Head of People

Posted 2 Hours Ago
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San Francisco, CA, USA
Hybrid
220K-260K Annually
Senior level
Artificial Intelligence • Software
The Role
Lead and build the end-to-end People function for a high-growth voice AI startup: audit current programs, deliver a 12-month roadmap, launch performance/comp/manager development programs, own HR operations, employee relations, and people metrics while partnering with Talent Acquisition and advising the CEO and executive team.
Summary Generated by Built In

Voice AI that resolves, not transfers.
Most phone systems trap callers in menus and scripts. Vapi is the platform for deploying voice agents that know your business and can listen, adapt, and resolve in minutes.

  • The numbers: 1 billion calls. 1 million developers. 10x enterprise ARR growth

  • The customers: Amazon Ring, ServiceTitan, New York Life, Intuit, Kavak, and thousands more, from YC startups to the Fortune 500

  • The news: a $50M Series B led by Peak XV Partners, with Bessemer Venture Partners, Kleiner Perkins, M12 (Microsoft's Venture Fund), Y Combinator, and our earlier backers. Total raised: $72M

Vapi (/ˈVɑːpi/):
  • Voice AI that resolves, not transfers

  • Powering 1 billion calls for companies like Amazon Ring, Intuit, ServiceTitan, and New York Life

  • Trusted by 1 million developers building the future of voice agents

  • Backed by Peak XV, Bessemer, Kleiner Perkins, M12, Y Combinator, and more with $72M raised

  • Try talking to Vapi now!

Why We’re Hiring This Role:
  • We're scaling fast, and how we develop, reward, and support our people needs to keep pace with the business

  • We're ready for a dedicated People leader, reporting to the CEO, to own everything post-hire: performance, comp, culture, L&D, and HR operations (Talent Acquisition is a separate function you'll partner with)

  • Most of this doesn't exist yet. You'll build it from scratch, not inherit it

What You’ll Do:
  • 30 Day:

    • Meet leadership, managers, and employees across the company; audit current programs, systems, and compliance; establish your operating rhythm with the CEO and Head of Talent

  • 60 Day:

    • Deliver a diagnosis of the People function and a prioritized 12-month roadmap; ship quick wins on the most urgent gaps; stand up baseline people metrics the exec team can rely on

  • 90 Day:

    • Launch the first major program from your roadmap (performance cycle or comp bands); put manager development in motion; operate as a trusted thought partner to the leadership team

Who You Are:
  • 8+ years in People/HR, including leading the function at a high-growth tech company

  • A builder: you've created performance, comp, and culture programs from scratch, not just run inherited ones

  • Strong judgment on hard calls: employee relations, managing out, restructures. Direct, kind, and decisive

  • Data-driven: you build and defend people metrics with an executive team

  • Low ego, high ownership: comfortable being hands-on while building the team underneath you

How We Work:
  • Build something worthy of love

    • Craft matters. We aim to build products and experiences customers genuinely love, not just tolerate.

  • Commit and follow through

    • We finish what we start and build trust by being people others can count on.

  • Why not today?

    • We value urgency and momentum. The fastest path to customer value usually wins.

  • Seek raw input

    • We go directly to customers, data, and teammates instead of relying on summaries or assumptions.

  • It’s our problem

    • We operate as one team. We share credit, own mistakes together, and support each other when things get hard.

  • Be direct and kind

    • We give feedback clearly, respectfully, and without delay.

Why Vapi:
  • Generational impact: Build the human interface for every business

  • Ownership culture: Many of us are previous founders

  • Kind team: The founders, Jordan and Nikhil, are Canadians

  • Tier-1 Investors: YC, KP seed, Bessemer Series A

What We Offer:
  • Real stake: We offer a competitive salary and excellent equity ownership

  • Comprehensive health coverage: medical, dental, and vision plans

  • Team love: We love hanging out, and we do quarterly off-sites

  • Flexible time off: take what you need

  • More: catered meals, transportation, gym, and a $10k annual L&D budget

Skills Required

  • 8+ years in People/HR, including leading the function at a high-growth tech company
  • Experience building performance, compensation, and culture programs from scratch
  • Strong judgment on employee relations, managing out, and restructures
  • Data-driven: build and defend people metrics with an executive team
  • Low ego, high ownership; comfortable being hands-on while building the team
  • Experience partnering with Talent Acquisition / Head of Talent
  • Operate as a trusted thought partner to the CEO and leadership team
Am I A Good Fit?
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The Company
HQ: San Francisco, California
48 Employees
Year Founded: 2021

What We Do

Vapi lets enterprises deploy human-like voice agents in minutes. Whether you’re building a voice product or trying to handle millions of calls, Vapi’s reliable infrastructure and flexible APIs make it easy. Everyone from YC startups to Fortune 500 companies rely on Vapi because it is: Flexible: Plug in your APIs, your customer data, your models Scalable: Handle millions of calls with <500ms latency Secure: LLM guardrails, HIPAA, SOC-2 Helping enterprises over this challenge, Vapi, has raised $20 million in Series A funding, led by Bessemer Venture Partners with participation from Abstract Ventures, AI Grant, Y Combinator, Saga Ventures, and Michael Ovitz.

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