# People Operations Lead Remote from[USA](https://jobicy.com/job-region/usa.md)Salary, yearly, USD 116,875 - 158,125Department [HR & Recruiting](https://jobicy.com/categories/hr.md) Employment type Full Time, Job posted25 Jun 2026Apply before25 Jul 2026Experience level Senior Views / Applies 394 / 77 [About company](https://jobicy.com/company/defense-unicorns.md) [Share](#share) About [Defense Unicorns](https://jobicy.com/company/defense-unicorns.md) Transforming defense through innovative technology solutions. * [Computer Software](https://jobicy.com/company-category/software.md) * 2021 Actively Hiring Verified job posting This job post has been [manually reviewed](https://jobicy.com/tools/help-center/employee/how-does-jobicy-verify-the-legitimacy-of-remote-job-listings.md) for authenticity and compliance. Tailor Resume Check Job Fit Cover Letter ### Tailor my resume to this job Discover how to best rewrite and optimize your resume for this specific job. 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Our detailed analysis will assess your resume against the role's requirements, providing insights into your potential fit, key skill alignments, and areas you might need to develop to be a strong candidate. After assessing your resume against the job requirements, here's a summary of your fit: 1. Overall Match: Moderate Fit (Approx. 65-70%). Your resume shows good alignment with several core responsibilities for the Project Manager role, especially your experience in agile methodologies and stakeholder communication. 2. Key Strengths: Your PMP certification and proven track record in delivering projects on time are strong assets for this position. 3. Potential Gap: The role specifies experience with 'XYZ specific software', which is not explicitly mentioned in your resume. If you have this experience, ensure it's highlighted. 4. Recommendation: Consider adding a quantifiable achievement related to budget management, as this is often a key metric for PM roles... Upgrade to Plus ### Cover Letter Assistant Need help writing a compelling cover letter? Our system can analyze this job and your resume to help you draft personalized paragraphs that highlight your strengths and impress hiring managers. Let me help you draft a strong opening... Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my keen interest in the Senior Marketing Manager position. My background in developing data-driven marketing strategies and leading successful product launches, as detailed in my resume, directly aligns with your need for a candidate capable of enhancing brand visibility and driving market share growth. I am confident I can make a significant contribution to your team... Upgrade to Plus ### AI Summary The People Operations Lead role at Defense Unicorns is a high-visibility position that serves as the operational backbone and strategic partner to the Chief People Officer. Responsible for building and improving HR systems, processes, and programs across the employee lifecycle, this role involves navigating complex employee relations, supporting managers, and driving process improvements with a focus on scalability and AI readiness. The ideal candidate is proactive, detail-oriented, and thrives in a fast-growing company where policies are continuously being defined. This is not a support role but a key architect of people operations. ### Role DNA Job Complexity Easy Hard AI Insight The role demands a blend of HR operations, employee relations, and process improvement, requiring seasoned judgment and independent action, but it is not a C-suite position. ### Salary Analysis Median Highly Competitive USD137,500US Market USD100k – 160k 0 USD176k AI Insight The offered salary range of $116,875 to $158,125 aligns with the market median for People Operations Lead roles in the US, indicating a competitive compensation package. ### Key Skills HR Operations Employee Relations Compliance Process Improvement HRIS (Rippling) Onboarding Performance Management Strategic HR Project Management AI Integration Workforce Planning Change Management ### Cover Letter Sample I am writing to express my strong interest in the People Operations Lead position at Defense Unicorns. With a proven track record in building scalable HR operations and fostering positive employee experiences, I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to a company that prioritizes people and culture. My experience in navigating complex employee relations, managing HRIS systems like Rippling, and driving process improvements aligns perfectly with the responsibilities outlined. I am particularly drawn to Defense Unicorns' commitment to experimentation and ownership, and I am confident I can help architect the people infrastructure needed for growth. Copy ### Possible Interview Questions How would you approach improving the onboarding process to be more efficient and engaging?I would start by mapping the current process end-to-end, identifying pain points from both employee and admin perspectives. Then I would leverage automation for repetitive tasks, such as pre-employment screenings and I-9 verification, and enhance the orientation with interactive elements and a clear roadmap for the first 90 days.Describe a time you handled a complex employee relations issue. What steps did you take?In a previous role, I managed a situation involving a performance and conduct issue. I ensured a fair investigation by gathering facts from all parties, consulting legal for compliance, and then facilitated a coaching conversation with the manager. The outcome was a performance improvement plan that the employee successfully completed.How do you stay current with employment