People Experience Manager

The Exploration Company

The Exploration Company

People & HR, Operations

Houston, TX, USA

Posted on Apr 16, 2026

Location

Houston, Texas

Employment Type

Full time

Department

Commercial & PeoplePeople Operations

Here at The Exploration Company, we are developing, producing, and operating Nyx, a modular and reusable space orbital vehicle that can eventually be refuelled in orbit and that can carry cargo - and potentially humans in the longer run.

We are looking for a People Experience Manager to join us on the mission at our US office.

In this role, you will be part of a dynamic and globally distributed team, partnering closely with Talent Acquisition, Legal, and Finance Teams. You will play a key role in enabling the growth of our U.S. operations by ensuring scalable, compliant, and people-centric processes.

You will own and evolve the people experience across the full employee lifecycle in the U.S., while contributing to global initiatives that drive consistency, efficiency, and continuous improvement across the organization.

This role combines operational excellence with strategic impact, supporting both local business needs and global transformation efforts.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Own and manage end-to-end payroll operations for the U.S., ensuring accuracy, compliance, and a seamless employee experience across the full lifecycle (onboarding to offboarding)

  • Act as the primary People partner for U.S.-based employees, providing guidance on People topics, benefits, and day-to-day operational matters

  • Design, implement, and continuously improve people processes to support business growth, scalability, and operational excellence

  • Lead and contribute to global People and Business Operations projects, with a focus on standardization, automation, and streamlining

  • Drive optimization and adoption of HRIS (Personio) and related systems to enhance data quality, reporting, and process efficiency

  • Develop, update, and maintain HR policies, procedures, and operational guidelines aligned with both local requirements and global frameworks

  • Ensure compliance with U.S. labor laws, payroll regulations, and relevant data protection requirements, while aligning with global standards

  • Monitor key people metrics (e.g., engagement, retention, turnover) and translate insights into actionable improvements that support business performance

  • Lead or support local People & Culture initiatives that strengthen employee experience and reinforce company culture

  • Support hiring efforts for early-career and business operations roles, ensuring a smooth and consistent candidate experience

    What We're Looking For

  • 2+ years of experience in a People Operations, HR Generalist, or Business Operations role within a U.S. environment

  • Strong experience managing multi-state U.S. payroll and understanding of related compliance requirements

  • Solid knowledge of U.S. labor law, taxation, and social security systems

  • Experience handling visas and work permits in the U.S. is a strong plus
    Comfortable working in a fast-paced, international environment with a global-first mindset

  • Experience with HRIS platforms (e.g., Personio) and a strong interest in systems, automation, and process improvement

  • Proficiency in MS Office; strong analytical and organizational skills

  • Clear and effective communication skills; additional languages (French, German, or Italian) are a plus

Why you should join us!

What makes us special here at The Exploration Company and why we think you will enjoy working here is:

  • We’re Agile - we make decisions fast whilst keeping our goals and systems in mind

  • We’re Open and Collaborative - we are transparent about risks and obstacles, so that we can cooperate to overcome them

  • We have a lot of Fun - we refuel our energy knowing we are democratising space. It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity, are YOU up for the challenge?

We'd love to hear from you if you wish to be a part of our journey. Please submit your CV now for immediate consideration and we will be in touch shortly.

The Exploration Company is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Relocation assistance is provided for those willing to relocate including visa sponsorship where applicable.