People & Culture Generalist

Zeno Power is the leading developer of nuclear batteries – compact power systems that provide reliable, clean energy in frontier environments. By harnessing the heat from radioisotopes, Zeno’s batteries power critical missions on Earth, in space, and  bring this technology to market by 2027, Zeno is seeking out purpose-driven and innovative professionals who are comfortable working in a startup environment. Team members will have a direct impact in enabling commercial and national security missions from the depths of our oceans, to the surface of the moon, and in austere environments here on Earth.

Zeno is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing a highly qualified, diverse, and dedicated work force. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

We’re hiring a People & Culture (P&C) Generalist to join our small team as Zeno grows beyond 100 employees. This is a hands‑on generalist role for someone with experience supporting core P&C functions across the employee lifecycle, rather than a role focused on one specialty area. In this role, you will manage the details that shape an employee’s experience, keep our records and systems reliable, and build processes that can scale with the company.

This role is for someone who cares equally about people and operational quality. A welcoming first day matters – and so does an accurate I‑9, a well‑documented employee change, and HRIS data we can trust. You will be expected to notice gaps, work through ambiguity, and improve a process instead of accepting the status quo.

You will work cross‑functionally with Recruiting, Finance, IT, and Operations and will report to the Director of People & Culture.

In this role you will:

• Own – and continuously improve – onboarding from offer acceptance through an employee’s first weeks. This includes coordinating systems, documentation, equipment, schedules, and internal partners to create a thoughtful and consistent welcome.
• Manage employee lifecycle processes and documentation, including background checks, employment eligibility verification, employee changes, promotions, transfers, and offboarding.
• Maintain accurate employee records and HRIS data, conduct regular audits, and build reliable tracking and reporting mechanisms.
• Improve P&C workflows, templates, knowledge resources, and systems. Use automation and sound process design to reduce manual work, strengthen controls, and prepare the function for continued growth.
• Administer employee benefits, including enrollments, qualifying life events, terminations, employee education, vendor coordination, and support for annual open enrollment.
• Support employee leave processes in accordance with company policies and applicable requirements, coordinating with employees, internal stakeholders (e.g., Finance and IT), and managers.
• Serve as a dependable point of contact for employees’ questions about benefits, policies, leaves, and P&C processes. Must be able to explain information clearly, follow through, and know when to escape.
• Maintain a strong working knowledge of federal, state, and local employment requirements for a multi‑state workforce. Support development of compliance calendars, required notices and trainings, record retention, employee acknowledgments, audits, and regulatory reporting.
• Support the administration of performance review cycles, including system setup, communications, documentation, timeline management, data preparation, and follow‑up.
• Partner with the…