VP, People Operations

The Role

Pindrop is looking for an exceptional VP of People Operations who knows what great looks like because they've helped build it. We are seeking a proven People leader who has successfully built, scaled, and transformed People functions and is excited by the opportunity to do it again, better.

Reporting directly to the Chief People Officer, you will serve as a trusted strategic partner and play a critical role in shaping the future of our People organization. We are looking for someone who brings the experience and judgment to lead today, along with the ambition and curiosity to continue growing toward broader enterprise leadership and, potentially, a future Chief People Officer role.

This is a role for someone who sees what needs to be done before being asked. You can identify opportunities across the business, develop a thoughtful strategy, build a comprehensive execution plan, align stakeholders, and lead initiatives from concept through implementation and measurable results. You bring structure to ambiguity, take ownership of outcomes, and set a high standard for execution excellence.

Just as importantly, you genuinely care about people and understand that building a strong culture and delivering business results go hand in hand. You balance empathy with accountability, are comfortable making difficult decisions, and believe that developing others is one of your most important responsibilities as a leader.

You will lead through coaching, empowerment, and clear expectations rather than micromanagement. You will operate comfortably at every altitude, influencing executive decisions while building the capabilities, systems, and team needed to execute exceptionally well.

This is an opportunity for an ambitious, accomplished People executive who wants to make a meaningful impact, build an exceptional organization, and continue growing toward the next chapter of their leadership career.

What You'll Do

1. People Strategy & Executive Partnership

• Partner closely with the CPO to translate business priorities into actionable People strategies that strengthen organizational effectiveness, talent capabilities, and business performance.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive and functional leaders, bringing informed perspectives, sound judgment, and data-driven recommendations on workforce planning, talent, organizational effectiveness, and people-related business challenges.

• Lead the Quarterly ELT Talent and Organizational Business Review, partnering with Talent Acquisition and HRBP leadership to deliver meaningful insights, identify organizational risks, and recommend actions.
• Proactively identify emerging talent and organizational challenges, bringing forward clear recommendations, business implications, risks, and proposed solutions rather than simply reporting on activity.

• Build strong cross-functional relationships and influence decisions across the organization, balancing employee needs, business priorities, and long-term organizational health.

2. Strategic Execution & Operational Excellence

• Own the People Operations strategy and operating model, establishing scalable systems, processes, governance, and operating rhythms that enable the function to deliver consistently and effectively.

• Proactively identify opportunities to improve organizational effectiveness, operational efficiency, and employee experience, translating insights into actionable initiatives.
• Lead complex strategic initiatives from concept through execution, including business case development, comprehensive project planning, stakeholder alignment, implementation, change management, and measurement of results.
• Lead continuous improvement and AI transformation across the organization, bringing demonstrated AI fluency and a passion for championing its adoption. Drive AI education, training, and upskilling initiatives across the organization while leveraging AI, automation, and data to modernize processes, improve efficiency, and increase business impact.
• Build a disciplined operating cadence with clear priorities, accountability, executive checkpoints, and measurable outcomes, moving the People organization from reactive execution to proactive, strategic delivery.
• Lead continuous improvement across People Operations, challenging existing processes and leveraging AI, automation, data, and technology to simplify work, improve quality, and increase organizational impact.

• Establish performance measures and accountability across People Operations, ensuring initiatives deliver meaningful outcomes, sustainable adoption, and continuous improvement.

3. People Operations, Talent & Organizational Effectiveness

• Provide strategic leadership and accountability for HR Operations, HR Business Partners, employee lifecycle programs, People systems, data governance, and operational compliance, empowering functional leaders and team members to own day-to-day execution.

• Build and scale a strategic HRBP operating model that positions HR Business Partners as proactive advisors to business leaders, connecting talent strategy to organizational priorities and business outcomes.
• Lead through the team to deliver effective performance management, talent calibration, succession planning, leadership development, and employee experience programs.
• Partner with the CPO and Finance on compensation strategy, workforce planning, and organizational design, bringing forward insights, recommendations, and implementation plans that support business priorities.
• Ensure the People organization delivers accurate, actionable workforce data and analytics, using insights to identify trends, anticipate risks, and inform decisions.
• Partner with leaders to identify and address systemic barriers to organizational effectiveness, including leadership capability, accountability, communication, and employee engagement.

• Provide senior-level guidance on complex employee relations matters and organizational changes, ensuring decisions reflect sound judgment, consistency, legal considerations, and Pindrop's values.

4. People Leadership, Culture & Team Development

• Lead and develop a high-performing People team, establishing a culture of trust, accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and exceptional service to the business.

