VP, People & Culture

This role is 3 days/week in Boston

Our client, a rapidly growing AI-powered software company, is seeking a VP, People & Culture to join its executive leadership team. Reporting directly to the Founder/CEO, this is a highly visible role responsible for building and scaling the People function, strengthening organizational effectiveness, and helping guide the company from 100 employees through its next phase of growth.

This is far more than a traditional HR leadership position. You will help translate business strategy into people strategy and build the foundation and operationalize a high-performance culture while remaining hands-on—leading across the full employee lifecycle; org design, talent acquisition, performance management, compensation, retention, and career development.

Key Responsibilities

People Strategy & Organizational Effectiveness

• Partner closely with the CEO and leadership team to develop and execute a people strategy that supports business growth and organizational scale.
• Translate business priorities into clear, actionable people initiatives that drive alignment, engagement, and performance.
• Build a high-performance culture grounded in accountability, transparency, feedback, and continuous development.
• Lead organizational design, workforce planning, and change management initiatives as the company grows.

Talent, Performance & Leadership

• Design and lead programs across performance management, compensation, retention, leadership development, and employee engagement.
• Coach and develop leaders at all levels, helping them navigate growth, change, and increasing organizational complexity.
• Ensure employees have a consistent, high-quality experience throughout the entire employee lifecycle.

Talent Acquisition & AI-Enabled Scale

• Lead recruiting strategy and execution, building a disciplined, data-driven hiring function that attracts exceptional talent.
• Strengthen the employer brand and candidate experience to support continued growth.
• Leverage data and metrics to improve hiring outcomes, workforce effectiveness, and organizational performance.
• Identify opportunities to apply AI and automation to streamline workflows, increase leverage, and create a more scalable operating model.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will bring

• 10+ years of progressive People/HR leadership experience within high-growth technology or SaaS environments.
• A track record of helping organizations scale through periods of rapid growth and change.
• Demonstrated success building high-performance cultures, developing leaders, and driving organizational effectiveness.
• Strong business acumen and executive presence, with the ability to influence and challenge senior leadership.
• A hands-on, builder-oriented mindset with the ability to move seamlessly between strategy and execution.
• Curiosity and enthusiasm for how AI can transform organizations, leadership, and the future of work.
• Exceptional judgment, integrity, and the ability to thrive in fast-paced, evolving environments.

This is a rare opportunity to help shape the future of a high-growth AI company while building a people strategy and culture designed to support long-term success.