Sr. HR Program Manager - Employee Experience & Engagement

Sr. HR Program Manager, Employee Experience & Engagement Location: Reston, VA 20190 (Reston Town Center) Hybrid (On Site Monday, Tuesday & Thursday) Clearance Requirement: Must be a U.S. Citizen Compensation: $140K $160K Base + Annual Bonus + RSUs Benefits

• Unlimited PTO
• Annual Bonus Program
• Employee Equity / RSU Program
• 401(k) with Company Match
• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Life & Disability Insurance
• 14 Paid Holidays
• Employee Assistance Program
• Company investment in training, certifications, and professional development
• Collaborative, mission-driven AI technology environment

Position Overview We are seeking a highly organized and employee-focused HR Manager, Employee Experience & Engagement to own and elevate the end-to-end employee experience across the organization. This role is responsible for designing and scaling high-quality employee programs, communications, and lifecycle initiatives that support engagement, retention, productivity, and company culture in a fast-paced, high-growth technology environment. The ideal candidate combines strong operational execution with empathy, communication skills, technical aptitude, and a service-oriented mindset. This individual will lead key employee experience initiatives including onboarding, engagement programs, recognition, internal communications, and employee lifecycle processes while leveraging modern tools, automation, and AI to create scalable and consistent experiences for onsite, hybrid, and remote employees. This is a highly collaborative role partnering closely with Talent Acquisition, IT, People Operations, leadership, and cross-functional teams to ensure employees feel informed, supported, and connected throughout their journey with the company. Ideal Candidate Profile The ideal candidate thrives in fast-moving environments and genuinely cares about how employees experience work day to day. They are proactive, highly organized, emotionally intelligent, and capable of balancing strategy with execution. They naturally build systems and programs that make employees' lives easier while maintaining a high level of personalization, communication, and service. Candidates that have built and implemented these programs and automation from scratch in a small mid size, fast growing company are highly desired! Key Responsibilities Employee Experience & Lifecycle Management

• Own and continuously improve the employee lifecycle experience including onboarding, promotions, role transitions, leaves, relocations, recognition, and offboarding
• Ensure employee touchpoints are intentional, scalable, inclusive, and aligned with company culture and values
• Serve as the primary owner of key employee "moments that matter across the organization

Onboarding & Employee Integration

• Lead onboarding programs for onsite, hybrid, and remote employees
• Design structured onboarding experiences that accelerate employee productivity, engagement, and belonging
• Partner with Talent Acquisition, IT, and People Operations to ensure seamless employee transitions from offer acceptance through the first 90 days

Employee Engagement & Programs

• Develop and manage employee engagement initiatives, recognition programs, and culture-building activities
• Support equitable employee experiences across distributed and in-office teams
• Create scalable programs that maintain a high-touch employee experience while supporting company growth

Internal Communications

• Own internal employee communications strategy and execution across the organization
• Ensure messaging is clear, consistent, timely, and accessible across multiple communication channels
• Manage and optimize communication frameworks using tools such as Slack, Confluence, SharePoint, and AI-enabled solutions
• Develop communication plans for onboarding, organizational updates, promotions, performance cycles, and company-wide initiatives

Feedback, Analytics & Continuous Improvement

• Lead employee listening initiatives including surveys, pulse checks, and feedback programs
• Analyze employee feedback and engagement data to identify trends, friction points, and improvement opportunities
• Partner with People Leadership to translate insights into actionable employee experience improvements

Process Improvement & Automation

• Leverage automation, AI, and digital tools to improve scalability, consistency, and efficiency of employee programs
• Build playbooks, workflows, and standards that streamline execution across teams and locations

Required Skills & Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in Employee Experience, HR, People Operations, Workplace Experience, Internal Communications, Program Management, or related fields
• Experience owning and improving the employee lifecycle in high-growth or fast-paced organizations
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple initiatives and stakeholders simultaneously
• Experience developing scalable employee programs and engagement initiatives
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with exceptional attention to detail
• Experience leveraging collaboration and communication tools such as Slack, Confluence, SharePoint, and HR technology platforms
• Demonstrated ability to use automation, systems, and AI tools to improve operational efficiency and employee experience
• Strong interpersonal skills with high empathy, sound judgment, and professionalism handling sensitive employee matters
• Ability to influence and collaborate effectively across departments and leadership levels

Desired Skills & Experience

• Experience working in a technology, SaaS, AI, or high-growth startup environment
• Experience supporting hybrid and distributed workforce models
• Background in internal communications, employee engagement strategy, or organizational development
• Familiarity with employee survey tools, engagement metrics, and people analytics
• Experience building employee experience programs from the ground up or scaling existing programs
• Passion for creating thoughtful, people-centered workplace experiences that improve employee connection and retention