Head of Human Systems

Photon

$180K — $210K *
Healthcare
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5+ years experience in building or managing a people function, with a focus on starting from scratch.
  • Proven ownership of full-cycle recruiting beyond just administrative tasks.
  • Strong fluency in IT systems: expertise in tool selection and internal automation.
  • Ability to function effectively without established processes in a growing company.
  • Demonstrated ability to develop talent and reduce turnover rates.
  • Willingness to work in-office in NYC for at least 3 days a week.

Responsibilities

  • Collaborate with the executive team on planning and prioritizing company-wide initiatives with a focus on people and systems.
  • Create and manage the overall strategy for recruiting, enhancing candidate experience from initial contact to offer acceptance.
  • Oversee and optimize the company's HR tool stack and AI systems, including decisions on tool utilization and improvements.
  • Manage budgeting and forecasting for employee-related programs and team activities.
  • Facilitate team bonding activities and ensure engagement as the company scales.
  • Lead onboarding and offboarding processes while enhancing the overall employee experience at Photon.
  • Design and adapt feedback and performance management strategies suited to Photon's growth stages.
  • Administer compensation and benefits plans in collaboration with the COO, ensuring compliant operations across states.

Benefits

  • Flexible work environment with in-office expectations of 3 days per week in NYC.
  • Significant emphasis on equity as part of total compensation package.
  • Opportunities for professional development and team-building activities.
Full Job Description
Core Responsibilities

  • Partner with the executive team on company-wide planning and priorities, bringing a people-and-systems lens to decisions beyond HR
  • Build and own the full system for how Photon finds, evaluates, and closes talent - shaping how the company is perceived and experienced by candidates from first touch through offer
  • Own the company's internal tool stack and AI operating system - what tools exist, what's enforced, what gets built, bought, or retired
  • Own budgeting and forecasting for people programs, internal tooling, and team activities
  • Own the rituals and cadence that bring the team together as it grows - from regular team moments to how the company comes together for bigger milestones
  • Own onboarding and offboarding, and the overall day-to-day experience of working at Photon
  • Design and evolve Photon's approach to feedback and performance as the company grows - rather than importing a traditional review cycle by default
  • Own comp and benefits administration, including plan selection, and leveling execution in partnership with the COO
  • Own HR compliance across the states Photon operates in


Required Qualifications

  • 5+ years building or running a people function, including experience building one substantially from scratch
  • Demonstrated ownership of full-cycle recruiting, not just process administration
  • Real, hands-on IT/systems fluency: tool selection and consolidation, access provisioning, internal automation
  • Experience operating without established process, and building it as you go, ideally at a company under ~100 people
  • A track record or clear point of view on developing people so they grow and stay, not just onboard and get managed
  • Able to work in-office in NYC at least 3 days a week


Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience building internal tools yourself, whether through scripting, automation, or no-code/AI-assisted platforms
  • Background in healthcare or health-tech
  • Prior experience partnering closely with a CEO/COO on company-wide planning or rhythm of business
  • Experience building teams and systems and doing hard operational work outside of a straight HR career path or a traditional startup environment - evidence you can build under real constraints, not just in a familiar playbook


Pay Transparency

The estimated base salary for this role is $180,000 - $210,000 USD annually. Actual compensation will depend on skills, qualifications, and experience, and includes equity and benefits. At our stage, we place significant value on equity as part of total compensation.

Compensation

The base pay range for this role is $180,000 - $210,000 per year.

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