People & Culture Leader for Rapid Growth

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

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.