Vice President (VP) of People

Founded in 2006, 8th Light is a team of curious software professionals who partner with clients to unlock strategic opportunities through software solutions. Headquartered in Chicago, our more than 140 team members live and work remotely across North America and Europe, with hubs in London, New York, Los Angeles, and Austin. 

In our current growth phase we’re working to increase both headcount and our profile in our industry and we are seeking an experienced Vice President (VP) of People to continue leveraging our people strategy to drive growth in 2023 and beyond. The core of our people strategy is to drive employee engagement by: deepening pride in the organization, connecting individual career purpose to company purpose and developing an equitable but personalized employee journey.

The ideal executive will thrive in working with technologists, designers, management and other contributors at all levels. In this role you will oversee our in-house expertise and capabilities in talent development, talent acquisition, DEI, community-building, performance management, HR workforce planning, compensation and compliance. This executive team position reports to our Chicago-based CEO and is open to remote applicants anywhere in the continental US. There will be a direct report to this role based in London, U.K., thereby this role will require periodic travel, approximately 2-4 times per year, to the U.K. but also within the U.S. 

You have acumen across a broad set of functional areas which equips you to lead strategically and manage your team effectively. 

• 12+ years of experience in people operations (or a related field) with at least 3 years of experience in an executive role. Strong business acumen and executive communication skills.
• At least 4 years of experience working in the technology sector is strongly preferred, with familiarity in technical career pathing and leadership development.
• Ability to build trust and earn authority by exemplifying strategy, values and priorities in your decisions. 
• A track record of designing measurable initiatives that increase diversity, equity and inclusion for underrepresented groups.
• Demonstrated managerial skill. You bring your remote team together and manage towards shared outcomes. You are a great mentor across a range of functional specializations.
• Ability to prioritize and ensure execution on your team. Experience setting measurable goals using an OKR, KPI or similar framework.
• Ability to balance strategic and tactical needs. You know how to “lead and do” while both envisioning the goals and executing in a hands-on, productive manner.
• Track record of attracting, cultivating and retaining talent on your team. You’ve strengthened your team everywhere you’ve worked.
• Efficient and reliable in delivering high quality HR artifacts and work products whether slide decks, spreadsheets or documents. 
• International, cross-cultural experience strongly preferred.   You know how to blend regional cultures with a global corporate culture.

You’ll Have the Opportunity to: 

• Build our company’s core product!   As a consultancy, our workforce is our business.
• Refine and advance our people and workforce strategies and their constituent parts in recruiting, DEI, training, performance management and total compensation.
• Directly support our Board of Directors’ strategic and risk management advisory function through clear communication and documentation. You’ll effectively convey where we are, what we’re doing and why.
• Select, adopt and deploy an improved HRIS system to improve employee experience and streamline team functions. 

We’re looking for strong leadership and expertise in strengthening middle- and senior-management, building leadership skills throughout the organization, improving career pathing, developing talent and building an inclusive workforce.

• Demonstrated track record of being liked, trusted and respected by employees including through periods of change. Effective listening skills with ability to translate feedback into actionable plans.
• Experience executing organizational changes. You are ready to plan and lead the communication, training and transition support of major structural changes when needed.
• Experience designing, implementing and partnering on scalable management, mentorship and training programs to develop talent.
• Experience strengthening career pathing and performance management systems, connecting these efforts to professional growth.
• A rich professional toolbox on diversity, equity and inclusion.   You identify and prioritize growth areas.  You analyze risks and opportunities in potential changes.
• Experience with M&A is preferred.   You’ve partnered with key stakeholders to make essential decisions in a timely manner.You’ve had experience building a project plan of key activities with strong consideration for the best possible employee journey.

At 8th Light, our principles of Humanity, Education and Ownership are well-known and deeply held, regularly guiding our decisions and actions. As the VP of People, you’ll blend your professional toolbox and business acumen with these principles.  You’ll work to drive a supportive, authentic culture of high performance and achievement.

• Ability to consistently role model and expect high performance and achievement in a manner consistent with our values.
• Transparent leadership style that reinforces a collaborative team atmosphere. 
• Demonstrated success in building community and anchoring culture within a distributed workforce. You have the ability to understand and keep a pulse on our people via checkins and other soft data.

Your work is about people, not numbers, but you are comfortable with using data to develop and defend recommendations and show results. 

Qualifications You Bring:

• A track record of making policy and program recommendations backed by data including working with analysts to estimate cost of programs. 
• Track record of providing analysis, education, and insight that allows key stakeholders to make informed decisions based on a full understanding of our employee and business needs.
• Experience leading the development and delivery of workforce analytics, reports and dashboards that support organizational strategy.

8th Light is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We strive to achieve a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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