Head of People Operations

About Urban Sky: 

Urban Sky is a venture-backed aerospace startup that pioneers utilization of the stratosphere and reimagines the way humans view and analyze the earth. We design, build, operate, and sell stratospheric balloon systems, and the data we collect supports a wide range of applications, from real-time wildfire monitoring to urban mapping. Our technology is also employed by government customers including the Department of Defense (DoD), NASA, and others. Urban Sky sends flight vehicles to the stratosphere on a weekly basis. 

Our team consists of engineers, makers, developers, and doers who believe in the power of human potential when passion meets utility within a small, supportive team. At Urban Sky we strive to create a team culture grounded in candor, inclusion, respect and empowerment. 

We aim to build the next chapter of stratospheric history in Denver and are seeking self-starting, open-minded, and hard-working team members. 

About The Role: 

Urban Sky is seeking a Head of People Operations to build and lead our People Operations department in Denver, CO. As a key member of the leadership team, you will architect and own the full employee experience—from recruiting and onboarding through engagement, performance, and offboarding. Inspired by Google’s data-driven People Operations philosophy, this leader will build systems and processes that elevate organizational performance, foster a culture of empowerment, and drive strategic people outcomes tied directly to business growth. 

This role requires a leader who is both technically fluent and operationally driven—someone who can design and deploy systems as rigorously as an engineer, while embodying the human-centered, data-backed approach. You’ll experiment, measure, and iterate to create people programs that are innovative, evidence-based, and deeply aligned with our mission. The ideal candidate combines empathy with analytics, systems thinking with tactical execution, and a passion for building an environment where people thrive and the organization performs at its best. 

You will report directly to the Co-founder/CEO and will be responsible for transforming Urban Sky’s people function into a data-informed, technically capable, and tactically excellent department that scales with the company’s growth. 

 

Key Responsibilities: 

• Organizational Design & Strategy 
  • Build the People Operations function from the ground up, including frameworks for recruiting, onboarding, growth, performance, and offboarding. 
  • Partner with leadership to align people strategies with company objectives and operational goals. 
  • Establish data-driven systems to measure engagement, performance, retention, and hiring efficiency. 
  • Develop scalable programs for leadership development, training, and learning rooted in analytics and experimentation. 
• Talent Acquisition & Employer Branding 
  • Design and execute a talent strategy that attracts top performers across engineering, operations, and business teams. 
  • Champion hiring standards that emphasize mission alignment, intellectual humility, and growth potential. 
  • Equip all team members to serve as active recruiters and cultural ambassadors. 
• Culture & Engagement 
  • Shape and sustain our culture. 
  • Create mechanisms for continuous feedback, open dialogue, and peer-driven improvement. 
  • Leverage surveys, pulse data, and analytics to identify and act on engagement opportunities. 
• Performance, Growth & Compensation 
  • Establish clear, fair, and inspiring performance management processes focused on personal growth over ratings. 
  • Develop total rewards frameworks that balance fairness, recognition, and high-performance incentives. 
  • Partner with finance to manage compensation strategies. 
  • Implement calibration processes and feedback loops to ensure objectivity and consistency in evaluation. 
  • Lead all employee performance review processes. 
• Compliance & HR Operations 
  • Create and manage HR policies, systems, and compliance processes in alignment with employment law and Urban Sky contracts (including DoD and government contracts and associated requirements).  
  • Administer benefits and payroll (for both exempt and non-exempt employees).  
  • On-board and off-board employees as required, in full compliance with company policies, procedures and applicable laws.  
  • Handle internal employee relations, serve as a trusted advisor and confidant to all team members, and lead conflict resolution and investigations, if required. 
  • Lead full-cycle recruitment: sourcing, screening, interviewing, and hiring for all departments, working closely with Hiring Managers internally to ensure a smooth, timely process for all parties involved.  
  • Support leadership in bonus, commission, and equity plan administration. 
  • Benchmark compensation and develop salary structures to maintain internal equity and market competitiveness. 
  • Lead HR technology and data initiatives for tracking, reporting, and forecasting people metrics. 
  • Ensure confidentiality, accuracy, and efficiency in all employee documentation and data handling. 

 

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Psychology, Business Administration, or related field. 

• 7+ years of progressive experience in people operations, HR, or organizational leadership roles, with at least 3 years in a management capacity. 

• Proven success designing or scaling people systems in a startup or fast-growth environment. 

• Strong analytical mindset and experience using data to inform decisions. 

• Excellent communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills. 

• Demonstrated ability to build trust and credibility across teams and leadership. 

• Deep understanding of employment law, compliance, and best practices in HR operations. 

 

Nice-to-Haves/Preferred Skills: 

• Master’s degree in Organizational Behavior, Business, or related field. 

• Experience with HR analytics tools  

• Experience managing people operations in technical or aerospace environments. 

• HR certification (e.g., SHRM-SCP, SPHR). 

 

Requirements: 

• Must be US Citizen or Permanent Resident 

• Must be located near Denver, CO 

 

Benefits: 

• Salary $130,000 - $165,000 per year  

• We are required to post this salary range per Colorado law. Your salary will be determined based on your abilities and experience. 

• Stock Options 

• Medical, Vision and Dental 

• Unlimited Vacation Days 

• Parental Leave 

• Cell Phone Bill Stipend 

We expect all team members to actively leverage and continuously adapt to emerging AI tools as a core part of their daily workflow. Proficiency with job-relevant modern AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, GitHub Copilot) is expected and integral to success in this role.

NOTE: Research suggests that women and BIPOC individuals may self-select out of opportunities if they don’t meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who believes that they have the skills and the passion necessary to succeed here to apply for this role. 

This position may require the candidate to deal with commodities, software, technology, defense articles, and/or technical data which are subject to the Export Administration Regulations and/or the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Additional information may be requested so as to determine whether export authorization is required from the Bureau of Industry and Security and/or the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. If authorization is required, employment will be contingent upon the Company successfully obtaining such authorization from the relevant government agency. 

Urban Sky is an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.