Senior HR and People Ops Leader in Sydney

HEO is the world’s first commercial non-Earth imaging (NEI) and insights services company. NEI involves capturing resolved imagery of space objects using cameras mounted on other satellites, and deriving information and intelligence from the captured imagery. Our technology helps governments and commercial companies to visually monitor their spacecraft and other space objects they care about. Our vision is to image anything in the solar system on-demand.

We are building out a high performing interdisciplinary team capable of pushing the boundaries of space technology. We are growing fast and looking for talented, passionate people that value collaboration, growth and learning to join our team. HEO is a post Series-A company backed by high profile venture funds including Airtree, Y Combinator and In-Q-Tel. We are headquartered in Sydney with offices in London, Tokyo, UK and Washington DC. This means we are a multinational and multicultural team, working across timezones, languages and disciplines to deliver a category definition product in a rapidly emerging space market.

Our values

We value good space citizenship. We are passionate about responsible custodianship, sustainability and trust. We believe that space should be easy and transparent. Our values help us to tackle some of the most complex issues in space for the benefit of all of humanity. HEO is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion across our workforce.

About the role

We are hiring a Senior HR Manager to build the people systems and culture that will shape HEO as we grow. This is a foundational role: you will design and deliver our HR infrastructure from the ground up, with a focus on three core areas: culture, people experience and compliance.

We are a fast paced, high growth startup, and we are looking for someone who has done this before. You know what HR looks like at 20 people versus 100+, and you know how to build light-touch systems that scale without adding unnecessary bureaucracy. A proven track record in venture-backed or hyper-scaling environments is essential.

Priorities shift quickly here, and clarity isn't always handed to you. You'll need to thrive in ambiguity, spot the highest impact actions, and know the difference between what needs to be perfect and what just needs to get done. Adaptable, proactive and comfortable working autonomously, you'll take a hands-on approach to both designing and delivering people systems.

As part of the Operations team, you'll work closely with the COO and founders. This is a challenging role with real ownership and the opportunity to shape a great place to work.

Key responsibilities

• Build and mature our HR function, establishing the systems, policies and processes we're still missing and strengthening the ones already in place.
• Attract and retain great talent, partnering with the talent function on recruitment and workforce planning to ensure we have the right team to deliver on our goals.
• Build a sense of shared culture and connection across our international team (Australia, US, UK, Japan), fostering engagement and alignment in a distributed environment.
• Design and deliver onboarding and offboarding experiences that are structured, engaging and inclusive.
• Deliver the annual performance and remuneration review cycles, and contribute to engagement, wellbeing and recognition initiatives that reflect our values.
• Build pragmatic, scale-ready policies and support employee relations, including performance conversations and workplace investigations, balancing compliance with a fast-moving, entrepreneurial mindset.
• Coordinate learning and development opportunities, both internal and external.
• Architect and scale our HR tech stack, including implementing a HRIS, automated workflows and self-service tools to keep HR lean as we grow.
• Maintain accurate employee records, oversee data audits, and report on key people metrics like attrition and engagement.

About you

• 7+ years’ experience in generalist HR roles, in startups or scaling environments.
• Scrappy and resourceful, being comfortable navigating ambiguity and identifying high-impact priorities in complex environments.
• Confident using HR tools and platforms, and comfortable adopting new systems and technology quickly.
• Deep knowledge of Australian HR compliance, policies and employment law.
• Adaptable, resilient and energised by change.
• Strong experience implementing and managing HR systems and people processes.
• Excellent written communication and documentation skills.
• Comfortable owning projects end to end and working closely with leadership.
• Professional, proactive and thoughtful in your approach to building a strong employee experience.
• Organised, detail-oriented and confident managing competing priorities.
• Cross-cultural awareness and the ability to collaborate effectively in a multinational team.

Perks, benefits & culture:

HEO is one of Australia’s fastest-growing space technology companies. At HEO, we’re committed to creating the best working environment where everyone thrives, values collaboration, encourages innovation and shares the common goal of making space transparent. Here’s some of the ways we achieve that goal:

• Employee Share Option Plan (ESOP). Own a piece of HEO!
• Convenient location in Sydney’s Tech Central with end of trip facilities (bicycle parking and showers).
• Flexible leave options so you can recharge and relax when best suits you – no forced leave during office shutdowns.
• Paid parental leave for everyone.
• A supportive environment that fosters cross-team collaboration. We learn by trial and celebrate our wins together.
• Fireside chats every other Friday where we showcase what someone’s working on or something new in our industry, with some snacks and maybe a game of ping-pong or two.
• Quarterly team events to share achievements we’re proud of (no matter how big or small) plus an annual event that brings together our team and customers.

Our commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:

We make hiring decisions based on your experience, skills and passion, as well as how you can enhance HEO and our culture. Research shows that women and underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single competency or experience. If you are excited about this role, but your past experience doesn't align perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway. You could be just the right person for this role and HEO. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at time of application and throughout the interview process.

The successful candidate must be an Australian citizen and will be required to undergo a background check.

We kindly request no unsolicited resumes or approaches from recruitment agencies. HEO is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes. The successful candidate will be required to submit to a background check.