About Smokeball
Smokeball powers people-law. Our legal practice management software lightens the administrative burden, so legal professionals can serve those who need them most. With offices in Australia, the US, and the UK, culture plays a big part in our success, and our clear purpose and vision motivate us daily.
About the Role
As our Director of People and Culture, you’ll report directly to the US President and take ownership of all people and culture initiatives. You’ll play a key role in shaping our people strategy, ensuring we attract, retain, and develop top talent while nurturing a diverse, inclusive, and high-performing culture.
This is a hands-on role, perfect for someone who thrives in scale-up environments, is confident in building out strategy while also managing day-to-day people operations, and understands the nuances of supporting technical and commercial teams.
This is a hybrid role with our office being in Chicago, IL. Applicants for this position should note they are expected to be onsite 2-3 days per week.
About You
You are an empathetic and approachable people leader who values building strong relationships and creating a positive, supportive workplace. You bring warmth, energy, and a genuine passion for people, while leading by example and embodying Smokeball’s core values in everything you do.
Key Responsibilities
- Design and lead people strategies aligned with Smokeball's vision and purpose.
- Oversee full-cycle recruitment, onboarding, and talent acquisition strategies
- Champion employee experience, engagement, and retention across departments
- Implement scalable learning, development, and performance management programs
- Ensure compliance with employment law and best HR practices in the USA (and any other relevant jurisdictions)
- Support leaders across the business with expert guidance in all matters
- Manage and mentor the People & Culture team
About You
- 7+ years’ experience in progressive people-focused roles, including at least 3 years in a senior leadership position
- Strong knowledge of employment law and HR compliance
- Proven success in developing and implementing initiatives
- Experience working in fast-paced, high-growth environments (tech or legal tech preferred)
- Exceptional communication, coaching, and interpersonal skills
- Adept at balancing strategic thinking with operational execution
- Proven experience leading organizational strategy and development, employee engagement, talent acquisition, learning and development, performance management, and compensation and benefits
- Passion for and experience with leading DEI initiatives
Compensation
The pay range for this role is:
$150,000 - 170,000 per year
What's in it for you?
💵 Competitive Salary
💹 Work-Life Balance: 20 vacation days, 3 reboot days, birthday off, volunteer time, and more!
🧘 Benefits: Excellent medical, dental, vision coverage. 401(k) match, & monthly wellness stipend
👶Parental leave
🥡 Office lunch and loads of snacks
🧢 And of course...the SWAG!
Want to Know More?
Why do we do what we do? Where did the name ‘Smokeball’ come from? What are our values? Learn more here!
*Smokeball values diversity & inclusion and is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Smokeball considers all individuals seeking employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected characteristic.
If you’re excited about this role, we encourage you to apply even if your experience doesn’t check every box.
Skills Required
- 7+ years of experience in progressive people-focused roles
- At least 3 years in a senior leadership position
- Strong knowledge of employment law and HR compliance
- Proven success developing and implementing people initiatives
- Experience in fast-paced, high-growth environments
- Experience in technology or legal technology
- Exceptional communication, coaching, and interpersonal skills
- Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution
- Experience leading organizational strategy and development
- Experience with employee engagement, talent acquisition, learning and development, performance management, and compensation and benefits
- Experience leading diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives
Smokeball Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Smokeball and has not been reviewed or approved by Smokeball.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Stated salary bands on job postings and market‑aligned role snapshots indicate clear, competitive base pay across several Chicago‑based roles. Explicit ranges for sales roles with base plus commission increase visibility into how total pay is structured.
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Healthcare Strength — Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with multiple BCBS plan options is characterized as strong for the cost, with profiles calling the coverage excellent. The breadth of plan choices supports different employee needs.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — The package combines PTO and sick time with two floating holidays, three reboot days, a birthday day off, and paid volunteer time, and time off is encouraged. This mix extends beyond standard vacation to provide additional recharge and flexibility days.
Smokeball Insights
What We Do
Smokeball is a legal practice management software for small law firms. Our mission isn’t simple, but it is straightforward: help small law firms be successful businesses so that they can better serve our communities.
Why Work With Us
Named a Best Workplace by both Crain’s and Inc. Magazine, we believe that fostering a great culture is just as important as providing a great product. We live and breathe our Core Values; they inform every strategic decision we make and guide our behavior with every person we meet.
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