Director of Human Resources

NODA AI•Austin, TX

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

NODA is a veteran-owned, venture-backed technology company that is transforming how unmanned systems collaborate in complex, mission-critical environments. We are developing next-generation solutions that enable the autonomous orchestration of heterogeneous unmanned systems across air, sea, land, and space with vital applications in the defense, intelligence, and commercial sectors. The people function at NODA is the engine behind hiring the right team, retaining the right team, and building the company that the mission requires. The Director of Human Resources is the first dedicated people leader at NODA — responsible for recruiting the talent that will define the next stage of growth and standing up the HR foundation to support it. Joining NODA means working on meaningful technology that pushes the boundaries of autonomy alongside a team that thrives on innovation, rapid iteration, and collaboration. We are seeking a Director of Human Resources to build and lead NODA’s people function from the ground up. This is a 0-to-1 role: you will own recruiting, total rewards, HR operations, and the people strategy that supports a fast-moving defense technology company. This is a player-coach role. You are equally comfortable running a sourcing pass on a hard engineering search, sitting in a benefits renewal meeting, and partnering with the founding team on org design and headcount strategy. You will spend mornings reviewing resumes and afternoons building the comp philosophy, and you will be measured on both the quality of the hires you make and the durability of the function you build. You will partner directly with the founding team (report to VP of Operations) and serve as a thought partner on the decisions that shape NODA’s culture, capacity, and capability over the next several years.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field, or equivalent experience
8+ years of progressive HR experience, including dedicated time in both recruiting and HR generalist or HR operations roles
Direct, hands-on full-cycle recruiting experience for technical roles
Experience designing or managing benefits programs and working with brokers on annual renewals
Working knowledge of federal and state employment law
Strong written and verbal communication, including comfort engaging with engineers, executives, and candidates
U.S. citizenship with ability to obtain a security clearance

Nice To Haves

Prior people leader or HR Director experience at a venture-backed startup, ideally as the first dedicated HR hire
Recruiting experience for defense, aerospace, or cleared technical roles
Familiarity with federal contractor HR compliance obligations including OFCCP, AAP, and E-Verify
Experience designing compensation philosophy and equity frameworks at an early-stage company
Prior military, government, or defense industry exposure
SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification
Existing security clearance

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end recruiting across engineering, mission, growth, and G&A functions, including roles requiring security clearances
Personally source, screen, and close candidates while building the systems, tooling, and pipelines that scale recruiting beyond a single hire at a time
Design and run the interview process — scorecards, debriefs, calibration, and offer strategy
Build relationships with cleared talent communities, military transition programs, and defense-friendly technical pipelines
Manage external recruiting partners and search firms as needed for specialized roles
Establish recruiting metrics and reporting that make hiring legible to the founding team and hiring managers
Design and own NODA’s compensation philosophy, salary bands, and equity framework appropriate to a venture-backed defense startup
Manage benefits programs including health, dental, vision, 401(k), leave, and ancillary benefits, including annual renewal and broker management
Benchmark compensation across defense, technology, and cleared talent markets to keep NODA competitive
Lead the offer process in partnership with hiring managers and finance, balancing candidate expectations with internal equity and budget
Stand up the HRIS, ATS, and supporting systems that scale with the team
Own onboarding, offboarding, employee records, and the day-to-day operational rhythm of HR
Establish HR policies, the employee handbook, and people processes appropriate for a federal contractor
Ensure compliance with federal contractor obligations including OFCCP, AAP, EEO, E-Verify, and applicable state and federal employment law
Partner with the security team on personnel security workflows, clearance-related HR processes, and the cleared employee lifecycle
Serve as a strategic thought partner to the founding team on org design, headcount planning, and people decisions
Build the performance, feedback, and development practices that fit NODA’s stage and culture
Develop manager enablement and leadership development as the team grows
Help define and protect the cultural elements that make NODA the team it is today