Head of People

San Francisco (HQ) · New York · USD 250,000-295,000 · 8+ years experience · Full-time · Hybrid · Posted Oct 9, 2026

At a glance

Substack is looking for a Head of People to build and scale our People function at a pivotal stage of growth.
You'll own the strategy, systems, and programs that shape how we hire, develop, reward, and support our team.
This role is both strategic and hands-on, requiring you to build infrastructure, processes, and leadership practices.

Partner with leadership to develop and execute a people strategy that supports Substack's mission, values, and business goals
Lead and scale the People function across recruiting, onboarding, compensation, benefits, employee experience, performance management, and talent development
Own our compensation, benefits, and leveling frameworks, and run the feedback, review, and promotion cycles
Build and run training, learning and development, and leadership coaching programs
Shape the employee experience, including office culture, people surveys, orientation, and onboarding
Lead recruiting strategy and make sure we hire exceptional people
Advise leadership on organizational design, workforce planning, and succession planning
Build and continuously improve the people systems, policies, and programs that help employees do their best work
Coach managers and leaders on performance, team effectiveness, and organizational challenges
Oversee employee relations and ensure issues are resolved thoughtfully and consistently

8+ years of progressive experience in People or HR, with multi-functional expertise and leadership
Startup or growth-stage experience

Range: demonstrated understanding, empathy, and familiarity with multiple company building disciplines (e.g., engineering, product, business, etc.) is a plus.
Experience building a People team from scratch
Knowledge of employment law and compliance across the regions we hire in