR administration and workforce analytics. 

What You Have: 

• 7+ years of recruitment experience with at least 1-3 years of progressive HR/People Ops experience at high-growth startups, preferably seed, Series A, or Series B  

• Proven success as a strategic business partner, collaborating closely with senior leadership to align people strategies and execution with organizational objectives 

• Concrete examples of developing and executing comprehensive programs across the employee lifecycle 

• Strong familiarity with HRIS platforms, including solutions for payroll, HR, and benefits 

• Operational expertise, proven track record of process improvement, documentation and systems integrations 

• Successful track record of establishing credibility and trust in a remote-first workforce 

• Impressively strong analytical, organizational and facilitation skills 

• Proven experience managing a diverse group of team members including W2 employees, contractors, and freelancers 

• Forward-thinking tech savviness with experience with tools such as Google Workspace, Pave, Greenhouse, HRIS software, Slack and more. Hands-on experience with various compliance tools that ensure compliance with labor laws and regulations. 

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt to evolving needs of a high-growth company 

• Incredibly trustworthy with the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information. 

Even Better If You Have: 

• A background at a defense tech company including working with personnel with security clearances. 

What We Offer: 

• Top-of-market competitive salary, bonus, and equity package 

• 100% employer paid, comprehensive health insurance including medical, dental, and vision for you and your family 

• Unlimited PTO, with your manager’s approval 

• Flexible work environment where you manage your workday 

• A remote-first environment, with occasional travel to collaborate with customers, your team, and teammates from across the company in person 

• Home office reimbursement 
• 14 weeks of fully-paid parental leave 

Salary Range: $110,000-$140,000. This represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience, skills, and other factors. 

DEFCON AI is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status. 

We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply, even if you don't feel like you're a perfect fit. If you're passionate about contributing to our mission, we'd love to hear from you!