Head of People / Recruiting Lead

Clera

$150K — $185K *
Business Services
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 10+ years in HR/People roles, 5+ years in startup leadership
  • Experience building HR operations in high-growth environments
  • Ability to design and execute comprehensive HR strategies
  • Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills
  • Familiarity with compensation philosophy and employment compliance

Responsibilities

  • Own full-cycle recruiting across all functions
  • Build people operations from the ground up
  • Develop and execute hiring strategies for growth
  • Partner with founders to define org structure
  • Enhance employer branding and candidate experience

Benefits

  • Visa sponsorship available
Full Job Description
About the Role

A fast-growing, AI-native commercial insurance brokerage is hiring a Head of People / Recruiting Lead as a foundational, on-site hire in San Francisco. This is a critical leadership role for someone who thrives in high-growth startup environments and wants to shape team culture, talent strategy, and people operations from the ground up during a pivotal scaling phase.
What You'll Do
  • Own full-cycle recruiting - sourcing, interviewing, and closing candidates across technical, go-to-market, and operational functions.
  • Build people operations from scratch - including onboarding, performance management, compensation frameworks, culture programs, and scalable HR systems.
  • Develop and execute hiring strategies - attract top-tier talent for a rapidly expanding team in both technical and go-to-market disciplines.
  • Partner directly with founders and executive leadership - define roles, org structure, and workforce growth plans at the highest level.
  • Build employer brand and candidate experience - craft a recruiting presence that reflects a fast-moving, differentiated company culture.
What We're Looking For

Must-haves (dealbreakers):
  • 10+ years of progressive HR/People experience, with at least 5 years in a startup or scale-up leadership role (e.g., Head of People, VP HR).
  • Demonstrated experience building and leading HR operations in a high-growth environment - scaling teams and implementing scalable processes.

Required:
  • Proven ability to design and execute end-to-end HR strategy: recruiting, performance management, compensation & benefits, learning & development, and employee relations.
  • Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills; comfortable partnering with executive leadership and cross-functional teams.

Nice to have:
  • Experience in the insurance industry or other regulated industries.
  • Strong knowledge of compensation philosophy, market benchmarking, payroll compliance, equity administration, and benefits design.
Compensation & Benefits
  • Salary: $150,000 - $185,000 USD annually
  • Visa sponsorship is available
Location

This is a fully on-site role based in San Francisco, CA, United States. Remote or hybrid arrangements are not available for this position.

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