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Director of People Operations

Arlington, VA

ABOUT NOOKS

Nooks is pioneering Classified-Infrastructure-as-a-Service (CIaaS) — designing, building, and operating Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs) and other secured, classified environments for the defense and national security community. We work with the agencies, contractors, and mission-driven organizations that keep the nation safe, delivering the physical infrastructure that makes classified work possible. We’re growing fast, operating across multiple markets, and building a company that takes both the mission and the business seriously.

About the Role:

As our Director of People Operations, you will build and scale Nooks’ People (human resources) organization, reporting directly to the CEO. You own the People strategy, talent acquisition and performance management, compensation and benefits, and the compliance framework required to operate in high-stakes defense environments. You will lead a small team consisting of talent acquisition and People specialists with a mandate to scale and manage our workforce as we expand our national footprint. In addition to traditional responsibilities, the Director will particularly focus on how we develop and retain the best technical and cleared talent in the country.

This is a leadership role with strong growth opportunities. While we have a clear mission and growing team, the broader People playbook for Nooks is yours to write and scale. Working to build trusted relationships and buy in as a cross-functional influencer will be critical. In these relationships, you are expected to be a decisive voice on People matters, earning trust with cross-functional partners that drives high adoption of tools and policies.

You will arrive with a strong thesis on how to foster a high-performance, security-conscious culture while maintaining the agility of a startup. If you are energized by the challenge of building scalable People systems in a complex, regulated environment, this is the role for you.

Key Responsibilities:

People Strategy & Talent Management

  • Develop and execute a comprehensive People roadmap aligned with business growth, including awareness of the complexities of hiring cleared professionals in competitive markets.
  • Act as a strategic advisor to the CEO and executive leadership team on organizational design, culture, and high-performance employee management - including being a subject matter expert on employee relations, reviews, investigations, and mediation.
  • Oversee the full employee lifecycle, from designing effective onboarding for staff to implementing career pathing and succession/transition planning - including incorporating appropriate learning and development tools in partnership with each  business unit-discipline.
  • Establish and maintain leveling strategies and market-competitive salary banding to ensure transparency and internal equity relating to a comprehensive, iterative total rewards program encompassing a range of roles, from industry agnostic to highly specific technical seats.

Cross-Functional Delivery

  • Work closely with the CEO and executive leadership team (ELT) on personnel planning, identifying and processing key People analytics/data points to help surface wins and gaps, and on building the right culture across Nooks.
  • Partner with Finance to ensure compensation models align with capital allocation and unit economics, with Legal to evaluate that risk and compliance needs are met, and with site Operations to ensure that site-level personnel needs are also addressed with speed and quality. 
  • Collaborate deeply with our Security team to navigate the complexities of cleared hiring and regulatory compliance.
  • Build and maintain a People analytics function that tracks and presents key workforce metrics for the CEO and executive leadership team surfacing trends and empowering partners to make informed decisions.

Compliance & Operations

  • Maintain and utilize scalable HRIS and payroll systems to streamline administration and enhance data analytics.
  • Ensure full compliance with federal and state labor laws, and lead People adherence to personnel security standards (OFCCP, NISPOM, and ICD).
  • Administer competitive compensation and benefits programs, including equity and 401k plans, ensuring all 409A and government contractor requirements are met.
  • Support security clearance processes and manage employee relations with a focus on risk mitigation and ethical standards.
  • Evaluate and manage third-party vendors supporting People operations — including benefits brokers, background screening providers, recruiting tools, and learning platforms.

The Skillset:

  • 5-7+ years of progressive People experience, including 3-5 years in a leadership role.
  • Significant experience in a high-growth startup where you built People processes and teams from the early stages.
  • Strong command of core People functions: talent acquisition, compensation, performance management, and daily operations.
  • Experienced with government contracting regulations (OFCCP, SCA, FLSA) and personnel security requirements/clearances.
  • Cross-functional depth: proven experience in working with executive and business unit leaders across the organization.
  • Clearance/Eligibility: Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States; security clearance is not required at this time.
  • Exceptional interpersonal and influence skills; ability to navigate ambiguity and make decisions with a hands-on approach.

Salary Range for all departments

Salary Range

$165,000 - $185,000 USD

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