People Programs Strategist

Sprout Social; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 88,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health & wellness

Mental health support

401(k) match

Flexible PTO

Parental leave

Annual lifestyle stipend

Home office stipend

Volunteer time & donation match

Job summary

Sprout Social in Chicago seeks a People Programs Strategist to own onboarding experiences and drive employee journey initiatives. You’ll design and run key experiences that welcome new hires, connect them to culture, and support career growth across the lifecycle.

You’ll also champion community resource groups and scalable playbooks to accelerate development. You’ll partner with Talent Acquisition, IT, HR and leaders to ensure seamless logistics, continuous improvement, and high-touch

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in talent, learning, employee experience, culture or related fields.
• Ability to facilitate engaging, culture-first experiences.
• Strong project management skills with multiple initiatives and deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication for playbooks and guides.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating across boundaries.
• Ability to work from Sprout’s Chicago office for in-person events and onboarding.
• Experience in distributed or remote-first environments.

Responsibilities

• Design, support and run onboarding experiences for global team members.
• Own end-to-end onboarding journey and connect new hires to culture and HQ.
• Serve as Employee Experience Activator with scalable playbooks and CRG support.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition, IT, HR and leaders for smooth onboarding transitions.

Skills

Culture-first facilitation

Project management

Strong communication

Independent collaboration

Job description

We know experience is built in a number of ways. Even if your background doesn’t match the exact requirements, we encourage you to apply and share any relevant skills in a cover letter. Sprout welcomes all candidates to apply, including those who identify as BIPOC, women and underrepresented genders in tech, LGBTQIA+, parents, veterans, persons with disabilities and people of all faiths.

Description

Sprout Social is looking to hire a People Programs Strategist to the People team.

Why Join Sprout's People Team?

At Sprout Social, our People team builds the foundation that allows our global talent to power the future of customer connection. We are the champions of Sprout’s culture, ensuring that as we scale as a leader in social intelligence, our people remain our greatest competitive advantage.

We operate at the intersection of strategy and execution, driving impact across Talent, Total Rewards, People Operations, and Employee Experience. You’ll join a collaborative team focusing on world-class experiences that make Sprout a premier employer of choice. If you’re someone who wants to master your craft while helping others build careers they love, this is where you can make a lasting impact.

What you'll do

Imagine playing a pivotal role in how people experience Sprout — from the day they accept an offer to the day they step into a new role. As our People Programs Strategist, you'll design, support and run some of the key experiences that welcome new hires, mark key milestones across the employee journey, and help people understand and grow their careers. Your work directly shapes how people feel connected to Sprout's culture, how confidently they navigate their first months, and how clearly they see a path forward.

As our Onboarding Experience Program Owner, you don’t just manage a process; you shape the first impression of how we welcome and onboard new hires at Sprout. In this role, you will own the end-to-end journey for our global team members, turning day-one logistics into seamless, memorable experiences that connect people to our culture, mission, and community. Beyond onboarding, you’ll serve as an Employee Experience Activator—building scalable playbooks, championing our Community Resource Groups, and supporting core talent programs that accelerate employee growth and performance across the entire lifecycle.

• End-to-End Onboarding Ownership: Design and deliver an incredible, seamless onboarding experience for global team members, leading engaging sessions that connect new hires to our culture, teams, and HQ.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Talent Acquisition, IT, HR, and department leaders to align day-one logistics and key manager touchpoints for a smooth transition.
• New Hire Support: Serve as the primary, go-to guide for new hires, navigating questions around tools, systems, learning, and culture.
• Continuous Improvement: Gather and analyze employee feedback to identify operational bottlenecks, optimize onboarding workflows, and support broader culture initiatives.

Employee Experience Activator:

• Execution Excellence: Manage day-to-day operations and cross-functional logistics to support seamless, high-quality moments across the employee lifecycle.
• Scalable Playbooks: Build standardized playbooks and leverage automation to streamline logistics for key milestones (anniversaries, promotions, values recognition), ensuring a consistent, high-touch experience company-wide.
• Cross-Functional Enablement: Partner with stakeholders to guide and support experience design, maintaining quality and cultural alignment even when not leading primary delivery.
• Community & Inclusion Advisory: Serve as the primary day-to-day operational partner for 50+ Community Resource Group (CRGs) leaders, directing end-to-end leader lifecycles, budget management, platform administration (Deed, Workramp), and communication strategies to amplify group initiatives company-wide.

Talent Management Support

• Cross-Functional Talent Support: Partner with People leaders to help roll out core talent programs, like performance reviews, team calibrations, and retention plans and using AI tools to make the process smoother for everyone.
• Agile Execution: Step in as a flexible operational partner across the People team and business units to troubleshoot issues, fill gaps, and keep key programs running flawlessly.

