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 130 team members live and work remotely across North America and Europe. 

In our current growth phase we are actively seeking an experienced Vice President of People to champion our people strategy and cultivate a high-performance, inclusive culture where all 8th Lights can thrive. This strategy focuses on empowering our team by fostering alignment, leading positive transformation, creating safe spaces that build trust and advancing a learning culture focused on the most impactful skills.

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, employee engagement, benefits, 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, UK, thereby this role will require periodic travel, approximately 2-4 times per year, to the UK but also within the US. 

Qualifications You Bring

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 with at least 3 years of experience in an executive role within a global organization. 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.
• A track record of success with initiating and executing positive change management across a global organization. 
• Ability to build trust and earn authority by exemplifying strategy, values and priorities in your decisions. 
• A track record of embedding diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging initiatives into the fiber of a global organization with strong proficiency on the dynamic and legal landscape of DEI.
• Strong proficiency with US benefits, including different types of leaves of absence administration and experience setting and executing a data-driven global compensation strategy.  
• 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 is 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.
• Lead a highly skilled and motivated people team as a player / coach. This role will have 4 direct reports including a Director of L&D, Senior Manager of HR, Staffing Specialist and Talent & Community Specialist. 
• 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.

Culture Strategist and Organizational Change Expert 

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.

Qualifications You Bring:

• Experience initiating and executing positive 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 development, leadership, and mentorship 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. You are aware of the dynamic legal landscape and you know how to weave DEI into the fibers of a company.
• 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.

Values Driven Approach

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.

Qualifications You Bring:

• 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 globally-distributed workforce. You have the ability to understand and keep a pulse on our people via check-ins and other soft data.

Data-Driven

Your work is about people and you are comfortable with using data to develop and defend recommendations and show impact. 

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.
• Experience leading benefits negotiations across the US and UK, understanding the key elements and tradeoffs with benefits design. 

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.

See our full list of Benefits

Join Us –– 8th Light is Fully Remote

We are committed to supporting, onboarding, growth, and engagement of employees who choose to work remotely on a permanent basis. For team members who seek to work in-office, where local regulations allow, we can provide an experience that supports in-person social interaction and collaboration in our hub cities of Chicago, New York, London and Los Angeles. Learn more about our philosophy, plans, and updates by signing up for our Talent Community!

A Note on Compensation:

8th Light has recently adopted a compensation strategy that allows us to be competitive in each market for which we hire. Thereby, salary ranges for each position are not only determined based on experience and knowledge base, but also regional labor markets.

To enquire further into the range in your market for this position, contact us at [email protected].

The US range for the role is: ~$180,000 to $220,000

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