Senior People Ops Generalist

About Zap Energy

Zap is advancing the next generation of nuclear power technology across fusion, fission and hybrid applications. Built on an integrated platform of high-energy-density physics and pulsed power, liquid metals and advanced materials, and compact, modular systems, Zap is building the foundational technologies needed to deploy the energy sources of the future.

About the Opportunity

Reporting directly to the SVP of People & Workplace, this is the most senior role on the team, and it carries the full breadth of the HR function: employee relations, compliance, total rewards, talent, and the systems underneath all of it.

You’ll operate as a true generalist, not a specialist with a broad title. In any given week you might launch a performance check-in cycle, coach an employee through a leave process, advise a first-time manager through a hard conversation, and pull the comp data leadership needs for a headcount decision. You are the escalation point for the day-to-day; the SVP is your partner, not a layer you route routine work through.

It’s a deliberately close partnership. You’ll have direct exposure to executive-level people strategy and a short path to decisions, along with the autonomy to own your workload.

We’re looking for someone who has done this before at a company that was growing fast and who knows which processes to build now, which to defer, and which to leave alone.

What You'll Own

Talent acquisition. Partner with hiring managers on full-cycle recruiting for priority technical and operations roles, and support workforce planning and headcount tracking.

Talent development. Build the frameworks that tell people what “good” looks like and how they grow here:

• Define competencies and career pathways for technical and non-technical tracks, and keep leveling consistent as new roles emerge
• Design and deliver learning: manager training, onboarding curriculum, and targeted development for individual contributors moving toward technical leadership
• Connect development to the rest of the system, so competencies show up in job descriptions, interview scorecards, review criteria, and comp decisions rather than living in a slide deck

Employee relations. Serve as the trusted first call for employees and managers. Investigate and resolve sensitive matters with fairness, consistency, and discretion. Coach managers through performance concerns, corrective action, and the conversations they’d rather avoid.

Compliance and HR operations. Own compliance and keep our policies, handbook, and processes current as we scale. Administer the HRIS, ATS, and benefits platforms, and hold the line on data integrity. Run the employee lifecycle end to end: onboarding, transfers, leave, offboarding.

Total rewards. Administer and explain our benefits programs, and act as the escalation path when something goes wrong. Support annual comp cycles, benchmarking, and equity administration, and partner with Finance on payroll accuracy and reporting.

Engagement. Run engagement surveys and turn the results into recommendations for action.

More About You

• 8+ years of progressive HR or People Operations experience, including time at a fast-scaling tech, deep tech, or engineering-driven company
• Genuine breadth across employee relations, compliance, benefits, recruiting, talent development, and HR systems
• Direct experience building competency or career frameworks
• Strong working knowledge of employment law and compliance requirements
• A track record of owning HR work independently
• Excellent judgment in ambiguous and sensitive situations, with a high bar for confidentiality and integrity
• Communication skills that let you translate HR complexity for scientists, engineers, and executives alike
• Proficiency with a modern HRIS and related systems

Preferred

• Experience supporting a technical workforce of engineers, scientists, and researchers
• Experience as the sole or most senior generalist supporting an executive people leader
• Learning and development depth: facilitation, instructional design, or program management
• PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP certification
• Background in compensation analysis or total rewards
• Prior experience at a venture-backed or growth-stage company

Employment may be conditioned upon the ability to obtain export authorization. Estimated salary range: $120,000–$150,000 annually. Candidates may be considered for other positions at Zap Energy and actual salary will be based on relevant education, experience, and other qualifications. Range is published in accordance with Washington Equal Pay and Opportunity Act.

Zap Energy is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws and regulations.