What you'll bring

The minimum qualifications for this role include:

• 4+ years of experience in talent, learning, employee experience, culture or related fields
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate engaging, culture-first experiences
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple initiatives and deadlines simultaneously
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for building clear playbooks and guides
• Ability to work independently while collaborating across organizational boundaries
• Ability to work from Sprout’s Chicago office for in-person events and onboarding
• Experience working in distributed or remote-first environments

Preferred qualifications for this role include:

• Background in onboarding, employee experience, culture, or talent development
• Experience with tools like CultureAmp, Perceptyx, Lattice, WorkRamp, or similar platforms
• Familiarity with change management principles for rolling out new programs
• Familiarity with career frameworks and learning principles
• Experience in technology or SaaS companies

How you'll grow

Within 1 month, you'll:

• Shadow your manager and team members across current programs to understand history, stakeholders, and cadence
• Meet key stakeholders including CRG leaders, People Team partners, and cross-functional collaborators to build early trust and working relationships
• Begin owning operational execution with support

Within 3 months, you'll:

• Begin day-to-day execution of most core programs, including logistics, communications, and stakeholder management
• Surface your own observations and proposed solutions on what's working and what feels heavy
• Partner with the People Team on employee listening inputs relevant to your programs

Within 6 months, you'll:

• Be the clear, trusted point of contact for CRG leaders and other program stakeholders across the company
• Contribute an execution-level view to decisions about which programs get simplified, scaled, or retired
• Identify and implement at least one process improvement that makes a recurring program easier to run without sacrificing quality

Within 12 months, you'll:

• Have full ownership and a track record of successful delivery across the program portfolio
• Be trusted to represent these programs to stakeholders without your manager in the room
• Have a clear point of view on how to leverage the employee experience framework to evolve existing programs or develop new ones

Our Benefits Program

We’re proud to regularly be recognized for our team, product and culture. Our benefits program includes:

• Comprehensive Health & Wellness: Premium BCBSIL medical, dental (high/low plans), and vision (Eyemed) insurance for you and your eligible dependents.
• Premium Mental Health Support: Full, free access to Modern Health for you and your dependents, including coaching, therapy sessions, and digital wellness resources.
• Retirement Savings: 401(k) plan with a 50% company match on your first 6% of contributions (a 3% total match).
• Financial Security: 100% employer-paid Life and Disability insurance for your peace of mind.
• Flexible Paid Time Off: A flexible PTO policy, supplemented with additional company-wide Rest & Recharge days throughout the year.
• Paid Parental Leave: Up to 16 weeks of paid leave for new parents to support you in expanding your family.
• Annual Lifestyle Stipend: A $1,000 USD annual Lifestyle Spending Account to spend on your physical, mental, and financial well-being.
• Work From Home Support: A one-time $550 USD stipend to set up your home office, plus a monthly $50 USD stipend for internet.
• Giving Back: 16 hours of paid volunteer time annually, plus a $100 annual match for your charitable donations.
• Additional Financial Perks: Access to pre-tax commuter benefits, subsidized child/eldercare (Care.com), discounted pet insurance (Figo), and no-cost personalized financial wellness support through Your Money Line.
• Office Environment: Beautiful, convenient, and state-of-the-art office in Chicago’s Loop.

*This list is for informational purposes only. Benefit offerings are discretionary and subject to change and do not constitute a contract or guarantee of benefits.

Our salary ranges reflect the expected earning potential for this role. Individual pay is based on geographic zone, relevant experience, and skills.

Our current hiring range for this role: $88,000.00 – $110,000.00 annually. Offers are made within this range, with opportunities to grow within the broader band based on performance and impact.

We share both our current hiring range and our broader geographic salary bands to provide transparency into our compensation philosophy. This ensures you understand not only your starting potential but also the long-term growth potential available as you progress in your role.

We have two geographic pay zones in the United States. The geographic pay zone for Chicago is:

Zone 2: $88,000.00 – $132,000.00

These ranges were determined by a market-based compensation approach; we used data from trusted third-party compensation sources to set equitable, consistent, and competitive ranges. We also evaluate compensation bi-annually, identify any changes in the market and make adjustments to our ranges and existing employee compensation as needed.

Sprout Social is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on identity- race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex (including sexual identity), age, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, veteran or military status, unfavorable discharge from military service, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, order of protection status, citizenship status, arrest record or expunged or sealed convictions, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state, or local law. Because Sprout Social is a federal contractor, we affirmatively recruit individuals with a disability and protected veterans. Learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in our latest DEI Report .

If you require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the interview process or to submit your application, please email us at [e-mail]. Include the nature of your request and your preferred contact information. We'll do everything we can to support your success during our recruitment process while upholding your privacy. Please note that only inquiries regarding accommodations will receive a response from this email address; other inquiries will not be addressed (e.g., you send your resume but are not requesting an accommodation).

Additionally, Sprout Social participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law.

Sprout Social Inc. and its subsidiaries process personal data submitted through your application to assess your qualifications for employment and to inform our hiring decision and, where applicable, for required governmental reporting. For more information, please review Sprout's Global Applicant Privacy Notice .

Sprout Social is a global leader in social media management and analytics software. Sprout’s award-winning platform offers intuitive and comprehensive social media management solutions, including publishing and engagement functionality, customer care, influencer marketing, advocacy, and AI-powered, predictive business intelligence. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Chicago, Sprout has a hybrid team of 1400 people across the globe with offices in Seattle, Dublin and Poland. Sprout Social is consistently recognized as a best place to work with recent accolades from Fortune, Glassdoor, Built In and more.

Sprout Social powers open communication between individuals, brands and communities through elegant, sophisticated software. We are relentless about solving hard problems for our customers and committed to both customer and team success. Our team’s shared belief in Sprout’s mission promotes a culture of openness, empowerment and fun.