SVP of People and Culture
- New York, NY
In this time of national reckoning, we at Food52 are having hard conversations about our role in a food media landscape that overlooks marginalized voices. We're committed to building a community that values and honors the contributions of the Black, Indigenous, and POC communities to our shared culinary experience—starting with the Food52 family. You can read about our support of the Black Lives Matter movement here.
As part of an ongoing initiative, we are focusing our efforts to put diversity, equity, and inclusion at the center of our hiring process and our company culture—and build a team that better reflects our desire for equal representation in everything we do. Our goal is systemic change at Food52.
Food52 is a fast-growing and award-winning kitchen and home brand. Through our unique contextual commerce approach, we give our community of 24+ million cooks and home enthusiasts everything they need to eat thoughtfully and live joyfully — from curated products to test kitchen-approved recipes to engaging and inspiring video and editorial content to meaningful opportunities for genuine social connection.
We are looking for a Senior Vice President of People and Culture to drive long-term People strategies and practices that support both our business objectives and the success and happiness of our dedicated, values-driven team by nurturing a culture of innovation, accountability, transparency, collaboration, and fun. The successful candidate will bring particular expertise in leading diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and will play a critical role in advancing Food52’s commitment to DEI, advising our internal affinity and action groups, and partnering with other company leaders to make sure every business decision and action is aligned with our DEI priorities and goals.
Reporting directly to our founder and CEO, you will will serve as an expert partner to the rest of the leadership team and bring to life a holistic vision encompassing the full scope of the People function, providing strategic direction for team building and recruitment, organizational design, professional learning and development, performance management, compensation and benefits, and legal compliance. You will also be responsible for ensuring clear and consistent policies and efficient systems in all areas of human resources. We have a small People Operations team that works leanly and with agility: Director of People Operations, People Ops Coordinator and Recruiter. We look forward to you overseeing and mentoring the team as our business continues to grow.
To apply, please send us your resume and cover letter. In addition to detailing your experience, please tell us about your interests and why you want to join the Food52 team.
Responsibilities
- Lead all DEI work, advising the company’s DEI Task Force and Committee as well as any future affinity or action groups, and facilitate the integration and collaboration of diverse workgroups and cultures.
- Build the company’s competitive advantage by establishing a strong employer brand in order to attract and acquire the best talent in the market.
- Ensure our core values are woven into the fabric of our organization and nurture a positive company culture. This includes communicating behavioral guidelines and expectations, enabling productive team interactions, collaborating well with others at all levels of the organization, and bringing levity and fun to the table.
- Act as our expert resource for guidance on personnel, cultural, and organizational issues, and coach and mentor fellow colleagues and managers in order to develop leadership bench strength.
- Create and oversee programs that enhance talent recruitment and support employee retention and succession, including salary benchmarking, career ladder frameworks, training and development, compensation, and performance assessments.
- Refine and oversee our performance management tools and processes, mediating performance issues when necessary and providing counsel to fellow managers, ensuring fair and equitable treatment as well as compliance with local labor regulations and best practices.
- Teach and model effective communication, helping to ensure company-wide clarity, alignment, teamwork, and engagement.
- Proactively support the engagement and happiness of the team, using data to develop solutions to support a best-in-class employee experience.
- Partner with our VP of Finance to oversee departmental budget and headcount and assist with our annual audit where needed.
- Monitor relationships with external human resources providers (e.g. Justworks, Lever, Lattice), periodically re-evaluating in order to meet business objectives and provide the best possible resources and support for our team.
- Ensure the entire company is well informed on People-related initiatives and updates.
- Be the final touch point for our evolving back-to-office plans, prioritizing the safety and well-being of our team.
Requirements
- 10+ years of experience in progressive human resources leadership, with at least 2 leading the People function at a fast-growing company
- Broad and deep experience as an HR Business Partner directly supporting founders and senior leadership
- Confidence engaging in high-level strategic discussions with our founder/CEO and our executive leadership team, as well as assuming a leadership role in a complex and fluid organization
- Demonstrated ability to innovate and adapt People practices and solutions to address the needs of an always-evolving entrepreneurial organization
- Deep expertise building diverse teams and cultivating talent and employee growth
- Unquestionable personal integrity, fairness, and credibility, and the ability to gain the trust of teammates at all levels
- Proven success building strong, productive relationships with people and teams across a broad, diverse organization
- Strong analytical abilities, including reporting, synthesizing data, and creating positive solutions to problems
- Superb communication, decision-making, and interpersonal skills coupled with sound judgment
- Inspiring, engaging, and clear communication style; optimistic and forward-looking
- Outstanding initiative and organizational acumen
- Sense of humor and fun
Compensation
- Competitive salary
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefit options (including some that are free for you!), flexible spending account, and any-time access to professional mental health advice
- Annual bonus plan
- 401(k) retirement savings plan
- Free life and AD&D insurance
- Unlimited vacation days (including two company-wide weeks off for Summer Week & Winter Week!)
- Discounted gym memberships and a free Citibike membership
- Pre-tax commuter benefit plan
- Flexible hours and working arrangements
- So many snacks!
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