Head of People

The role

The Head of People will build and own the people function as the company scales. This role involves establishing systems, processes, and operating cadence for the entire employee lifecycle while partnering with leadership on organizational design and workforce planning.

What you will do

• Own the end-to-end employee lifecycle including onboarding, performance management, compensation, benefits administration, employee relations, and offboarding.
• Own recruiting operations and partner with hiring managers and recruiters to scale hiring.
• Build and scale the company's people infrastructure including policies, processes, documentation, and operating procedures.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws.
• Own the company's HRIS, employee records, people reporting, and HR operations.
• Own performance management, employee development, and manager coaching.
• Own employee experience initiatives to reinforce a high-performance culture.

Required qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive experience in People Operations, Human Resources, or HR Business Partner roles, including experience in high-growth startup environments.
• Demonstrated success building and scaling highly effective people programs across compensation, performance management, onboarding, employee relations, and benefits.
• Strong working knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws.
• Experience building scalable people processes, maintaining HR systems, and using data to improve decision-making and operational efficiency.
• Exceptional organizational and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and execute in a fast-paced environment.
• Comfortable operating with ambiguity, taking ownership of new initiatives, and building processes where none previously existed.

Nice to have

• Experience as one of the first People hires or helping build the People function at an early-stage or growth-stage startup.
• Track record of improving operational efficiency through thoughtful systems, automation, and process design.
• Experience supporting technical organizations with aggressive hiring goals.
• Familiarity with defense technology, aerospace, hardware, manufacturing, or another highly technical industry is a plus.

Benefits

• Significant stock options
• 401(k) with employer matching
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family
• Relocation assistance provided (if applicable)
• Unlimited PTO (two-week minimum)
• 11 paid holidays per year
• Paid parental leave for both parents
• Lunch provided when working in-office
• Fully stocked kitchenette
• Free EV charging at the HQ
• Office stocked with quality coffee, snacks, and craft beer

Before you apply

• Applicant must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful, permanent resident, Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from

About the company

Picogrid is a venture-backed defense technology company building infrastructure to unify sensors, autonomy, and operators. Their mission is to deliver an operational advantage to secure the United States and its allies.