Chief People Officer

Ocient; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 275,000 - 350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work

Job summary

Ocient is seeking a Chief People Officer to lead the people strategy during a high-growth phase. This C-suite role reports to the CEO and focuses on building scalable HR programs, culture, and leadership capability to support rapid expansion.

The ideal candidate has extensive senior HR leadership experience in growth-stage tech, guides executive decisions with data, and champions a high-trust, high-ownership culture while professionalizing the organization for the next growth stage.

Qualifications

• 12–18+ years of progressive HR/People experience, incl. 5–7 years at VP/SVP/CPO level.
• Experience in growth-stage tech, scaling headcount 2x–5x or via M&A.
• Ability to counsel CEO and executive team on sensitive people matters.
• Data-driven mindset with track record of using metrics to drive decisions.
• Global or multi-state HR experience across jurisdictions.

Responsibilities

• Partner with CEO and leadership to define a scalable people strategy.
• Design leadership development, onboarding, and performance frameworks.
• Own total rewards, compensation benchmarking, benefits, and equity structures.
• Oversee HRIS, analytics, and reporting to CEO and Board.

Skills

Strategic HR

People leadership

Executive partnering

Data-driven HR

Change management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR/Business

Master’s degree or MBA (preferred)

Tools

HRIS

People analytics

Job description

Job Title: Chief People Officer

Location: 100% Remote (US Based Only)

• We cannot sponsor or transfer any visas, of any kind, at this time*

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer

Estimated salary range: $275,000 to $350,000

• The salary offered for this position will be based on a candidate’s experience and skill demonstrated during interviews and other evaluations

Position Overview:

The Chief People Officer is a C-suite executive and key architect of Ocient’s people strategy during a defining growth phase. Reporting directly to the CEO, the CPO will build the talent infrastructure, culture, and leadership capability needed to scale from a high-velocity startup into a durable, high-performance organization. This is a hands-on, highly visible role for an operator who thrives in ambiguity, moves fast, and knows how to build people programs that actually accelerate the business — not slow it down.

The right candidate has been a senior people leader at a growth-stage technology company, understands the pace and complexity of scaling through rapid headcount growth, restructuring, or M&A, and brings the credibility and judgment to counsel the CEO and executive team on all people matters.

Core Responsibilities:

Executive Partnership & People Strategy

• Serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to the CEO and executive team, translating business strategy into a forward-looking people roadmap with clear priorities, owners, and milestones — revisited quarterly as conditions shift
• Bring a founder’s mindset to people strategy: think in systems, move with urgency, and build for scale without over-engineering
• Champion company culture — internally and externally — preserving the high-ownership, high-trust values of a startup while professionalizing the organization for the next stage of growth
• Serve as a visible advocate for Ocient’s people brand in recruiting markets, investor conversations, and the broader tech ecosystem
• Lead workforce planning, org design, and headcount modeling in close partnership with the CEO and functional leaders — anticipating growth needs 6–12 months out

Organizational Development & Leadership

• Design and implement leadership development, onboarding, and performance frameworks that build a high-performance culture without bureaucracy
• Build and mentor a lean, high-performing HR/People team — leveling up existing talent and making targeted hires as the business scales
• Drive org design decisions that improve accountability, reduce friction, and enable the company to move faster

Total Rewards & People Operations

• Own total rewards strategy, including competitive compensation benchmarking, benefits, incentive programs, and equity — with deep expertise in pre-IPO equity structures (options/RSUs)
• Oversee the full employee lifecycle: onboarding, development, performance, retention, and offboarding
• Implement and optimize HRIS and people analytics tools to drive data-informed decisions; define and report on key people metrics to the CEO and Board
• Manage employee relations, investigations, and conflict resolution with speed and discretion

Compliance & Risk

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws across multiple jurisdictions, developing scalable policies that meet legal requirements without unnecessary process
• Partner with legal counsel on employment matters, contractor classification, and risk mitigation
• Oversee regulatory reporting and filings (EEO, FMLA, ADA, FLSA, etc.)

Ideal Qualifications:

• 12–18+ years of progressive HR/People experience, with at least 5–7 years at the VP, SVP, or CPO level
• Proven growth-stage operator: you’ve been a senior people leader at a high-growth technology company — ideally through a period of 2x–5x+ headcount scaling, restructuring, or M&A — and you know what it takes to build people infrastructure at speed
• Player-coach profile: you’ve operated at C-suite or VP level and still do the work yourself — writing JDs, running interviews, managing ER cases, pulling comp analyses. You don’t wait for a team
• Data-driven mindset: you use people metrics to make decisions, communicate business impact, and prioritize your team’s work
• Total rewards expertise: deep experience in compensation benchmarking, benefits strategy, and pre-IPO equity (options/RSUs)
• Multi-state and/or global HR experience: comfortable managing people programs across multiple jurisdictions and regulatory environments
• Executive-level credibility: proven ability to partner with CEOs, Boards, and investors on sensitive people matters and organizational decisions
• Business and financial acumen: experienced with headcount planning, budgeting, and making the financial case for people investments
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field; Master’s or MBA preferred; or equivalent experience

An Exceptional Candidate Will Have:

• Experience at a company that has navigated a significant inflection point: Series C+ fundraise, pre-IPO readiness, acquisition, or rapid geographic expansion
• Background in data infrastructure, enterprise software, or deep tech — you understand what it takes to hire and retain rare technical talent
• Experience in a company selling into government, defense, or intelligence sectors (familiarity with clearance considerations a plus)
• Executive HR certification such as SHRM-SCP or SPHR