Head of People
At a glance
Director-level HR Business Partner & Generalist role at Substack. San Francisco · full-time · $250,000–$295,000 base.
hrroles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Set the People agenda with company leaders, then run programs spanning hiring, pay, benefits, performance and employee support
- Maintain compensation, benefits and leveling structures, and coordinate feedback, review and promotion processes
- Create training and leadership coaching, while improving onboarding, orientation, surveys and office experience
- Guide leaders on team design, staffing plans and succession, and coach managers through performance and organizational issues
- Oversee employee relations, people reporting, legal compliance and the development of the People team
What you bring
- At least eight years in People or HR, with leadership experience across several core People functions
- Startup or growth-stage experience is required
- You bring practical experience in recruiting, rewards, learning, employee experience and performance programs
- You can advise executives, coach leaders and use workforce data to shape People decisions
Who this fits
This director-level role suits a hands-on People leader who can also delegate and develop a team. It is hybrid in San Francisco.
From the employer
Substack is building a new economic engine for culture, giving the brightest, most interesting, and most creative people on the internet the power of their own publishing platform. Substack empowers independent writers, artists, videographers, podcasters, and creators of all types to create, share, and make a living off their work through subscriptions, while offering them creative freedom, ownership, and a direct connection to their audiences.
About the Role
Substack is looking for a Head of People to build and scale our People function at a pivotal stage of growth. You'll own the strategy, systems, and programs that shape how we hire, develop, reward, and support our team. That spans benefits, compensation, leveling, review and promotion cycles, learning and development, employee experience, and recruiting.
This role is both strategic and hands-on. You'll build the infrastructure, processes, and leadership practices that let us grow without losing the speed and ambition that define Substack. You'll advise company leadership on org design, talent strategy, and workforce planning, and you'll also get into the day-to-day: improving how things work and supporting employees and managers directly.
You're a self-starter who sets a high bar and pushes the team to meet it. You're resourceful, equally comfortable getting hands on and delegating to others. You've seen what excellent People organizations look like at strong companies, and you know how to adapt those practices to a company that's ready to mature and evolve its practices.
Responsibilities:
Partner with leadership to develop and execute a people strategy that supports Substack's mission, values, and business goals
Lead and scale the People function across recruiting, onboarding, compensation, benefits, employee experience, performance management, and talent development
Own our compensation, benefits, and leveling frameworks, and run the feedback, review, and promotion cycles
Build and run training, learning and development, and leadership coaching programs
Shape the employee experience, including office culture, people surveys, orientation, and onboarding
Lead recruiting strategy and make sure we hire exceptional people
Advise leadership on organizational design, workforce planning, and succession planning
Build and continuously improve the people systems, policies, and programs that help employees do their best work
Coach managers and leaders on performance, team effectiveness, and organizational challenges
Oversee employee relations and ensure issues are resolved thoughtfully and consistently
Use people analytics, reporting, and workforce insights to guide decisions
Ensure compliance with applicable employment laws and regulations
Build, mentor, and develop a high-performing People team
About You:
8+ years of progressive experience in People or HR, with multi-functional expertise and leadership across:
Benefits, compensation, leveling, and feedback, promotion, and review cycles
Training, L&D, and leadership coaching
Employee experience, including office culture, people surveys, orientation, and onboarding
Recruiting
Startup or growth-stage experience (required)
A track record of excellence and best practices from strong, well-regarded companies
A self-starter who sets the pace and pushes the team
Resourceful: hands on and delegating to others
Range: demonstrated understanding, empathy, and familiarity with multiple company building disciplines (e.g., engineering, product, business, etc.) is a plus.
Proven ability to influence and advise executive leadership, with excellent communication and coaching skills
Strong analytical skills and comfort using data to inform People decisions
Nice to have: experience building a People team from scratch; knowledge of employment law and compliance across the regions we hire in
Substack’s compensation package includes a market-competitive salary, equity for all full-time roles, and exceptional benefits. Our cash compensation salary range for this role is $250,000- $295,000. Multiple factors, including candidate experience and expertise, determine final offer amounts and may vary from the amounts listed above.
Substack is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or transgender status), age, national origin, veteran or disability status. We’re seeking people passionate about enabling independent expression and building a better business model for creators. If you want to see what media, communities, and content can become when unmoored from advertising models, and you have the skills and experience to contribute, we’d love to meet you.
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