laws and ensure compliance?I subscribe to HR legal updates, attend webinars, and maintain close relationships with legal counsel. I also conduct periodic audits of our policies and practices to ensure alignment with federal, state, and international regulations.This role requires identifying inefficiencies and implementing scalable processes. Give an example of a process you improved.At my last company, I noticed the offboarding process was inconsistent and lacked knowledge transfer. I created a standardized offboarding checklist, implemented a system for collecting exit feedback, and set up automated account deactivation. This reduced offboarding time by 30% and improved data security.How would you support managers in building high-performing teams?I would provide managers with tools and training on goal-setting, regular feedback, and development planning. I would also coach them on having effective performance conversations and encourage a culture of recognition and accountability. ## Role Description: As a People Operations Lead, you will serve as the operational backbone and strategic right hand of the Chief People Officer, owning the infrastructure that makes our people programs run while serving as a trusted partner to leaders and employees across every department. This is a company-wide role that lives at the intersection of HR operations, people strategy, and organizational partnership. You will build and improve the systems, processes, and programs that shape the Defense Unicorns employee experience from day one through every milestone that follows. This is not a support role — it is a high-trust, high-visibility position for someone who moves fast, thinks critically, and takes action: identifies gaps, takes ownership, and drives solutions forward without waiting to be directed. At Defense Unicorns, the order of priority is: 1) People 2) Culture 3) Process 4) Technology. We champion our values, are open to experimentation, take ownership, and have fun doing it. As a fast-growing company, policies and processes are continuously being defined and refined and this person will be a key architect of that work, not just a follower of it. ## Responsibilities: Company-Wide People Leadership * Navigate complex employee situations with sound judgment, ensuring outcomes are fair, timely, and compliant with applicable laws and regulations. * Support managers in building high-performing teams through guidance on goal-setting, coaching, performance conversations, and development planning. * Build trusted relationships across the organization, serving as a knowledgeable resource on people matters including employee relations, compensation guidance, and career growth. * Collaborate with leaders across functions to support workforce planning efforts, including headcount forecasting and partnership with Talent Acquisition on hiring execution. * Support processes around career planning, learning and development, and overall performance management in coordination with the CPO. * Cultivate a positive, engaging work environment that reflects Defense Unicorns’ values. HR Operations & Employee Lifecycle * Lead and continuously improve HR operational processes across the full employee lifecycle, onboarding, offboarding, promotions, transfers, leaves, and everything in between. * Manage employee data in Rippling with an obsession for accuracy and data integrity across hires, transfers, promotions, and terminations. * Partner with the team to enhance the onboarding process end-to-end, from recruiter handoff through pre-employment screenings, I-9 verification, orientation, and onboarding survey. * Support leave administration from preparation through return, in coordination with People Ops, Payroll, and Finance. * Support employees and managers on HR questions across the full employee lifecycle, escalating complex matters appropriately. * Ensure HR practices comply with applicable federal, state, and international employment laws; maintain audit-ready documentation and employee records. * Partner with Legal, Finance, and Security to support compliance initiatives, audits, and tracking of compliance training. Process Improvement & Systems * Identify inefficiencies and implement scalable, standardized processes and workflows across HR functions, globally and domestically. * Develop, document, and maintain HR SOPs, policies, and internal knowledge bases (Notion, Rippling, and beyond). * Drive HR operational excellence through automation, system enhancements, and best practices, refining processes to be scalable and AI-ready. * Actively identify and implement AI-powered tools and workflows to automate repetitive tasks, surface insights faster, and improve the overall employee experience. * Ensure data integrity, accuracy, and reporting consistency across HR systems (HRIS, ATS) in partnership with the broader People Ops team. Project & Program Management * Lead and execute People Ops projects including process redesigns and cross-functional initiatives, owning timelines, stakeholders, and deliverables. * Partner with People Ops leadership to prioritize and drive strategic people initiatives; track and report on progress, risks, and outcomes. * Manage programs across the People Ops team, anything from vendor management to build new workflows to meet emerging business needs. * Create, implement, and own operational people initiatives such as internal transfer processes, triage workflows, and HRIS process improvements. * Optimize performance management processes, including HRIS cycles and compensation planning support. Analytics & Reporting * Analyze HR metrics, including turnover, headcount, engagement, time-to-hire, to