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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for VP People

💰 $ - $

Human ResourcesLeadershipPeople & Talent

🎯 Role Definition

The VP People (Vice President, People) is a senior HR leader who designs and executes a strategic people agenda that drives business performance, builds leadership capacity, and cultivates a high-performing, inclusive culture. This role partners with the CEO, executive team, and the board to align talent, organizational design, total rewards, and people operations with growth objectives, while delivering measurable improvements in engagement, retention, and productivity.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Senior HR Director / Director of People Operations
  • Head of Talent or Head of People & Culture
  • Senior HR Business Partner with cross-functional exposure

Advancement To:

  • Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) / Chief People Officer
  • EVP / SVP of People & Culture (global role)
  • General Manager / COO with strong people leadership track record

Lateral Moves:

  • VP Talent Acquisition
  • VP Total Rewards
  • Head of Global People Operations

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive people strategy that aligns with company objectives, drives scalable growth, and delivers measurable business outcomes (e.g., reduced turnover, increased engagement, higher productivity).
  • Serve as a strategic partner to the CEO and executive team; participate in executive-level planning, provide people-related insights, and translate business strategy into workforce and organizational plans.
  • Design and implement talent acquisition strategies to attract senior leaders and high-impact talent across functions, leveraging employer branding, sourcing channels, and recruitment analytics.
  • Own workforce planning and succession planning for critical roles; build leadership pipelines and career pathways that reduce key-person risk and accelerate internal mobility.
  • Develop and manage a competitive total rewards strategy (compensation, benefits, equity) that supports hiring, retention, and pay equity goals while managing budget and external benchmarking.
  • Lead performance management programs including goal-setting frameworks, calibration, performance reviews, corrective action plans, and programs to reward high performance.
  • Build and scale people operations and HR service delivery (HRIS, payroll, benefits administration, onboarding/offboarding) for efficiency, compliance, and excellent employee experience.
  • Drive organizational design and change management for scaling, restructuring, or M&A integration—design new operating models, clarify roles, and execute transitions with minimal disruption.
  • Create and operationalize culture and employee engagement programs (e.g., pulse surveys, action plans, recognition programs) and use people analytics to track impact and continuously improve.
  • Champion Diversity, Equity & Inclusion strategy and programs, set measurable DEI goals, and partner across the business to make inclusion part of operating practices and talent decisions.
  • Establish people analytics capability to provide actionable workforce insights (attrition drivers, hiring velocity, DEI metrics, cost of hire) and inform executive decision-making.
  • Lead leadership development and talent acceleration programs, including executive coaching, manager training, and succession readiness assessments to build bench strength.
  • Ensure legal and regulatory compliance across employment law, investigations, data privacy (GDPR/CCPA), and HR policies; partner with legal and external counsel when necessary.
  • Manage employee relations strategy and complex investigations, drive fair and consistent policy application, and reduce organizational risk through proactive interventions.
  • Oversee HR technology strategy and HRIS modernization (e.g., Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, BambooHR), including vendor selection, implementation, and integration with business systems.
  • Own the people budget, headcount planning, and workforce cost optimization initiatives; partner with finance to forecast hiring needs and measure HR ROI.
  • Establish and monitor HR KPIs and dashboards (turnover, time-to-hire, engagement, diversity metrics, manager effectiveness) and report to the board and executive team with narrative and action plans.
  • Build and lead a high-performing people team (HR business partners, talent acquisition, total rewards, L&D, HR operations), set standards for service delivery, and develop the next generation of HR leaders.
  • Design and scale employee lifecycle programs from onboarding to alumni relations to create a consistent, differentiated employee experience that enhances retention and employer brand.
  • Lead employer branding and external talent marketing initiatives to position the company as an employer of choice across target markets and candidate segments.
  • Partner with business leaders on compensation governance, pay equity analyses, and variable compensation plans tied to company and individual performance.
  • Drive strategic initiatives such as remote / hybrid work policies, flexible benefits, wellness programs, and return-to-office strategies that balance employee experience and business needs.
  • Act as a cultural steward and change agent during periods of rapid growth, underwriting, or transformation—aligning rituals, communications, and behaviors to desired culture.
  • Manage complex M&A people activities including due diligence, integration planning, harmonization of benefits & policies, and retention packages for key talent.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
  • Maintain up-to-date HR documentation, playbooks, and audit-ready records for compliance and governance.
  • Manage relationships with external vendors and consultants (recruiting firms, compensation advisors, L&D partners) to extend capability and deliverables.
  • Act as a liaison to the Board’s people or compensation committee, preparing materials and presenting people-related updates when required.
  • Coordinate cross-functional programs such as global office openings, relocation programs, and international employment support.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • People strategy development and execution tied to business KPIs
  • Talent acquisition strategy, executive search oversight, and hiring operations
  • Workforce planning, succession planning, and organizational design expertise
  • Compensation design, pay equity analysis, and total rewards program management
  • HRIS strategy and implementation (Workday, SuccessFactors, Greenhouse, Lever, ADP)
  • People analytics, data visualization and experience with tools like Tableau, Power BI, or Python/R for HR metrics
  • Performance management systems design and calibration processes
  • Employment law, global compliance, and investigations best practices
  • Change management methodologies and experience leading large-scale transformation
  • DEI strategy development and implementation with measurable outcomes
  • M&A people integration, diligence, and retention planning
  • Learning & development program design and leadership development frameworks
  • Payroll, benefits administration, and vendor management at scale

Soft Skills

  • Strategic thinking with the ability to link people initiatives to business outcomes
  • Executive presence and influence; comfortable presenting to the CEO and board
  • Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional partnership skills
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication, storytelling with data
  • Coaching and people-developer mindset; ability to grow HR leaders and managers
  • High emotional intelligence, empathy, and conflict resolution capability
  • Results orientation, bias for measurable impact, and data-informed decision-making
  • Adaptability and resilience in ambiguous, fast-scaling environments
  • Trustworthiness and strong ethical judgment with confidential matters
  • Cultural stewardship; ability to inspire and sustain inclusive workplace norms

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Psychology, or related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree (MBA, M.S. Organizational Psychology, M.S. Human Resource Management) or advanced HR certifications (SPHR, SHRM-SCP).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Human Resources Management
  • Organizational Development / Psychology
  • Business Administration / Management
  • Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 10–15+ years of progressive HR experience with at least 5–8 years in senior leadership roles.

Preferred:

  • 12+ years of total HR experience, including proven leadership at the VP/Head of People level in high-growth, scaling technology, SaaS, or global professional services organizations.
  • Track record leading cross-functional HR teams, delivering measurable improvements in retention, engagement, and organizational effectiveness.
  • Demonstrated experience with international HR practices, compliance, and managing remote/hybrid workforces across multiple geographies.
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