VP of People Operations & Culture (Remote US)

Food Connect; United States; Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Food Connect is seeking a VP of People Operations & Culture to architect our people infrastructure as we scale a mission-driven nonprofit. This executive partner will work with the CEO, leadership team, and Board to translate bold vision into structured execution and govern the organization effectively.

The role leads organizational design, performance management, culture, and people analytics to support growth while upholding dignity, equity, and strong governance across functions.

Responsibilities

• Translate bold vision into structured execution
• Build performance systems that elevate excellence
• Create processes and decision-making clarity across departments
• Strengthen trust, transparency, and communication
• Ensure governance and compliance

Job description

About Us: Food Connect is building the infrastructure that ensures good food reaches people who need it most: efficiently, equitably, and with dignity. Food Connect is a multi-market nonprofit technology and logistics organization operating at the intersection of food access, health, and last-mile infrastructure. As we scale, we are transitioning from startup systems to institutionalized leadership infrastructure.

Now, we are intentionally strengthening the systems, leadership infrastructure, and cultural foundation that will support the next phase of scale. This is an opportunity to help shape the backbone of an organization that is redefining how food systems work.

Location: Hybrid, 70% remote with 30% in-person meetings/travel

Position Type: Full-time, Salaried

Salary Range: $95,000 - $125,000

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer

Role Overview

The VP of People Operations & Culture is the architect of Food Connect's people infrastructure. This executive leader partners with the CEO, leadership team, and Board to:

• Translate bold vision into structured execution
• Build performance systems that elevate excellence
• Create processes and decision-making clarity across departments
• Strengthen trust, transparency, and communication
• Ensure governance and compliance

If you are someone who thrives at the intersection of systems, leadership psychology, and mission-driven growth, and you are excited by the challenge of transforming a scaling nonprofit into a high-performing institution, this role is the right fit.

You will help design the structure that allows Food Connect to scale responsibly, sustainably, and boldly. This role is responsible for designing and strengthening how Food Connect's people, leaders, and teams operate as the organization scales.

This role partners closely with the CEO and team to ensure that organizational structure, leadership capacity, performance systems, culture, and people analytics are aligned with Food Connect's mission and growth goals.

Core Responsibilities

• Strategic Partner to the CEO
  • Serve as a trusted thought partner to the CEO on organizational design, leadership effectiveness, and scaling decisions.
  • Translate strategic priorities into clear roles, accountability, and decision structure.
  • Identify people and organizational risks early including capacity gaps, leadership strain, and burnout.
  • Support leadership planning with data driven insights.
• Organizational Design and Effectiveness
  • Design and evolve org structure, role clarity, and reporting models.
  • Implement RACI or similar accountability frameworks across departments.
  • Partner with team leaders to ensure clean handoffs between execution and people systems.
  • Support restructuring, growth phases, and change initiatives with clear communication and transition planning.
• Culture and change management
  • Translate Food Connect's values into clear behaviors and expectations.
  • Ensure culture shows up in how leaders lead, teams communicate, and decisions are made.
  • Lead change management efforts during periods of growth or transition.
  • Monitor culture health and intervene early when misalignment appears.
  • Audit and refine organizational structure to support growth.
  • Define and document decision structures and escalation pathways.
  • Partner with senior leaders to reduce bottlenecks and strengthen delegation.
  • Ensure major transitions are supported by structured communication plans.
• Performance Management
  • Design and operationalize a clear, consistent, and measurable performance management system that reinforces accountability, growth, and fairness.
  • Build and implement a structured annual goal-setting process aligned to organizational strategy.
  • Establish performance check-ins and leadership review rhythms.
  • Standardize documentation practices for feedback, performance improvement, and corrective action.
  • Develop clear guidelines for managing underperformance, including formal Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) frameworks.
  • Train managers on delivering candid, constructive, and well-documented performance conversations.
  • Ensure performance decisions are consistent, transparent, and aligned with documented expectations.
  • Track performance trends and identify systemic capability or capacity gaps.
  • Create clear job descriptions with measurable expectations and success metrics.
• Employee Relations
  • Serve as a trusted resource for employees and leaders to navigate workplace concerns constructively.
  • Establish clear channels for employee relations and communication.
  • Lead employee and team building activities that support a thriving culture aligned with organizational values.
  • Implement safeguards and reporting pathways.
  • Ensure consistent and legally