Head of People & Talent Strategy

Substack; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 250,000 - 295,000; Full time

Job summary

Substack is hiring a Head of People to design and scale the people function during a pivotal growth phase. You will own strategy, systems, and programs for hiring, development, rewards, and employee experience, while advising leadership on organization design and workforce planning.

This role blends strategic leadership with hands-on implementation, building infrastructure and coaching managers to maintain speed and ambition as the company matures.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive experience in People or HR across multiple functions.
• Startup or growth-stage experience required.
• Track record of excellence from strong companies.
• Ability to influence executive leadership and coach others.
• Comfort with data-driven People decisions.

Responsibilities

• Partner with leadership to develop and execute a people strategy aligned with Substack's mission and goals.
• Lead and scale recruiting, onboarding, compensation, benefits, employee experience, performance management, and talent development.
• Own compensation, benefits, leveling frameworks, and review cycles.
• Build training, L&D, and leadership coaching programs.
• Shape employee experience including culture, orientation, and onboarding.
• Oversee recruiting strategy and exceptional talent selection.
• Advise on org design, workforce planning, and succession planning.
• Improve people systems, policies, and programs for optimal performance.
• Coach managers on performance and team effectiveness.
• Oversee employee relations and ensure thoughtful resolution of issues.
• Use people analytics to guide decisions and ensure compliance.

Skills

People strategy

Recruiting

Learning & development

Employee experience

People analytics

Executive coaching

Leadership

Job description

Substack is hiring a Head of People to design and scale the people function during a pivotal growth phase. You will own strategy, systems, and programs for hiring, development, rewards, and employee experience, while advising leadership on organization design and workforce planning.

This role blends strategic leadership with hands-on implementation, building infrastructure and coaching managers to maintain speed and ambition as the company matures.