Chief People Officer at Ocient Inc.

United States

$275k - $350k

<div><strong>Job Title: </strong>Chief People Officer</div><div><strong>Location: </strong>100% Remote (US Based Only)</div><ul><li class=""><strong>We cannot sponsor or transfer any visas, of any kind, at this time*</strong></li></ul><div><strong>Reports To:</strong> Chief Executive Officer</div><div><strong>Estimated salary range:</strong> $275,000 to $350,000</div><ul><li class="">The salary offered for this position will be based on a candidate’s experience and skill demonstrated during interviews and other evaluations</li></ul><h2><br></h2><div><strong style="color: black;"><u>Position Overview:</u></strong></div><div>The Chief People Officer is a C-suite executive and key architect of Ocient’s people strategy during a defining growth phase. Reporting directly to the CEO, the CPO will build the talent infrastructure, culture, and leadership capability needed to scale from a high-velocity startup into a durable, high-performance organization. This is a hands-on, highly visible role for an operator who thrives in ambiguity, moves fast, and knows how to build people programs that actually accelerate the business — not slow it down.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The right candidate has been a senior people leader at a growth-stage technology company, understands the pace and complexity of scaling through rapid headcount growth, restructuring, or M&amp;A, and brings the credibility and judgment to counsel the CEO and executive team on all people matters.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong><u>Core Responsibilities:</u></strong></div><div><br></div><div><strong>Executive Partnership &amp; People Strategy</strong></div><ul><li class="">Serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to the CEO and executive team, translating business strategy into a forward-looking people roadmap with clear priorities, owners, and milestones — revisited quarterly as conditions shift</li><li class="">Bring a founder’s mindset to people strategy: think in systems, move with urgency, and build for scale without over-engineering</li><li class="">Champion company culture — internally and externally — preserving the high-ownership, high-trust values of a startup while professionalizing the organization for the next stage of growth</li><li class="">Serve as a visible advocate for Ocient’s people brand in recruiting markets, investor conversations, and the broader tech ecosystem</li><li class="">Lead workforce planning, org design, and headcount modeling in close partnership with the CEO and functional leaders — anticipating growth needs 6–12 months out</li></ul><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong>Organizational Development &amp; Leadership</strong></div><ul><li class="">Design and implement leadership development, onboarding, and performance frameworks that build a high-performance culture without bureaucracy</li><li class="">Build and mentor a lean, high-performing HR/People team — leveling up existing talent and making targeted hires as the business scales</li><li class="">Drive org design decisions that improve accountability, reduce friction, and enable the company to move faster</li></ul><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong>Total Rewards &amp; People Operations</strong></div><ul><li class="">Own total rewards strategy, including competitive compensation benchmarking, benefits, incentive programs, and equity — with deep expertise in pre-IPO equity structures (options/RSUs)</li><li class="">Oversee the full employee lifecycle: onboarding, development, performance, retention, and offboarding</li><li class="">Implement and optimize HRIS and people analytics tools to drive data-informed decisions; define and report on key people metrics to the CEO and Board</li><li class="">Manage employee relations, investigations, and conflict resolution with speed and discretion</li></ul><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong>Compliance &amp; Risk</strong></div><ul><li class="">Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws across multiple jurisdictions, developing scalable policies that meet legal requirements without unnecessary process</li><li class="">Partner with legal counsel on employment matters, contractor classification, and risk mitigation</li><li class="">Oversee regulatory reporting and filings (EEO, FMLA, ADA, FLSA, etc.)</li></ul><div><br></div><div><strong><u>Ideal Qualifications:</u></strong></div><div><br></div><ul><li class="">12–18+ years of progressive HR/People experience, with at least 5–7 years at the VP, SVP, or CPO level</li><li class="">Proven growth-stage operator: you’ve been a senior people leader at a high-growth technology company — ideally through a period of 2x–5x+ headcount scaling, restructuring, or M&amp;A — and you know what it takes to build people infrastructure at speed</li><li class="">Player-coach profile: you’ve operated at C-suite or VP level and still do the work yourself — writing JDs, running interviews, managing ER cases, pulling comp analyses. You don’t wait for a team</li><li class="">Data-driven mindset: you use people metrics to make decisions, communicate business impact, and prioritize your team’s work</li><li class="">Total rewards expertise: deep experience in compensation benchmarking, benefits strategy, and pre-IPO equity (options/RSUs)</li><li class="">Multi-state and/or global HR experience: comfortable managing people programs across multiple jurisdictions and regulatory environments</li><li class="">Executive-level credibility: proven ability to partner with CEOs, Boards, and investors on sensitive people matters and organizational decisions</li><li class="">Business and financial acumen: experienced with headcount planning, budgeting, and making the financial case for people investments</li><li class="">Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field; Master’s or MBA preferred; or equivalent experience&nbsp;</li></ul><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong style="color: black;"><u>An Exceptional Candidate Will Have:</u></strong></div><div><br></div><ul><li class="">Experience at a company that has navigated a significant inflection point: Series C+ fundraise, pre-IPO readiness, acquisition, or rapid geographic expansion</li><li class="">Background in data infrastructure, enterprise software, or deep tech — you understand what it takes to hire and retain rare technical talent</li><li class="">Experience in a company selling into government, defense, or intelligence sectors (familiarity with clearance considerations a plus)</li><li class="">Executive HR certification such as SHRM-SCP or SPHR</li></ul><div><br></div>