Head of People

Ladders; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 224,000 - 261,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Premium health coverage

401(k) with match

Unlimited PTO and parental leave

Job summary

Ladders seeks a Head of People in Berkeley, CA to shape our people strategy and support growth with a strong organizational culture. You will partner with leadership to strengthen management capability, improve employee experience, and build scalable people practices for a fast-moving environment.

This is a highly visible role guiding the full employee lifecycle, ensuring compliance and operational excellence across teams.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in HR and People Operations with team management.
• Knowledge of California and federal employment laws including benefits.
• Experience in fast-paced startups with under 500 employees.
• Strong judgment handling sensitive HR matters.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Lead people strategy to align goals with culture and retention.
• Organize team activities to foster culture and shared goals.
• Establish coaching and training programs for leadership consistency.
• Manage HRIS to maintain data and support compliance.
• Oversee payroll and benefits administration for employees.
• Design transparent compensation philosophy and performance reviews.
• Create efficient onboarding processes for new hires.

Skills

HR leadership

CA employment law

Startup experience

Judgment

Organizational skills

Job description

For our client, we are seeking a Head of People to join the team of a leader in the Information Technology space.

This leader will shape the people strategy that supports growth, retention, and a strong organizational culture. The role will partner closely with leadership to strengthen management capability, improve the employee experience, and create scalable people practices for a fast-moving environment. This is a highly visible position with responsibility for building trusted processes across the employee lifecycle while supporting compliance and operational excellence.

Location: Berkeley, CA

Compensation: $223,606 – $260,937 annually

Responsibilities

• Lead people strategy to align organizational goals with culture and talent retention
• Organize team retreats to foster culture and shared goals
• Establish management coaching and training programs to strengthen leadership consistency
• Manage HRIS to maintain accurate employee data and support compliance
• Oversee payroll processing and benefits administration for employees
• Develop a transparent compensation philosophy and performance review process
• Design an efficient onboarding process for new hires

Qualifications

• 8+ years in HR and People Operations, including team management experience
• Proficiency in California and federal employment laws, including benefits compliance
• Experience in fast-paced environments, particularly startups with under 500 employees
• Strong judgment in handling sensitive HR matters
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail

Benefits

• 99% of employee premiums paid for medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Employer-paid basic life insurance at 1x salary
• 401(k) with 100% match up to 8% of salary
• Unlimited PTO and 21-week parental leave for new parents
• Relocation stipend for moving to the Bay Area
• Catered lunch and dinner daily, plus in-office gym and shower facilities
• Stipends for wellness, commuting, professional development, and work equipment

Our client is an equal opportunity employer.