• Make the development of direct reports a leadership priority, investing in coaching, meaningful feedback, stretch opportunities, and intentional career development.
• Lead through empowerment rather than micromanagement, providing clear expectations, decision-making authority, and accountability while giving team members the autonomy and support to succeed.
• Build leadership capability and succession strength within the People organization, developing individuals who can operate independently, think strategically, and take on increasingly complex responsibilities.
• Set a high bar for quality, execution, and accountability, ensuring the team understands both what needs to be accomplished and the business impact of their work.
• Create an environment where individuals are encouraged to challenge ideas, bring forward recommendations, learn from mistakes, and take ownership of outcomes.
• Model a people-centered, business-minded leadership approach, demonstrating empathy, integrity, resilience, sound judgment, and the courage to make difficult decisions when necessary.

Who You Are

• A proven builder and operator. You have successfully built, scaled, and transformed People functions. You know what great looks like because you've personally delivered it.
• A strategic thinker and exceptional executor. You connect the dots across the organization, anticipate what's needed, and translate complex opportunities into thoughtful plans and measurable results.
• An independent, proactive leader. You bring recommendations, not just problems. You exercise sound judgment, take initiative, and know when to act, collaborate, or escalate.
• A developer of people. You genuinely enjoy coaching and growing others, building strong teams through trust, empowerment, accountability, and meaningful development.
• A people-first, business-minded executive. You care deeply about employees and culture while understanding the realities of running a business. You balance empathy with accountability and make difficult decisions with fairness and conviction.
• A credible executive partner. You are comfortable engaging with senior leaders, bringing a strong point of view, challenging assumptions constructively, and influencing decisions with confidence and maturity.
• An ambitious, continuous learner. You are motivated to keep growing as an executive, expand your capabilities, embrace new technologies, and develop toward broader enterprise leadership.
• A collaborative, low-ego leader. You welcome feedback, value different perspectives, build strong relationships, and take accountability for your decisions and results.
• A resilient change leader. You thrive in dynamic environments, bring clarity to ambiguity, and have the persistence to move complex initiatives forward.

Your Experience

• 15+ years of progressive People/HR experience, including senior leadership across multiple HR disciplines. Prior VP-level experience or equivalent scope strongly preferred, with a demonstrated history of career stability and multiple examples of 3+ years of sustained tenure over the past decade.
• Proven success building, scaling, and transforming People teams, operating models, and programs in high-growth technology or similarly dynamic environments.
• Demonstrated ability to independently lead complex, cross-functional initiatives from strategy and planning through execution, adoption, and measurable business impact.
• Demonstrated AI fluency and hands-on experience applying AI to improve business outcomes, with a proven ability to champion adoption, build organizational capabilities, and lead AI training and upskilling initiatives.
• Proven ability to build high-performing teams, develop future leaders, and empower direct reports through coaching, delegation, and accountability.
• Strong executive presence, business acumen, and organizational judgment, with the ability to influence senior leaders, challenge constructively, and translate People insights into actionable business strategies.
• Experience leveraging People technology, workforce analytics, AI, and automation to improve efficiency, scalability, and organizational effectiveness.

The Opportunity

This is more than an opportunity to lead People Operations. It's an opportunity to help shape how the People function operates, scales, and delivers value across Pindrop.

You will work directly with the Chief People Officer, gain meaningful exposure to enterprise-level talent and organizational decisions, and have the opportunity to influence how we build and develop our organization.

You will have the ability to challenge the status quo, introduce new ideas, build scalable solutions, and develop a high-performing team. We are looking for someone who wants to make a lasting impact, not simply maintain what exists.

For the right leader, this role offers the opportunity to continue expanding strategic influence, executive leadership capabilities, and readiness for future leadership responsibilities.

What we offer

As a part of Pindrop, you’ll have a direct impact on our growing list of products and the future of security in the voice-driven economy. We hire great people and take care of them. Here’s a snapshot of the benefits we offer:

• Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Competitive compensation package, including RSUs (Restricted Stock Units) for all employees, so everyone shares in our long-term success.
• Remote-first environment - giving you flexibility and autonomy in how you structure your day.
• While we work flexibly, we prioritize meaningful in-person moments through regular team on-sites, company-wide events, and intentional gatherings that foster connection, collaboration, and shared success.
• Generous health and welfare plans to choose from - including one employer-paid “employee-only” plan!
• Best-in-class Health Savings Account (HSA) employer contribution
• Low-cost vision and dental plans for you and your family, providing comprehensive coverage and peace of mind.
• Paid Parental Leave - Including birth, adoptive & foster parents
• One year of diaper delivery for your newest addition to the family! It’s our way of welcoming new Pindroplets to the family!
• Recurring monthly phone and internet allowance to help cover essential connectivity costs and support flexible work.
• Enhanced fertility and GLP-1 benefits to support family-building journeys and personalized health needs.
• Annual Learning & Development stipend to support your professional growth, skill-building, certifications, and continued education.

Remote: #LI-Remote