Director of People and Talent

We are a young, fast-growing startup building cutting-edge technology to revolutionize cloud development processes and support highly efficient dev&test feedback loops. Over the last couple of years, we have established a strong initial foundation, with a world-class product that our customers and community love, built by a top-notch team of experts, in a highly collaborative and energetic remote-first work environment. As we are entering our next growth phase, we are looking for a strong People and Talent leader who can build upon our strong foundation and help us double our team size while rethinking organizational structures within the next 12-18 months.

As the Director of People & Talent, you will play a crucial role in aligning our People, Talent, and HR strategy with our business objectives and culture and set up operational practices to best support our growing organization. You will be responsible for building and executing scalable HR strategies, policies, and practices to foster a positive and inclusive work culture, improve organizational effectiveness, and lead a high-performing recruitment team to ensure that the company attracts, develops, and retains top-tier talent in a competitive tech industry. 

The ideal candidate will be a strategic partner with strong understanding of HR practices, as well as a hands-on leader with a successful track record in fast-paced and international tech environments. You will be responsible for both, building scalable talent strategies that align with our company’s goals, as well as managing and executing day-to-day HR activities. This role is perfect for someone who is both a visionary and a pragmatic doer, capable of setting strategic direction while rolling up their sleeves to ensure every aspect of HR and Talent runs smoothly.

Key Responsibilities:

HR Strategy Development & Execution

• Develop, implement and oversee HR strategies together with the leadership team and in alignment with LocalStack’s overall business objectives and culture.
• Assess current and future organizational needs, and proactively drive new initiatives and changes in talent strategy and organizational development practices.
• Lead diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to ensure an inclusive and collaborative work environment at scale. 

Talent Acquisition & Onboarding

• Lead, mentor and develop the recruitment team, and build strategies, processes, and metrics to ensure the company can hire top-tier technical talent quickly and efficiently.
• Drive innovative strategies to attract top technical talent in the developer tooling sector, including leveraging developer communities, hackathons, and other specialized channels with high-quality candidates.
• Streamline and enhance onboarding processes and practices for a seamless new-hire experience.

Employee Relations & Engagement

• Foster a positive, inclusive and collaborative work environment that reflects the company’s values and encourages innovation while promoting work-life balance, in hybrid work settings.
• Implement employee engagement initiatives and feedback mechanisms, including employee surveys, and recognition programs.
• Mediate and resolve conflicts and ensure open and transparent communication in a healthy and collaborative work environment across the organization.

Performance Management & Development

• Establish and manage performance appraisal systems together with leadership, to ensure fair and transparent evaluation processes.
• Build and oversee career development programs, training initiatives, and leadership development to ensure employee growth. Organize coaching and support for managers when needed to strengthen leadership skills and team management.
• Work closely with management to identify high-potential employees and create succession planning strategies.

Compensation, Benefits, Compliance & HR Operations

• Oversee the design and management of competitive compensation, bonus, stock options, and benefits programs that align with market standards for the tech industry to attract and retain top talent.
• Ensure continuous compliance with different local labor laws and HR best practices, and monitor salary benchmarks to ensure the company remains competitive.
• Drive continuous HR process improvements with data analytics and HR tech tools to enhance operational efficiency and improve employee experience.

Workforce Planning & Organizational Development

• Lead workforce planning to support growth in technical, sales and product-related teams.
• Collaborate with department heads to ensure alignment between HR practices and the technical needs of the business.
• Support organizational restructuring, change management, and scaling efforts as the company grows.
• Manage and spearhead the cultural aspects of our remote work environment, while helping the company focus our hiring on specific geographical regions (tech hubs), in alignment with leadership goals.

Required Skills & Experience:

• 5+ years of progressive HR and People Operations experience, with at least 1-2 years in a leadership role in a tech company (ideally within the developer tooling sector).
• Experience in scaling HR practices in high-growth companies, including working with remote and globally distributed teams.
• Strong understanding of the developer and engineering hiring landscape, technical recruiting, and talent management.
• Proven expertise in HR strategy development and execution, ideally in a scale-up or fast-paced tech environment.
• Strong understanding of HR practices and trends within the software development or SaaS industry, including talent acquisition, employee relations, and performance management.
• Excellent leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills, with the ability to influence and drive change at all levels of the organization.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities with a strategic mindset.
• Familiarity with HR analytics and the ability to leverage data to drive decision making and continuous improvement.
• Understanding of DEI best practices and a passion for fostering inclusive workplaces.
• Knowledge of employment laws and compliance in different jurisdictions.
• Proven track record as a servant leader driving both strategic HR leadership and hands-on execution.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Business Administration, or related field.
• A Master's degree in HR or an MBA is preferred.
• Professional HR certifications are a plus.

Technical Proficiency:

• Proficiency with HRIS systems, applicant tracking systems (ATS), and other HR tech tools.
• Experience with tools and technologies that support remote teams and digital collaboration, particularly in tech environments (e.g., Slack, Notion, Office/GSuite, etc).

• Be part of a dynamic startup with a mission-driven culture and a commitment to innovation.
• Work with a global, remote-first team and have a significant impact on the company’s growth.
• Competitive compensation, benefits, and opportunities for career advancement.

If you’re ready to shape the future of HR at a fast-growing tech startup, we’d love to hear from you! Apply today and join us on our exciting growth journey.