identify trends and drive data-informed decisions. * Build and maintain dashboards and reporting to support business decisions; provide ad hoc insights to the CPO and leadership. * Dive into People data to answer questions from the business and proactively surface stories the data is telling. * Provide monthly reporting to People Ops and department leaders on workforce updates and program outcomes. Travel Expectations/Requirements: 5% – 10% The listed responsibilities are not exhaustive and additional responsibilities may be assigned based on the evolving needs of the organization. We are seeking a dynamic individual who is able to adapt and take on new responsibilities as they arise. ## Preferred Experience and Qualifications: * 5+ years of progressive HR experience spanning both HR operations and HR generalist responsibilities. * Demonstrated ability to serve as a trusted partner to leaders and employees across multiple functions simultaneously. * Demonstrated AI fluency, including hands-on use of Claude/ChatGPT for building reports, automating workflows, and driving projects. Comfortable experimenting with AI tools and integrating them into HR operations. * Proven ability to design and implement scalable HR processes in a fast-growing, ambiguous environment. * Strong experience supporting global HR functions (U.S. required; Europe is a plus). * Proficiency in HRIS and ATS systems; Rippling and Greenhouse experience strongly preferred. * Strong analytical skills and experience working with HR data and reporting; comfortable building dashboards and telling stories with data. * Solid understanding of performance management, employee relations, and compensation planning. * Strong knowledge of HR laws, regulations, and compliance requirements (federal, state, and international). * Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and build trust at all levels of the organization. * Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities without losing sight of the details. * Trusted to handle sensitive and confidential information with professionalism and discretion. * Proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with a bias toward action and continuous improvement. * Demonstrated track record of driving process improvements and identifying ways to optimize workflows. * Adept at navigating challenging, nuanced situations with tact and sound judgment. * Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, fully remote environment. * Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred. Full compensation packages are based on candidate experience. Compensation ranges are established using national benchmarking data and apply across all geographic locations within the United States. Remote – USA$116,875—$158,125 USD ## Who We Are Defense Unicorns delivers mission value by streamlining software delivery so our customers can focus on the most important challenges. We share a vision of freedom and security for the advancement of progress and innovation. Our commitment to this vision, and to our mission-driven customers, means a commitment to speed, user experience and optionality, without compromising security. Our team is composed of innovators, software engineers, and veterans with decades of experience delivering technology programs across the federal market. ## What We Do We create and deliver secure solutions for continuous software integration and delivery. Defense Unicorns consolidates the best practices for security pipelines, testing, and deployment automation in order to meet the high security requirements valued by mission owners. Our solutions are agnostic by design and we believe that growing a robust ecosystem of secure, cloud-native software solutions can help enterprise customers inside and outside the federal market buy and integrate software more easily. ## Who We Serve Defense Unicorns’ customers are mission-focused leaders across public and private enterprises. We proudly support defense and civil agencies across the U.S. government and we work closely with the creators of leading-edge software solutions to deliver value to the mission-owner by improving the security and consumability of commercial software products. ## What We Work On * Kubernetes * Cloud Environments (AWS/GCP and Azure) * Infrastructure-as-code (like Terraform/Pulumi) * Continuous Delivery and automation tooling * GitOps * Containers * CNCF projects and open source products and packages * Helm/Kustomize-Value Stream Mapping * Building and improving security delivery * Building Kubernetes and cloud native applications ## Benefits Our Unicorns Enjoy ### Health: * Medical/Dental/Vision * Premiums are 100% Company Paid * Health Reimbursement Account * Life Insurance * Disability Insurance ### Financial: * 401k Retirement Plan * Company Stock Options * Home Office Budget ### Leave: * We offer all full-time Unicorns Flexible Time Off (FTO) plus all Federal Holidays, one week for Thanksgiving, and two weeks for Christmas and New Year’s * Paid Parental Leave ### Learning: * Reimbursement for approved trainings/subscriptions * Conferences (travel, lodging, and fees) Don’t have all the preferred experience or qualifications? Studies show that underrepresented groups like women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs if they don’t meet every requirement listed. At Defense Unicorns, we’re committed to diversity. If you’re enthusiastic about the role but don’t match every criteria, we encourage you to apply. You could be the perfect fit for this or another role! Defense Unicorns is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. 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