People Manager; Human Resources) Strategy & Ops

People Manager (Human Resources) Build and scale the People infrastructure to support rapid company growth

Location:

El Segundo, California

Compensation: $140, USD / year

Reporting to the People Director, the People Manager will build and scale the People infrastructure that powers Varda's mission and rapid growth. This role owns the systems, processes, and programs that create clarity, accountability, and operational excellence across the company —while serving as a strategic People partner to assigned business units.

This role is deeply hands-on and execution-focused. You will personally run core People processes end-to-end, fix operational gaps, build workflows from scratch, and ensure day-to-day People operations run smoothly in a fast-scaling aerospace environment. This is not a strategy-only role — it requires a builder mentality, operational rigor, and a willingness to roll up your sleeves daily.

You'll partner closely with People leadership, Finance, Legal, Payroll, Recruiting, and business leaders across Varda.

Strategic Business Partnership

• Serve as the primary People Business Partner for assigned business units.
• Build trusted relationships with leaders to understand priorities and translate them into People strategies.
• Partner on organizational design, workforce planning, team effectiveness, and organizational change.
• Coach managers on leadership effectiveness, performance, development, and building high-performing teams.
• Provide practical guidance on talent decisions, promotions, organizational changes, and manager effectiveness.
• Balance strategic partnership with hands‑on execution, ensuring People strategies translate into operational results.
• Anticipate organizational needs and proactively develop People solutions that support business growth.

Talent & Organizational Effectiveness

• Lead annual talent processes: performance reviews, calibration, promotions, succession planning, and development planning.
• Support leaders in identifying, developing, and retaining top talent.
• Build leadership capability through coaching, feedback, and manager development.
• Drive consistency and accountability across People programs and leadership practices.

Compensation, Equity & People Programs

• Support managers with compensation recommendations aligned with Varda's philosophy and market practices.
• Partner on equity program administration and communication.
• Lead rollout and adoption of company‑wide People initiatives (performance management, leadership development, engagement, recognition, talent programs).
• Develop manager communications, training, and resources to ensure successful program implementation.
• Gather feedback and continuously improve People programs based on business needs.

People Operations & Operational Excellence

• Execute core People processes directly — onboarding, offboarding, transfers, promotions, and employee changes — ensuring accuracy and speed.
• Own day‑to‑day People operations and resolve issues quickly with a bias toward action.
• Build, document, and continuously improve workflows, SOPs, and People systems.
• Identify operational gaps and personally drive fixes, improvements, and process simplification.
• Manage high‑volume operational tasks with precision and urgency.
• Partner with Payroll, Recruiting, Finance, and Legal to ensure seamless execution of People processes across the employee lifecycle.
• Maintain accurate employee data and support workforce reporting, metrics, and organizational insights.
• Conduct periodic audits of People processes and data to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance.
• Ensure People programs comply with federal, state, and local employment laws while simplifying and scaling operational processes.

• 8+ years of progressive HR experience, including HRBP and/or People Operations roles.
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Startup experience required (or experience building new groups within a larger company).
• Demonstrated ability to operate as a hands‑on People operator in a fast‑paced environment.
• Comfortable managing both high‑level strategy and…