Human Resources Lead

Katalyst Space Technologies•Broomfield, CO

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Katalyst is an American technology company focused on dynamic space operations, building a fleet of multipurpose robotic space vehicles to enable sustained and responsive operations in space. The company describes its culture as intense, hands-on, and rewarding, with meaningful ownership, close collaboration, and an emphasis on humility, craftsmanship, and doing things the right way. Katalyst is dog friendly. The Human Resources Lead owns the day-to-day HR function across the employee lifecycle and serves as a trusted advisor to managers and leaders. The role builds and improves practical HR programs, policies, and operating rhythms that support company growth while balancing consistency, compliance, and flexibility. It leads employee-relations matters, maintains accurate HR systems and employee data, coordinates with cross-functional partners, and supports compensation, performance, engagement, workforce-planning, and organizational-design processes. The position is expected to work primarily onsite in Broomfield, Colorado. It may occasionally require extended hours for urgent employee, leadership, or business needs. Katalyst’s Department of Defense-related work requires compliance with ITAR and U.S. export laws; access to ITAR-controlled information may require authorization for non-U.S. persons before employment begins. The anticipated base salary range is $90,000–$135,000 annually, determined in part by job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience. The role is also eligible for long-term incentives through the Employee Stock Option and Equity Plan, a relocation bonus, and other discretionary bonuses.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience; relevant backgrounds include HR, business, organizational psychology, employment relations, operations, or related fields.
Increasing responsibility and leadership in HR, People Operations, HR business partnering, employee relations, or generalist roles.
Demonstrated experience independently handling employee relations, performance concerns, manager coaching, policy interpretation, documentation, and sensitive workplace situations.
Strong working knowledge of U.S. employment practices and core HR compliance, with judgment to recognize when state-specific requirements, counsel, or specialist expertise is needed.
Experience building, improving, or owning employee-lifecycle processes, such as onboarding, leave, performance management, promotions, compensation changes, offboarding, and HR documentation.
Ability to influence managers and executives through clear recommendations, practical options, and sound judgment.
Strong written and verbal communication, discretion, attention to detail, and ability to handle confidential information appropriately.
Comfort working hands-on in a fast-paced environment, shifting between strategic people questions and detailed administrative execution while maintaining accuracy and follow-through.
Ability to comply with applicable confidentiality, export-control, employment-law, employee-data, and customer requirements.
Ability to work primarily onsite in Broomfield, Colorado and occasionally work extended hours for urgent employee, leadership, or business needs.
For access to ITAR-controlled information, non-U.S. persons must be authorized under applicable U.S. export laws before employment begins.

Nice To Haves

Prior HR leadership or senior generalist / HRBP experience at a high-growth startup, aerospace, defense-tech, hardware, manufacturing, robotics, or other technical organization.
Hands-on experience with Rippling, benefits administration, payroll coordination, performance systems, employee-data reporting, and HR process documentation.
Experience building HR infrastructure during rapid company growth, including manager enablement, policy creation, performance processes, leveling or compensation support, workforce planning, or employee-relations frameworks.
Experience supporting multi-state employees and partnering with employment counsel on complex employee-relations, leave, termination, accommodation, or compliance matters.
Demonstrated ability to operate as a high-trust partner to employees and leaders while maintaining objectivity, confidentiality, and company standards.

Responsibilities

Own day-to-day HR activities across the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, employee changes, leave and accommodations coordination, performance processes, offboarding, documentation, and employee support.
Advise managers on employee relations, performance, feedback, team dynamics, policy interpretation, and difficult people decisions, supporting timely and fair outcomes.
Build and improve practical HR programs, policies, and operating rhythms that can scale with the company while balancing consistency, compliance, speed, and flexibility.
Lead employee-relations matters from initial concern through investigation, documentation, recommendation, and resolution; identify when escalation or outside legal guidance is needed.
Own or oversee HRIS and people-data integrity, ensuring employee records, job changes, compensation updates, leave information, reporting, and required documentation are accurate and timely.
Coordinate with Talent Acquisition, Finance, IT, Security, Payroll, Benefits, and functional leaders on hiring, onboarding, employee changes, workforce planning, and departures.
Develop manager resources and lightweight training on feedback, performance expectations, documentation, interviewing, onboarding, leave, employee relations, and other people-management responsibilities.
Support compensation, promotion, performance-review, engagement, workforce-planning, and organizational-design processes with clear data, recommendations, and follow-through.
Identify people risks and recurring friction points and develop repeatable solutions to improve employee experience, manager effectiveness, compliance, and operational efficiency.
Comply with applicable confidentiality, export-control, employment-law, employee-data, and customer requirements.