People Operations Specialist

About Oceanus

Oceanus Marine Technologies is building the operating platform for the modern maritime world.

Global trade runs on ships, and we’re redefining what’s possible at sea by leveraging modern technology.

We’re a small, hands-on team based in El Segundo building full-stack systems that perform in real operating conditions across vessels, ports, and fleets. We focus on practical, deployable technology that brings safety oversight, automation, and coordination to complex maritime environments.

Our founding team previously built and operated SpaceX’s Autonomous Spaceport Droneships, which are among the most advanced autonomous maritime systems ever deployed. Today, we work with leading U.S. operators to bring that same rigor and systems thinking to the next generation of maritime infrastructure.

About the Role

Oceanus is hiring its first in-house People Operations Specialist to take ownership of the People foundations we’ve built and carry them into the company’s next stage of growth.

We believe a company should be as innovative as its products. People Operations should create leverage for the business and its employees through clear systems, thoughtful use of technology, low friction, and an environment where people can do their best work.

This person will inherit strong foundations. They will own and evolve our People strategy, systems, programs, and day-to-day operations, refining what works and building what the company needs next as it scales.

We’re looking for a creative, scrappy operator who combines employee empathy with strong business judgment. You move comfortably between strategy and execution, handle sensitive matters with discretion, and know how to turn ideas into practical programs and processes that are compliant, useful, and built to scale.

Key Responsibilities

People Strategy & Programs

• Build Oceanus’s one-to-three-year People strategy and roadmap, aligning priorities with company plans, growth, and the needs of the team.

• Design and launch foundational programs across performance management, leadership development, manager support, learning and development, and employee events.

• Help define and implement Oceanus’s total rewards philosophy across compensation, equity, benefits, and recognition.

Employee Lifecycle & Experience

• Own the employee lifecycle from recruiting handoff through offboarding, including onboarding, employee changes, records, leaves, accommodations, system access, and internship operations.

• Serve as a trusted point of contact for employees, handling questions and sensitive matters with responsiveness, discretion, and sound judgment.

• Continuously improve the employee experience by gathering feedback, identifying friction, and making processes clearer and easier to navigate.

Payroll, Benefits & Compliance

• Run payroll and timekeeping for exempt and hourly employees, including timecard review, off-cycle payroll, leave adjustments, and final pay.

• Manage health benefits and the company’s 401(k) in partnership with brokers and providers, including open enrollment, employee support, and reconciliation.

• Build practical compliance systems and coordinate with outside counsel and company partners on state and federal requirements, sensitive employee matters, equity, agreements, and insurance.

Systems, Workplace & Company Operations

• Own Rippling and connected People systems, using thoughtful workflows and automation to improve accuracy, reduce manual work, and create leverage.

• Build scalable People Operations resources, including SOPs, employee guides, compliance calendars, manager tools, and self-service resources.

• Support Carta administration, board consents, annual filings, permits, insurance certificates, and related company documentation.

• Support workplace operations across Oceanus’s El Segundo locations, including vendors, facilities, supplies, equipment, and access.

Your Background

• 3+ years of experience across People Operations, HR Operations, or HR generalist work, ideally within a startup, small company, or lean People team.

• Experience building new People processes or programs, not only administering established ones.

• Direct experience supporting both exempt and hourly employees.

• Hands-on experience with payroll, benefits, employee lifecycle operations, and HR compliance.

• Strong working knowledge of California employment requirements.

• Experience administering an HRIS, including building workflows, managing permissions, connecting systems, and maintaining reliable data. Rippling experience is strongly preferred.

• A track record of taking manual, unclear, or inefficient processes and turning them into systems that work.

• Resourceful and comfortable moving between long-term planning, program design, daily operations, and unexpected problems.

• Strong judgment and discretion when handling sensitive employee and company information.

• Curious about how technology, automation, and AI can make People Operations more effective.

• Able to work on-site across Oceanus’s El Segundo locations.

Additional Experience We Value

• Experience as the first or only People Operations hire at an early-stage company.

• Experience supporting field engineers, forward-deployed teams, manufacturing teams, or another operational workforce.

• A background in hardware, aerospace, defense, robotics, maritime, or another technical environment.

• Experience building performance, leadership development, learning, or total rewards programs from the ground up.

• Experience with Carta, equity administration, Human Interest, leave management, or outside employment counsel.

Work Environment

• On-site with the team at our office in El Segundo, CA

Compensation and Benefits

We are open to a wide range of experience levels. The expected salary range for this role is $105,000 - $175,000. Final compensation will be determined based on experience, skills, and scope of the role. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

• Generous Equity participation

• Fully stocked kitchen and catered lunch every day

• Onsite EV charging

• Flex Paid time off and company holidays

• 401(k) traditional and roth options

• Additional benefits that support your health, growth, and well-being

Why Oceanus, Why Now

Maritime operations are at the edge of a revolution. New connectivity and compute are finally unlocking remote monitoring, autonomy, and digitization.

Regulatory, economic, and geopolitical pressure is accelerating technology adoption, and U.S.-aligned infrastructure is more valuable than ever.

Oceanus is building on hard-won operational experience, including work on autonomous maritime systems supporting missions like SpaceX droneships, and have deep operator engagement with strong product-market alignment.

You will help form the technical core of a team transforming an industry that quite literally moves the world.