Head of People
Lead and scale Exa's People function, partnering with founders on strategy, talent acquisition, compensation, performance, culture, and organizational development at a high-growth AI startup.
Head of People
Leads people strategy at a high-growth AI fintech startup, building performance management, compensation frameworks, and culture initiatives from foundational to strategic level. Partners with CEO on talent decisions, org design, and scaling from 50 to 200+ employees; requires 5-8+ years HR experience in startups.
200k – 250kSan Francisco, CAPeople OpsOnsite5+ YOE
About the role
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
Skills
Performance ManagementCompensation StrategyHr InfrastructureEmployee RelationsOrganizational DesignTalent ManagementDei ProgramsManager EnablementEmployment ComplianceHeadcount Planning
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