Head of People

ABOUT US: Astro Mechanica is a vertically integrated aerospace company building a faster, more connected future. Our mission is to democratize high-speed flight by making supersonic travel flexible, accessible, and sustainable. We believe that rapid, on-demand, point-to-point global mobility will become the new standard for moving people and goods across the planet. To achieve this, we are integrating our advanced airframe and engine technologies—which include Duality™, our proprietary dual-use propulsion system—with a new flight operations model to make supersonic transport as efficient and economical as commercial air travel is today. In the near term, we are developing adaptable, high-speed systems to close aircraft performance gaps for the United States government. WHO WE ARE: We’re a team of passionate engineers dedicated to advancing aerospace. We’re generalists with specialist depth, united by a flat structure and a shared obsession with building things that work well. We move fast, stay pragmatic, and let engineering excellence speak louder than hierarchy. WHO YOU ARE: You have done this before. Not necessarily at an aerospace company, but at a fast-scaling, high-stakes, technically complex organization where the People function had to grow in real time. You've owned the full stack of HR, you've built teams and systems from scratch, and you've made decisions under ambiguity without waiting for a playbook to materialize. You are a strong operator and credible strategic partner. You understand what it means to recruit in a competitive technical talent market. You've hired engineers and operators who had better-resourced options but chose your company anyway. You have a high standard for your craft- the work you produce, the processes you build, and the people you hire. You care about getting it right, not just getting it done. That will resonate here. WHAT YOU’LL DO: This is the first dedicated executive People hire at Astro Mechanica. You will own all HR functions: talent acquisition, people operations, total rewards, performance management, employee experience, compliance, and organizational design. You will inherit a foundation built by an internal lead who has done exceptional work getting the company from 0 to 1, and you will take it the rest of the way. This is not a role for someone who needs to learn the craft of People leadership on the job. Astro Mechanica is moving too fast for that. You need to know what good looks like across all HR functions, make decisions quickly, and build systems that work today and hold up at 5x the current size. You report to the COO and partner closely with the CEO and technical leadership. This is a seat at the leadership table. You are expected to contribute to company strategy, not just execute on HR programs. WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR: - 10+ years of progressive HR/People leadership, with meaningful time as a functional owner, not just a business partner - Experience at a company that scaled rapidly (ideally from under 100 to several hundred people) and kept its culture intact - Demonstrated success building in-house talent acquisition functions (not just managing agencies) - Strong track record recruiting and retaining technical talent in a competitive market - Experience with California employment law and the specific risks it creates for fast-moving companies is helpful but not required - Exposure to manufacturing, aerospace, defense, or other hardware-intensive industries is a meaningful plus. You don't need to have built jet engines, but you need to be able to earn the trust of people who do - Prior experience designing performance management systems that actually work in practice - Comfort operating in companies where not everything is defined yet and preference for building over inheriting PERKS & BENEFITS: - Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, including Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) - 401(k) program and transparent stock option plan - Self-managed and fle