People Operations Lead

About the role

This role is designed for a People Operations Lead who will own recruiting, human resources, onboarding, company culture, and direct support to the leadership team as Askari scales.

Successful defense companies are built by exceptional people. Finding them, recruiting them, and building an organization that retains them is as operationally critical as anything happening in the factory or on the front line. Reporting directly to the CEO, you will own the people operations function end to end, building the systems, processes, and relationships that enable Askari to attract and retain world-class talent.

This is not a traditional corporate HR role. It is a high-ownership, high-output position at a rapidly growing defense startup, where you will operate across recruiting, HR administration, employee experience, and executive support. You will source and close exceptional engineers and operators who are difficult to find and even harder to recruit, while building the infrastructure needed to scale our organization from approximately 20 employees to 100+.

You will work directly alongside the CEO and leadership team, taking ownership of the details, logistics, and coordination that allow them to remain focused on customers, engineering, and the mission. You will be expected to operate independently, anticipate problems before they arise, and ensure that critical responsibilities never fall through the cracks.

We are looking for high-agency builders: individuals with exceptional attention to detail, strong interpersonal skills, sound judgment, and the ability to create effective processes where none exist. You should thrive in ambiguity, bring genuine energy and ambition to your work, and be motivated by the opportunity to help build an exceptional organization from the ground up.

What you'll do

You will own the people operations function across the entire organization, from identifying and recruiting exceptional talent to developing the systems, processes, and culture that support a rapidly growing team.

You will focus on responsibilities in all of the following areas:

• Full-Cycle Recruiting: Own end-to-end recruiting for every open role, including candidate sourcing, initial screening, interview coordination, offer negotiation and closing, and onboarding handoff. Take ownership of scheduling and logistics to minimize the administrative burden on hiring managers and leadership.
• Recruiting Infrastructure & Talent Pipelines: Build and maintain a structured recruiting operation, including applicant tracking, standardized interview processes, candidate experience, and proactive talent pipelines across GNC, perception, mechanical engineering, manufacturing, and other critical functions.
• Recruiting Analytics & Performance: Develop and track recruiting and people operations metrics, including candidate sourcing channels (job postings, founder outreach, inbound applications, and referrals), funnel conversion rates, time-to-hire, offer acceptance rates, and employee attrition. Use this data to continuously improve recruiting efficiency and organizational performance.
• Human Resources Operations: Manage core HR processes, including offer letters, employment agreements, benefits administration, payroll coordination, performance review cycles, company policies, and employee records.
• Onboarding & Relocation: Develop and execute a comprehensive onboarding process that enables new employees to become productive and integrated into the organization from day one. Coordinate relocation support for employees moving to Atlanta, Georgia, and ensure a seamless transition into the company.
• Culture & Employee Experience: Help build and preserve Askari's culture as the organization grows, including team dinners, career fairs, university relationships, new-hire integration, and other initiatives that strengthen team cohesion. Develop strong relationships across the organization, understanding individual motivations and helping foster an environment where exceptional people can perform at their best.
• Executive & Leadership Support: Work directly with the CEO and leadership team to manage calendars, coordinate meetings and travel, and handle critical administrative and operational logistics. Anticipate leadership needs, maintain organizational follow-through, and ensure important details and commitments are executed reliably.

Basic Qualifications

• Experience: 1-4 years of experience in recruiting, people operations, HR, or a combination of these functions, including experience at a startup or high-growth company.
• Process Development: Demonstrated ability to build processes or systems from the ground up, rather than solely operating within established organizational structures.
• Attention to Detail: Exceptional attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and a consistent track record of following through on commitments.
• Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to represent Askari professionally and persuasively to candidates, vendors, and external partners.
• Discretion & Judgment: Ability to exercise sound judgment and maintain strict confidentiality when handling sensitive information, including compensation, employee records, and personnel matters.
• Independent Execution: Ability to operate effectively in an ambiguous, fast-paced environment, manage shifting priorities, and take ownership of responsibilities without constant direction.
• Location: Based in or willing to relocate to Atlanta, Georgia, with the ability to work on site full time.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in any of the following areas is a plus:

• Technical Recruiting: Experience recruiting for technical roles, particularly in hardware engineering, robotics, aerospace, or defense.
• High-Growth Organizations: Experience supporting organizational growth and scaling a team, ideally from approximately 20 to 100 employees.
• HR Systems & Compliance: Familiarity with HR compliance, employment law fundamentals, and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
• Executive Support: Experience working directly with a founder or executive, providing administrative, operational, or organizational support.
• Defense & National Security: Genuine interest in defense, national security, or dual-use technology.

Export Control

This position may involve access to technology, material, technical data, defense articles, or information subject to U.S. export-control laws, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and applicable contract requirements. Assignment to covered work is contingent upon the company's ability to verify that the candidate is authorized to receive access to such items or information, including by qualifying as a "U.S. person" as defined in 22 C.F.R. 120.62, or through any required export-control authorization, notice, approval, or access-control process.