Chief Human Resources Officer

Photonic; Coquitlam; Hybrid; CAD 250,000 - 400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Relocation assistance

Extended health

Dental

Life insurance

Unlimited wellness leave

Job summary

Photonic Inc. is seeking a Chief Human Resources Officer to partner with the CEO as a trusted executive voice shaping talent, compensation, and governance.

Based in Coquitlam, BC with 2–3 days in the office, you will guide global HR strategy, reward, and risk management as Photonic scales to meet investor and market demands. You will lead a high-impact HR organization across geographies (Canada required; US/UK preferred), champion our values, and build leadership bench to sustain rapid growth

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive HR leadership experience.
• 5+ years leading an HR function at the senior leadership level in a scaling tech environment.
• MBA or equivalent advanced degree; CPHR/SHRM-SCP preferred.
• Experience across multiple geographies (Canada required; US/UK preferred).
• Proven trusted advisor to CEOs and boards with executive presence.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the CEO on strategy, organizational design, and people decisions.
• Advise the Board on executive compensation, succession, and talent risk.
• Coach the executive team through growth, transformation, and high-stakes decisions.
• Translate business strategy into a multi-year workforce plan and provide leadership insight.
• Build and govern a scalable HR function across geographies and compliance.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic thinking

Board interaction

Talent strategy

Global HR

Education

MBA or advanced degree

CPHR or equivalent

Bachelor’s degree in HR

Job description

Chief Human Resources Officer

Application Deadline: 16 November 2026

Department: People & Culture

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: British Columbia, Canada (Hybrid)

Description

Photonic is building the world’s first commercial-scale quantum computer, and we are growing fast to do it. We are seeking an exceptional Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) to serve as the CEO’s trusted partner and a leading voice on the executive team, shaping the decisions that determine who we hire, how we lead, how we reward, and how ready we are when investors, acquirers, or public markets look closely. This is not a back-office seat. It is a seat at the table for someone who can influence at the top, move quickly, and build. This role is based in Coquitlam, BC, with 2–3 days per week in the office.

WHAT WE NEED YOU TO DO

Executive Partnership & Influence

• Act as the CEO’s thought partner on company strategy, organizational design, and the people decisions that shape Photonic’s trajectory.
• Represent people and culture in the boardroom, advising the Board and its committees on executive compensation, succession, and talent risk.
• Advise and coach the executive team through growth, transformation, and high-stakes decisions with candour and credibility.
• Translate business strategy into a multi-year workforce plan, and give leadership the insight to act on it.

Talent Acquisition & Leadership Pipeline

• Set the strategy for winning highly specialized scientific and engineering talent (PhDs, quantum, photonics) in a fiercely competitive global market.
• Build the leadership bench and succession pipeline that will carry Photonic through its next stages of growth, and protect our promote-from-within culture.
• Establish Photonic as a global employer of choice for the people who will build the future of computing.

Compensation, Benefits & Total Rewards

• Define a global rewards philosophy across Canada, the US, and the UK that attracts and retains world-class talent.
• Steward equity and executive compensation strategy so it is competitive, defensible, and built to withstand investor and acquirer due diligence.
• Partner with the CEO and CFO to align people investment with financial strategy.

Organizational Readiness & Governance

• Build the people governance and compliance framework that a company under investor, acquirer, or public-market scrutiny is expected to have.
• Anticipate and manage people-related risk, including employment, regulatory, and reputational risk, as we expand globally.
• Ensure our people infrastructure scales ahead of the business as headcount accelerates.

Culture & Organizational Leadership

• Champion a culture rooted in our values of Fearless Ambition, Accountability, Growth, and Respect as we scale across borders.
• Build and lead a high-performing HR organization across talent acquisition, HR operations, total rewards, and business partnership.
• Own the strategy for engagement, performance, and retention, and hold leaders accountable for results.

WHAT YOU BRING TO OUR TEAM

• 15+ years of progressive HR leadership, including at least 5 years leading an HR function at the senior leadership level in a scaling technology or deep tech environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in HR, BA, or a related field, with an MBA or equivalent advanced degree. CPHR designation or equivalent (e.g., SHRM-SCP, CIPD). A combination of education and senior executive experience will be considered.
• A proven trusted advisor to CEOs and boards, with the executive presence and judgment to match.
• Proven ability to build and scale HR processes and teams through periods of rapid growth (100→500+ employees).
• A strategic, enterprise-level thinker who connects people decisions to business outcomes and investor expectations.
• Experience leading HR across multiple geographies (Canada required; US and/or UK strongly preferred).
• Strong knowledge of Canadian employment law; familiarity with US and UK employment regulations is a significant asset.
• Strong command of Canadian employment law and the judgment to navigate complex, sensitive matters with discretion.
• Comfortable with the pace, ambiguity, and shifting priorities of a company at this stage of growth.
• A bias to action and a genuine love of building.
• A fit with our values: Fearless Ambition, Accountability, Growth, and Respect.

An Exceptional Candidate Will Bring

• Experience scaling an organization through rapid growth (100→500+ employees) and preparing it for investor, acquirer, or public-market scrutiny.
• Experience leading organizational design and change through a transition from research to commercialization.
• Experience advising a Board or its compensation committee, including equity strategy.
• Working knowledge of US and UK employment frameworks.

WHY YOU SHOULD WORK WITH US

• Work closely with some of the brightest innovators in quantum technologies to drive breakthroughs that redefine computing
• Join at a pivotal moment and help shape and lead an organization through one of the most exciting phases a company can experience
• Inclusive company culture that values collaboration
• Clear career paths, with 80% of our managers and directors promoted from within
• Regular social events and fun activities keep our global team connected
• Competitive compensation package including base salary, stock options, and relocation assistance for global talent
• Comprehensive benefits including extended health, dental, life, long term disability, an employee assistance program, parental leave top-ups, a flexible spending account, and unlimited wellness leave

We are also committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion. We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences, knowing that these very differences inspire innovation and build better teams. If there are any accommodations our team can make throughout our hiring process, please let us know.