Head of People

What You'll Do

• Build and own our people strategy - performance management, compensation, employee development, and culture
• Partner with leadership on organizational design, headcount planning, and talent decisions
• Evolve HR infrastructure - refine policies, ensure compliance, optimize benefits programs
• Design and implement performance management frameworks - goal-setting, reviews, promotion cycles, career development
• Lead compensation strategy - maintain equitable pay bands, manage equity grants, conduct market benchmarking
• Drive culture and engagement initiatives - team events, values definition, employee feedback loops, DEI programs
• Manage employee relations - coach managers on difficult conversations, resolve conflicts, handle sensitive situations
• Build manager enablement programs - training on feedback, performance management, hiring decisions
• Ensure compliance with employment laws and regulations across all locations
• Partner with recruiting lead on hiring strategy and process improvements

What We're Looking For

Must-Haves:

• 5-8+ years in People/HR roles at high-growth startups, with at least 2 years in leadership
• Experience scaling people functions at early-stage companies (50-200 employees)
• Track record designing and implementing people processes (performance management, compensation, onboarding, career frameworks)
• Business partner mentality - you advise leadership on strategic decisions, not just execute HR tasks
• Strong coaching skills - you develop managers and help them navigate people challenges
• Comfort with ambiguity - you build infrastructure without waiting for perfect clarity
• Excellent judgment on sensitive employee matters

Nice to Have:

• Experience in fintech, lending, or regulated industries
• Background in AI/ML or technical product companies
• Previous experience scaling a company through hyper-growth (50→200+ employees)
• Knowledge of multi-state employment compliance