People Partner

Hadrian Automation•Mesa, AZ

12d

About The Position

Hadrian is building autonomous factories that help aerospace and defense companies manufacture rockets, satellites, jets, and ships up to 10x faster and up to 2x cheaper. By combining advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we are reinventing how America produces its most critical parts. We recently raised $260 million dollar Series C to accelerate this mission. We are excited to be launching a new Factory in Mesa, Arizona, a 270,000 square foot facility that will create 350 new jobs immediately. We are opening a new headquarters to support thousands of future hires, launching Hadrian Maritime to serve naval production, and introducing a Factory-as-a-Service model that delivers complete systems instead of individual parts. Hadrian works with startups, Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, and major defense contractors across space, shipbuilding, and aviation to scale production, reduce costs, and accelerate delivery on mission-critical programs. We are backed by leading investors including Lux Capital, Founders Fund, and Andreessen Horowitz. Our fast-growing team is united by a shared mission to reindustrialize American manufacturing for the 21st century and beyond! At Hadrian, we’re not just building autonomous factories — we’re building the teams, systems, and culture that will power the future of aerospace and defense manufacturing. As we scale, the People team plays a critical role in shaping how we attract, enable, and retain world-class talent across both engineering and advanced manufacturing. Working on the People team at Hadrian means designing and operationalizing the foundation of a company that blends cutting-edge robotics, AI, and precision manufacturing — while supporting a workforce that spans software engineers, machinists, program managers, and everything in between. We’re looking for builders: thoughtful, action-oriented team members who care deeply about people, process, and performance — and who want to help create a company culture that’s as strong as the infrastructure we’re deploying. If you're energized by complexity, mission-critical work, and the chance to shape the trajectory of a generational company from the inside out, we’d love to hear from you. We are looking for a People Partner who can play the critical role in enabling both our people and our business to perform at their highest levels. People Partners support a complex and diverse workforce — spanning highly specialized engineers, hourly skilled trades, and operational leaders — and recognize that different teams require different approaches to thrive. This People Partner should be an embedded collaborator who works closely with leadership across functions to drive performance, build strong teams, and develop systems that support both the human and operational needs of the business. They need to have a focus on improving talent development, navigating organizational complexity, and supporting a culture of accountability, growth, and high trust. This role requires someone who can move fluidly between the strategic and the tactical, with a deep understanding of the distinct needs of both exempt and non-exempt employees in a regulated, high-integrity environment. People Partners at Hadrian are both business-minded and people-first — equally comfortable designing scalable programs as they are handling sensitive situations with discretion and care.

Requirements

3+ years of relevant industry experience.
Thrives in a dynamic environment with a diverse set of employees and evolving business needs; can flex between tactical support and long-term strategic thinking.
Understands the business, its drivers, and how people programs impact operations, performance, and culture.
Brings discipline to processes, follow-through, and documentation — especially in a compliance-driven and audit-sensitive environment.
Navigates sensitive conversations with empathy, clarity, and maturity; builds trust across all levels of the organization.
Clearly conveys information, decisions, and feedback in ways that resonate with both desk-based employees and hourly team members on the shop floor.
Handles complex, gray-area people issues with sound judgment, risk awareness, and an eye for practical solutions.
Builds strong relationships with stakeholders across the business to enable aligned and executable people strategies.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience supporting both exempt and non-exempt populations, ideally in environments with manufacturing, engineering, or high-compliance requirements
Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills; clear and concise communication style.
Comfortable working with large groups and facilitating discussions to create a positive and engaging experience.
Superb organizational skills, with experience triaging many requests and priorities in a high-volume, dynamic environment.

Responsibilities

Act as a trusted advisor to leaders to align people strategies with business goals.
Proactively manage and resolve employee relations issues with high judgment and discretion, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and company policies.
Support and guide the implementation of performance management cycles, feedback culture, and employee development frameworks tailored to diverse workforce needs.
Equip managers with the tools, training, and guidance needed to effectively lead teams across all levels of the organization, from engineering to the shop floor.
Champion initiatives that promote employee engagement, high trust, and a sense of belonging — while also reinforcing accountability and performance standards.
Support org-level transitions such as reorgs, leadership changes, and policy rollouts with clear planning, thoughtful communication, and change enablement.
Interpret and apply people policies in ways that maintain fairness, clarity, and consistency across sites, shifts, and job types.
Partner closely with peers in People Ops and Recruiting to drive holistic and scalable people programs that serve the full org.