HR People & Culture Generalist

Blackwave Texas Inc.•San Antonio, TX

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Blackwave designs, manufactures and ships flight-qualified, commercial off-the-shelf composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) for launch vehicles and satellites. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Munich, Germany, the company delivers COPVs from a standardized portfolio with flight heritage. The approach reduces lead time from months to days while ensuring that each tank is qualified and flight-ready. Blackwave's mission is to end COPV failure in spaceflight. The company employs more than 150 people across manufacturing facilities in Germany and Texas. Build and own the HR and People function for Blackwave's growing US organization. As we scale our US operations, you'll establish the processes, systems, and employee experience that allow our team to grow successfully. You'll work closely with our Head of People & Culture in Germany while adapting our global approach to the needs of our US team. This is a hands-on builder role for someone who enjoys creating structure, solving problems, and shaping culture in a fast-growing environment.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field, OR equivalent HR operations experience (3+ years)
Deep knowledge of US federal and Texas employment law, including FLSA, ADA, FMLA, and EEO requirements.
Hands-on experience running US payroll. Experience with Gusto is strongly preferred.
Owned full-cycle recruiting and have experience managing or implementing an ATS. Teamtailor experience is a plus.
Built HR processes from scratch in a startup, scale-up, or similarly fast-moving environment. You don't wait for someone else to create the playbook — you're comfortable creating it yourself.
Understand the realities of supporting employees in a manufacturing environment and can translate HR best practices into practical processes for an operational team.
Comfortable working closely with an international team and can collaborate effectively across Germany and the US.
Fluent English
Eligibility under U.S. export regulations (ITAR). Candidates must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, or otherwise authorized to access export-controlled information.

Nice To Haves

German language skills
Spanish language skills
SHRM or PHR certification is a plus
Experience working in aerospace, advanced manufacturing, or another highly regulated industry
Experience implementing HR systems and processes during a period of rapid growth
Experience with OSHA and workplace Health & Safety
Experience working with distributed or international teams
Experience with Applicant Tracking Systems; bonus if it's Teamtailor
Experience with payroll systems; bonus if it's Gusto

Responsibilities

Own day-to-day HR operations for our US organization
Build and maintain scalable HR processes, policies, and documentation
Ensure compliance with applicable US and Texas employment laws
Manage and continuously improve our employee handbook, benefits, time-off policies, and other people programs
Partner with our German People team to ensure consistency between global and US practices
Build trusted relationships with employees and leaders across the organization
Serve as a go-to partner for employee questions, feedback, and concerns
Support leaders with people-related decisions and challenges
Balance employee needs with the realities of a fast-growing business
Develop thoughtful, practical solutions that help our people and business succeed
Own US payroll operations through Gusto
Ensure accurate and timely payroll processing
Support compliance with applicable payroll and tax requirements
Manage and continuously improve US benefits offerings, including health insurance, 401(k), and time-off policies
Partner with external providers and advisors where appropriate
Own and improve the full-cycle recruiting process for the US organization
Manage and maintain our Applicant Tracking System
Partner with hiring managers to define hiring needs and build effective recruiting processes
Ensure a consistent and positive candidate experience
Build scalable recruiting processes that support Blackwave's rapid growth
Establish foundational Health & Safety practices for our Texas operation
Identify applicable OSHA requirements and coordinate implementation
Support risk assessments and development of workplace policies
Help create an office and workplace experience where employees want to be
Contribute to initiatives that strengthen connection, collaboration, and Blackwave culture
Build HR processes and documentation from the ground up
Configure and continuously improve our HR systems
Create clear, accessible documentation for employees and managers
Identify opportunities to simplify, automate, and scale HR operations
Ensure key processes can be effectively handed over and supported by the broader People organization