People Operations Specialist (Defense)

TL;DR

People Operations Specialist (Defense): Managing day-to-day HR operations and employee lifecycle processes with an accent on US compliance, benefits administration, and HRIS data integrity. Focus on scaling HR workflows, managing complex leave of absence cases, and optimizing the employee experience within a high-growth startup environment.

Location: Work full-time onsite in Hawthorne (Los Angeles), California

Salary: $120k-135k

Company

hirify.global is a defense technology company redefining modern defense through Coherent Distributed Networks (CDN™) to empower warfighters and security teams.

What you will do

• Serve as the primary point of contact for daily HR inquiries and employee support.
• Maintain accurate data across Rippling for HRIS, payroll, and benefits management.
• Coordinate onboarding, offboarding, and internal employee changes.
• Administer benefits, manage open enrollment, and coordinate with vendors.
• Manage end-to-end leave of absence cases, including FMLA/CFRA and disability programs.
• Support semi-annual performance and compensation review processes.

Requirements

• 3-5 years of progressive HR experience in a generalist or coordinator role, preferably in a high-growth startup.
• Strong working knowledge of U.S. employment laws, especially California regulations.
• Proven experience in onboarding, benefits administration, and compliance tracking.
• Proficiency with HRIS systems and Excel for reporting and data integrity checks.
• Hands-on experience managing leave of absence cases (FMLA/CFRA, short/long-term disability).
• Ability to handle confidential information with professional discretion.

Nice to have

• Hands-on experience with Rippling.
• Experience coordinating benefits renewals and open enrollment.
• Exposure to performance reviews and compensation cycles.
• Interest in scaling HR processes in a startup setting.

Culture & Benefits

• 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• 401k with 50% company match up to 6% of pay, plus FSA and HSA.
• Unlimited PTO and 'No meeting Fridays'.
• Free daily lunch and casual dress code.
• Competitive base salary and generous pre-IPO stock option grants.
• Relocation assistance available.