Head of People

About the Role

SmartSuite is looking for a Head of People to build and lead our people function as we scale. Reporting to the CFO and partnering closely with the CEO, you'll own the full employee lifecycle (hiring, onboarding, performance, development, and offboarding) while shaping the culture and operational backbone that lets SmartSuite grow fast without losing what makes it a great place to work.

This is a builder's role. We're a startup moving quickly, and priorities shift as we grow, so the ideal candidate is someone who's organized enough to run tight, reliable people processes, but flexible enough to change course when the business needs it. You'll be equally comfortable setting strategy in the room with our executive team and rolling up your sleeves to get something shipped yourself.

Candidates based in the Kansas City area are preferred, but we're open to exceptional candidates based elsewhere.

What You'll Do

• Partner with the CFO and CEO to build a people strategy that scales alongside the business, including headcount and workforce planning, translating company goals into concrete people programs
• Own the full employee lifecycle: recruiting and hiring, onboarding, performance management, career development, and offboarding
• Build and evolve our approach to culture and employee engagement as the team grows
• Design and run performance management processes, and coach managers on setting expectations, giving feedback, and developing their teams
• Build our job architecture, including job families, levels, and titles, and benchmark compensation against market data
• Oversee HR operations, including compensation, benefits, payroll coordination, policies, compliance, and employee records
• Manage our variable pay policies and operations, including MBOs and commissions
• Serve as a resource for managers and employees on employee relations matters, coaching managers through difficult conversations and helping resolve workplace concerns
• Lead talent acquisition strategy and employer branding to keep a strong pipeline of candidates as we grow headcount
• Own and maintain our HR systems, including Rippling, and AI-powered tools
• Use people data and metrics, like headcount vs. plan, turnover, and comp benchmarks, to spot issues early and inform decisions on hiring, retention, and org design
• Help us open and get our Kansas City office up and running

What We're Looking For

• 6+ years of progressive experience in People, HR, or Talent leadership, including time in a fast-growing startup or SaaS company
• Highly organized, with strong process and project-management instincts, you build systems that hold up as headcount grows
• Comfortable and capable with software and technology, including HR systems and AI tools
• Flexible and adaptable: someone who's energized rather than thrown off by shifting priorities and ambiguity
• Excellent communicator who builds trust easily with executives, managers, and individual contributors alike
• Hands-on approach: willing to do the work personally in the early stages of building out a program, not just direct others

Preferred Experience

• Experience partnering directly with a CFO or Finance function on people-related budgeting and planning
• Experience at a Series B+ or similarly high-growth SaaS company
• Experience designing or overseeing compensation and benefits programs

Why Join Us?

By joining SmartSuite, you'll scale the people function at a company that's growing quickly and moving fast. You'll have real ownership over how we hire, develop, and support our team, and the chance to shape the culture of a company on its way up.

If you thrive on change, love turning ambiguity into systems that work, and want your contributions to directly shape how a growing company treats its people, we'd love to hear from you.