People Strategic Programs Manager

United States Digital Space LLC; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

401(k) plan

PTO and holidays

Job summary

Apollo.io is expanding its People team and seeks a strategic Programs Manager to drive the operating rhythm, headcount forecasting, and multi-quarter initiatives like M&A playbooks and ATS/HRIS work. The role emphasizes collaboration across IT, Legal, Finance, and People ops in a fast-growing, high-ambition environment.

You will partner with leadership to implement scalable processes, pilot AI-enabled efficiencies, and shape the People function for scale.

Qualifications

• 7+ years across G&A functions with cross-functional scope.
• Proven ability to design and execute multi-quarter initiatives end-to-end.
• Strong business and process design skills including change management.
• Experience managing across organizational boundaries without direct authority.
• Experience evaluating, implementing, and managing HR tech (ATS, HRIS).
• Interest in AI/automation and data-driven People operations.

Responsibilities

• Own the People team operating rhythm: meetings, planning cycles, OKRs, offsites.
• Design and implement a documented, repeatable planning process reducing ad hoc work.
• Own headcount planning and forecasting for strategic planning cycles.
• Lead multi-quarter initiatives: M&A playbook, UK equity/visa infrastructure, ATS migration, HRIS evaluation.
• Partner with Director of People Operations on prioritization, scope, sequencing.
• Advance People AI transformation and governance with IT/Legal.

Skills

Program management

Cross-functional collaboration

Vendor management

HR technology evaluation

AI/automation interest

People data & analytics

Tools

Ashby ATS

HRIS

Job description

Apollo.io is the leading go-to-market solution for revenue teams, trusted by over 500,000 companies and millions of users globally, from rapidly growing startups to some of the world's largest enterprises. Founded in 2015, the company is one of the fastest growing companies in SaaS, raising approximately $250 million to date and valued at $1.6 billion. Apollo.io provides sales and marketing teams with easy access to verified contact data for over 210 million B2B contacts and 35 million companies worldwide, along with tools to engage and convert these contacts in one unified platform. By helping revenue professionals find the most accurate contact information and automating the outreach process, Apollo.io turns prospects into customers.Apollo raised a series D in 2023 and is backed by top-tier investors, including Sequoia Capital, Bain Capital Ventures, and more, and counts the former President and COO of Hubspot, JD Sherman, among its board members.

The Role

Apollo's People team is scaling rapidly across new geographies, business models, and technologies. We're managing M&A integration, building employment infrastructure in new markets, evaluating new tech stacks (ATS, HRIS), and pioneering how AI can make People work simpler and smarter.

The SVP of People oversees all of this, but we need someone who can be the operational and strategic backbone: handling the cadence, shepherding multi-quarter projects, partnering with IT/Legal/Finance, and most importantly, becoming an extension of the SVP so she can operate at the strategy level rather than in the weeds of execution.

The People Strategic Programs Manager will own:

• The operating rhythm of the People team (meetings, planning cycles, offsites, headcount strategy)

• Execution of strategic initiatives (M&A playbook, UK infrastructure, ATS transition, HRIS evaluation)

• Identifying and rolling out AI efficiencies across People workflows while working with IT/Legal on governance

• Being a thought partner pulling projects, ideas, and execution off the SVP's plate

This is an individual contributor role that leads through expertise, sound judgment, influence, and clear operating mechanisms, not direct management authority.

What You'll OwnPeople Team Operating Rhythm

• Coordinate and run the People team's recurring cadence: all-hands, leadership meetings, quarterly planning cycles (OKRs), annual strategy planning, and offsites

• Design and implement a documented, repeatable planning process that removes ad hoc coordination and reduces SVP time spent on operations

• Own headcount planning and forecasting: build scenarios, identify HC needs by function, and feed strategic planning cycles

• By Q4 2026: People team calendar and cadence runs with minimal SVP involvement

Strategic HR Programs & Projects

• Own execution on major, multi-quarter initiatives: M&A integration playbook, UK equity/visa sponsorship infrastructure, ATS (Ashby) transition, HRIS evaluation, and emerging ad hoc projects

• Partner with Director of People Operations on prioritization, scope, and sequencing

• Key timelines: Ashby migration complete by December 2026; UK equity/visa infrastructure documented and operational by January 2027; HRIS evaluation narrowed to final vendor by May 2027; M&A playbook battle-tested by Q4 2026

People AI Transformation

• Map People team workflows to identify where AI and automation can create real efficiencies

• Conduct a comprehensive workflow audit within 6 months; identify 3–5 high-impact AI opportunities

• Build one-team solutions (like the org health dashboard) instead of siloed, one-off tools

• Partner with IT and Legal to establish clearer, more reasonable guardrails for AI/Claude usage (today's \"anything with PII requires review\" is too restrictive and stymies innovation; broaden to enable more senior team members with self-service capability)

• Advocate for a revised AI usage policy that enables People team to work effectively

• By 12 months: People team operating under new AI policy with broader, reasonable guardrails

Strategic Multiplier to SVP

• Be a thought partner and ideator on People strategy, new initiatives, and challenges

• Pull execution and project leadership off the SVP's plate so she operates at the VCE/strategy level

• By beginning of FY 2027: SVP spends 30% less time in operational/project meetings

What We're Looking ForExperience & Background

• 7+ years of varied experience across G&A (General & Administrative) functions—could include HR, People Operations, HR technology, BizOps, special projects, or Chief of Staff roles

• Demonstrated ability to design, plan, and execute multi-quarter initiatives end-to-end

• Strong business and process design skills: requirements gathering, problem-solving, implementation, and change management

• Experience managing across organizational boundaries without direct authority, aligning stakeholders, driving decisions, and measuring impact

• Comfort with ambiguity and ability to operate in a fast-moving, high-growth environment

• Experience with technology evaluation, implementation, and vendor management (at least exposure to ATS, HRIS, or People tech)

• Understanding of People data, reporting, workflows, and interest in how AI/automation can improve People processes

• Program/project management skills and execution bias (more important than HR domain expertise)

• Comfort operating as a thought partner to senior leaders and influencing without authority

• Intellectual curiosity about People operations, technology, and AI

• Adaptability and ability to shift between strategic thinking and tactical problem-solving

• Track record of building processes, systems, and solutions that scale

The listed Pay Range reflects the total cash compensation inclusive of annual base salary and annual bonus as applicable. For sales roles, the range provided is the role’s On Target Earnings (\"OTE\") range, meaning that the range includes both the sales commissions/sales bonus target and annual base salary for the role. This salary range may be inclusive of several career levels at Apollo and will be narrowed during the interview process based on a number of factors, including the candidate’s experience, qualifications, and location. Applicants interested in this role who are not located in the US may request the annual salary range for their location during the interview process.

Additional benefits for this role may include:

• equity
• company bonus or sales commissions/bonuses
• 401(k) plan
• at least 10 paid holidays per year, flex PTO, and parental leave
• employee assistance program and wellbeing benefits
• global travel coverage
• life/AD&D/STD/LTD insurance
• FSA/HSA