Head of People

The posting, as LeanData wrote it

We are now at a pivotal transition with Katy Keim as our new CEO of LeanData. Katy is a seasoned C-Level, people-centric and strong strategic leader who is looking for a Head of People to help us take the company to the next level. This People leader would partner with Katy and the E-Team to build a strong focus on talent and culture in order to help the business accelerate growth, expand into the enterprise, and reinvent the business with AI.

As a key part of leading the Talent strategy for LeanData, this role will partner closely with Katy to round out the seasoned executive team. This individual will partner closely with the entire executive team to ensure the team continues to operate as a highly effective “One Team”.

MISSION FOR THE ROLE

Build and lead a high-performing, values-driven People function that scales with the company’s growth, fosters a healthy, inclusive culture, and empowers employees to do their best work and have fun while doing so.

WHO WE ARE SEARCHING FOR

A business and strategically minded People leader with experience building and leading a People function in a growing technology company. Comfortable partnering with the CEO and executive team while personally owning day-to-day execution alongside a small People team. Exudes confidence, strong communication, and conviction about the importance of people and culture to positively impact the bottom line for the business. Strong capacity to support change management in the areas of LeanData’s transition such as:

• AI reckoning
• Commercial to Enterprise go to market motion
• Engineering-led to Customer-led innovation
• Directed execution to empowered decision-making

This person must have a passion for creating a culture of empowerment and drive. One who can partner with the CEO and the leadership team as “One Team” to build the company of the future. This Head of People has a strong understanding and belief supporting the CEO’s team orientation and philosophy around building a team that is similar to that of a champion-level sports organization. Our corporate athletes are driven by shared goals, competitive edge, celebrating wins and learning from losses.

We are looking for a People leader who is

• A progressive thinker not constrained by the bounds of traditional HR systems, processes, tools, approaches and who understands various generations of the workforce. Has hands-on experience using AI to improve how People work gets done, with concrete examples of workflows built, systems or data connected, and measurable improvements in speed, quality, or team capacity. Can move from identifying an opportunity to implementing a practical solution with a small and mighty People team.
• A business-oriented leader accountable for establishing the People Vision and Talent Strategy for the company, and able to translate that strategy into aligned action across all the business functions. Can support and evolve for company growth for scale from $50M to $100M.

[…]
Bias for Action
Moves quickly and pragmatically, especially in resource-constrained environments. Applies the 80/20 rule to drive progress, aligning key stakeholders and iterating rather than waiting for perfect conditions. Tracks outcomes to learn and optimize as they go.

• Change Leadership

Leads through ambiguity with steadiness and vision. Builds alignment across the organization during periods of transformation, scale, or transition. Brings both clarity and compassion to change communication and execution.

• Data-Driven Insight & Analytical Rigor

Anchors decisions balanced in art and science, grounded in feedback, recruiting funnel metrics, performance trends, engagement scores, attrition analyses, and external benchmarks. Uses data not just to measure what is happening, but to influence strategy, challenge assumptions, and elevate the People function as a business-critical driver. Comfortable presenting insights to the leadership team and Board in a compelling, actionable way.

EXPERIENCE & REQUIREMENTS

• 10+ years in progressive HR or People leadership roles, including experience in a scaling tech company.
• Proven success leading People strategy at a company of 50–500 employees.
• Deep knowledge of HR Business Partnering, HR operations, Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, and DEI best practices.
• Experience working closely with executive teams and advising at the strategic level.
• Comfortable using HRIS, people analytics tools, and other systems to drive decisions.

VALUES ALIGNMENT

• Believes people are the core driver of company success.
• Prioritizes transparency, compassion, humility, and continuous learning.
• Is innovative in approach and builds programs for scale.
• Champions inclusion, equity, and belonging as essential to team performance.
• Sees the opportunity to move consistently with urgency to address key issues, while also having a clear strategic longer-term roadmap to execute towards which in turn helps the bottom line.