Head of Talent & People

Role: Head of Talent & People Location: NYC | Onsite 5 days/week (sorry no relo)Compensation: $200K–$225K base + performance bonus + equityThe OpportunityWe are partnering with a growing technology company to hire a Head of Talent & People who will own both Talent Acquisition and the broader People function during an important stage of growth.This is an opportunity for a hands-on leader who is equally comfortable recruiting exceptional talent and building the People infrastructure that helps that talent succeed and stay.You’ll work closely with senior leadership to identify and recruit high-impact talent while also owning the employee lifecycle, People operations, manager support and employee experience. This is not a role for someone looking to manage from a distance. You’ll be expected to personally source and close candidates while remaining close to the operational details of payroll, benefits, HR systems, performance cycles and employee programs.The right person is a recruiter, builder and People leader who thrives in a high-growth environment and enjoys moving between strategic priorities and hands-on execution. What You’ll DoTalent AcquisitionLead recruiting across a range of commercial, technical and leadership functions.Personally source, engage and close high-caliber talent, including senior-level hires.Build proactive talent pipelines rather than relying primarily on inbound applicants.Develop creative sourcing and referral strategies that consistently generate exceptional candidates.Partner with senior leaders to define what great looks like and build thoughtful, structured approaches to candidate assessment.Own senior searches through offer negotiation and close.Use recruiting data to understand pipeline health, improve speed and continuously raise hiring quality.Leverage AI and emerging technology to make sourcing, research, screening and recruiting workflows more effective.Manage external recruiting partners and agency spend when appropriate.People Operations & Employee LifecycleOwn and continuously improve the employee experience from offer and onboarding through development and offboarding.Manage core People operations, including HR systems, payroll, benefits and related vendor relationships.Lead company-wide performance review cycles and ensure managers have the tools and support to make them effective.Develop and improve People policies, processes and documentation as the organization scales.Track People metrics including retention, engagement and ramp to productivity, identifying trends and bringing recommendations to leadership.Partner closely with Finance, Legal, IT and other teams on company-wide People initiatives.Manager & Employee PartnershipServe as a trusted partner to managers and senior leaders on performance, team dynamics and people decisions.Support managers through feedback, performance issues and difficult conversations.Help strengthen manager effectiveness through training, resources and practical support.Navigate employee relations matters with strong judgment and discretion.Partner with leadership as teams and organizational structures evolve.Culture & Employee ExperienceHelp shape programs that strengthen employee connection, engagement and recognition.Own employee listening initiatives and translate feedback into meaningful action.Partner on company-wide meetings, offsites and other experiences that bring employees together.Lead and develop the individual responsible for day-to-day office operations and workplace experience.What We’re Looking ForSignificant experience across Talent Acquisition and People within a high-growth technology environment.Experience leading or playing a senior role within a Talent/People function at a growing organization.Strong academic pedigree and demonstrated excellence in highly competitive professional environments.A track record of recruiting across multiple disciplines, including commercial and technical talent.Demonstrated success personally sourcing and closing highly sought-after senior candidates.Strong direct sourcing and talent-mapping skills — you are comfortable proactively identifying and engaging candidates rather than waiting for applicants.Hands-on experience with core People operations, including HRIS/PEO administration, payroll, benefits and performance review cycles.Experience advising managers on performance issues, employee situations and difficult conversations.Strong analytical skills and comfort using both recruiting and People data to evaluate performance and drive decisions.Practical experience incorporating AI and emerging technology into recruiting or People workflows.A consistent track record of high achievement — academically and professionally — and experience succeeding in demanding, high-performance environments.Strong judgment, executive presence and the confidence to provide a point of view when you believe the organization should take a different approach.Excellent written and verbal communication skills.Comfortable operating as a highly hands-on leader before building out additional team resources.Excited to work collaboratively and in person in New York City five days per week.You’ll Likely Thrive Here IfYou genuinely enjoy both sides of the role. You love finding and closing exceptional people, but you also care deeply about what happens after they join.You are comfortable operating without a large team or extensive infrastructure around you. You can personally recruit a senior candidate one hour and tackle a People Operations issue the next.You enjoy building systems where they don’t yet exist, partnering closely with executives and managers, and creating an environment where exceptional people can perform at a high level and continue to grow.