---
title: 'People Operations Lead at Last Energy'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/people-operations-lead-last-energy-austin-6sqhsw7zxade'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-08'
---

# People Operations Lead at Last Energy

- **Company:** Last Energy
- **Location:** Austin, TX
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-07-22
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/last-energy/70377611-e489-48cc-8a45-674718cde50d

## Job description

Last Energy seeks a People Operations Lead to own the systems and processes that support our employees across their full lifecycle — from onboarding through offboarding. This role will serve as the primary owner of HRIS administration, benefits, performance process infrastructure, and employee experience. This role will work closely with senior leadership and department heads to build scalable people processes, ensure compliance, and maintain a strong employee experience as the company grows.

## Key Duties & Responsibilities

- Own the employee onboarding process end-to-end: offer letters, new hire paperwork, system and building access coordination with IT and operations, and first-week experience
- Serve as primary HRIS system administrator; own data integrity and perform quarterly data audits to ensure full employee compliance
- Manage outside benefits consultants; own benefits renewals, open enrollment, and new employee benefits onboarding
- Partner with the C-Suite to build the performance review process and cadence, coach managers on best practices, and maintain records of feedback
- Partner with the General Counsel on employee handbook maintenance, HR policy development and compliance, state employment compliance, and employee training programs
- Partner with the CFO and legal to manage equity issuances
- Coordinate employee relocations, visa filings, and background checks, and maintain required employee data for DOE compliance
- Coordinate employee offboarding with legal, IT, and operations to ensure smooth transitions
- Oversee employee experience and morale: lead planning of monthly team happy hours and quarterly events, and support the Chief of Staff on annual onsites/offsites, all-hands, and internal communications
- Answer candidate questions about benefits, compensation, and equity during the hiring process, including communicating the equity opportunity to candidates
- Work with the CFO to establish processes for hourly employee timekeeping and management
- Other duties as assigned

## Qualifications

- 10+ years of experience in people operations, HR operations, or a similar function, ideally in a high-growth environment
- Bachelor's Degree is a plus
- Hands-on experience administering HRIS platforms and maintaining employee data integrity
- Working knowledge of benefits administration, open enrollment, and vendor management
- Familiarity with employment compliance requirements; experience partnering with legal teams is a plus
- Experience managing equity administration platforms
- Strong organizational skills, discretion, and attention to detail
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; comfortable working with employees at all levels
- Based in Austin, TX (or open to relocation)

## About Last Energy

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Last Energy develops and deploys micro modular pressurized water reactor (PWR) power plants using a full-service, factory-built model to deliver clean, reliable, on-site baseload electricity for industrial customers and utilities.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Venture Capital-Backed, Series C)
- **Headquarters**: Austin, Texas, USA (also has an office in Washington, D.C.)
- **Founded**: 2019
- **Founders**: Founded by the Energy Impact Center (EIC), led by Bret Kugelmass [lastenergy.com/about](https://www.lastenergy.com/about)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Nuclear power generation, clean energy infrastructure, climate technology
- **Target customers**: B2B – data centers, energy-intensive industrial facilities, utilities seeking behind-the-meter or on-premises baseload power [lastenergy.com](https://www.lastenergy.com/)
- **Mission**: “How to deliver abundant, reliable energy fast enough to support modern industry and economic growth” [lastenergy.com/about](https://www.lastenergy.com/about)

## Products & Services
- **PWR-20**: A 20 MWe micro modular nuclear reactor based on proven pressurized water reactor technology. The plant is fully factory-fabricated, uses proprietary steel containment, and is designed for rapid on-site assembly. Last Energy acts as designer, owner, operator, and independent power producer, selling power under long-term purchase agreements [lastenergy.com](https://www.lastenergy.com/)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed (private company)
- **Key Metric**: Total disclosed funding raised is **$324 M**; latest round was a **$101 M Series C** completed on July 18, 2025 [pitchbook.com](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/265186-36)
- **Notable Investors**: AE Ventures, Astera Institute, Chaucer Global, Dysruptek, Endowment Arm [pitchbook.com](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/265186-36)
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - 60 employees and growing [pitchbook.com](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/265186-36)
  - 15 active patents, with several recently filed for containment structures [pitchbook.com](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/265186-36)
  - Company status is “Generating Revenue” [pitchbook.com](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/265186-36)
  - Active hiring for key operational roles in Austin, TX [jobs.lever.co](https://jobs.lever.co/last-energy)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Full-service delivery model**: Last Energy designs, builds, owns, and operates its plants, removing the need for customers to develop or finance nuclear assets.
- **Proven reactor technology**: Uses standard PWR technology (not novel) combined with factory modularization to reduce construction time and cost.
- **Proprietary steel containment**: Patented containment structures improve safety and simplify siting.
- **Behind-the-meter IPP structure**: Power purchase agreements provide stable revenue while customers get reliable, carbon-free baseload power without capital outlay.

## Strategic Focus
- Scaling the deployment of micro modular reactors to meet soaring electricity demand from AI, data centers, and industrial reshoring.
- Expanding factory production capabilities to accelerate time from order to operation.
- Growing its portfolio of power purchase agreements with utilities and large energy consumers.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: “Dynamic and passionate team that blends fresh perspectives with seasoned expertise” — described as a fast-growing international team united by a mission to solve one of the hardest problems in energy [lastenergy.com/careers/jobs](https://www.lastenergy.com/careers/jobs)
- **Work policy**: Roles are currently on-site in Austin, TX or Washington, D.C. [jobs.lever.co](https://jobs.lever.co/last-energy)
- **Impact**: Opportunity to work on the “most important challenge of our lifetime” with tangible progress toward global clean energy goals.
- **Engineering culture**: Hands-on work with hardware, nuclear systems, and modular manufacturing; strong patent activity indicates a culture of innovation.

## Sources
1. [lastenergy.com](https://www.lastenergy.com/)
2. [lastenergy.com/about](https://www.lastenergy.com/about)
3. [lastenergy.com/careers/jobs](https://www.lastenergy.com/careers/jobs)
4. [pitchbook.com](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/265186-36)
5. [jobs.lever.co](https://jobs.lever.co/last-energy)

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