Head of People and Culture

Retail Zipline

Hi. We’re Zipline! We’re helping put technology into the hands of those that need it most - - retail workers. If you have worked in a store, you know the drill. You’re helping customers, ringing up orders, and trying to do the 30 tasks that HQ wants you to do. Some pertain to you. Some don’t. But that’s for you to figure out… all while putting out fires and keeping shelves tidy.
That’s where we come in! We turn the grind of retail communications into an engaging, effective, aha solution. The Zipline platform ensures that the right people get the right information in the right way. Everyone is on the same page, tasks are tracked and life feels less like a perpetual game of hair-on-fire.
With Zipline, employees feel more connected, understand the role they play in the brand’s mission and can feel good about the work they’re doing. This is important to us because retail is one of America's most populous workforces but also one of the most underserved. Through Zipline, we can touch on one in four American workers who are often minority, women, and working part-time while studying or taking care of the family
How do we work? Remotely. Zipline is made up of a 100% remote team of hardworking humans who value empathy, collaboration, and effectiveness, working across geographies towards a shared mission: to bring retail operations out of the dark ages and give companies effective tools that their employees love to use. You will help improve the way that this 4.4 trillion dollar industry communicates with its store employees and save them from sad, slow, inefficient systems (think fax machines, voicemails, and the postal service). People deserve better! We need your help to make this happen.
Within the past year, we’ve scaled rapidly - growing from a team of forty to more than ninety - and that growth shows no signs of slowing down. As our Head of HR, you’ll help solidify our people strategy, enhance and develop our (already strong) culture, and build some key HR processes from the ground up. We like to say we’re a “retail company in the tech industry,” which means we put customer happiness and genuine empathy ahead of all else.
We’re looking for somebody with proven success in high-growth Saas startups and/or distributed teams who don’t mind flexing between strategic and tactical responsibilities on a daily (more like, hourly!) basis. You’ll work directly with our CEO and Leadership Team and guide an internal team of two independent contributors to bring your recommendations and plans to life!
Core Responsibilities:
HR Policies
  • Consult on best practices and Saas industry norms in areas like travel, reimbursement, onboarding, etc. Adhere to all internal policies and legal standards.
  • Develop organizational strategies to best implement performance reviews, goals, benefits, pay and performance, and employee policies and guidelines according to federal and state laws and regulations. Understand international hiring practices for employees and contractors.
  • Guide and develop two internal employees that will outline company policies (the US and Canada) and procedures in support of organizational goals.
  • Leading the development and implementation of employee programs and processes that will support employee development, lead and inspire a mission-driven culture and reinforce the reputation as an employer of choice.
  • Identify workforce planning, optimization, and enablement strategies to retain key talent, enable knowledge transfer, and support continued growth.
  • Work with our recruiter to make sure the candidate experience is seamless from the interview to onboarding, Understanding, and experience with Employer Branding and Recruitment Marketing strategies
  • As a member of the leadership team, advise the CEO and LT on HR best practices
Culture
  • Earns and acts as a trusted advisor and partner to the company and leadership team on all matters related to people and organizational effectiveness
  • Help us set up programs and practices that continue our culture of teamwork and empathy
  • Recommend programs and technologies that make it easier to work, give recognition and support cross functional collaboration.
  • Forge the way creating best practices for a fully remote team that has operated as distributed from day 1.
  • Help lead DEI efforts, an internal team, and ongoing inclusion education to increase awareness, advocacy and impact
  • Develop a budget for culture supporting activities and ROI (if relevant)
  • Help prioritize the importance and cadence of we should focus on; separate the critical few from the important many
  • Understanding of cultural norms, best practice, traditions, and working with diverse teams
More about you:
  • Previously working with a distributed first team is an asset, but not required
  • You’ve been part of a high-growth startup and are keen to do it again.
  • 8 - 10 years in HR, 3 + years of leadership experience
  • Must have SAAS or technical industry background, structuring and workforce planning, implementing annual performance reviews, job leveling, equity, and HR infrastructure experience
  • Must have worked with US and Canadian teams (as well as international) is an asset, but not required.
  • A strong, positive, optimistic leader with a resilient attitude and experience making things work in early-stage companies, solid track record of influencing senior business leaders while demonstrating excellent decision quality
  • Proven experience and expertise leading an organization through complex organizational, technology, and culture change, or other business transformations.
  • Strong aptitude in productivity techs such as Slack, Basecamp, Google Drive, Zoom, and Guru required. It’s helpful if you have also used other solutions (e.g. Donut, PTO ninja, Miroboard, Trello) and can recommend them to increase shared connection and productivity in a distributed team
  • Ability to effectively communicate to, present to, influence, or befriend all levels within an organization.
  • Outstanding listening and writing skills, and a keen ability to translate complex concepts into simple, persuasive language. As a remote team, writing is the primary way we communicate.
  • Self-motivated, passionate about having an impact, and creative with problem-solving
We value diversity of all kinds and are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where we learn from each other. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome people of all different backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives.
Got More Time, here’s more about Zipline!
The word is getting out. We are featured regularly in the press, mostly because of the results we get from our customers. Here’s a look at just some of the articles published recently. We also picked up some awards in 2020. CBInsights ranked us one of the 100 most promising B2B retail tech companies in the world. And, our CEO was a TechTrailblazer finalist. (Check out her articles on Forbes to see her passion for retail and solving its biggest challenges.)
How do we work? Remotely. We have been 100% remote since the company was founded and we have it down to a science - - a people science. We huddle as a team weekly and as a company 3 times a week. On Fridays, we come together to learn from each other. One week it might be about opossum rescue. Another week it might be an update on our product roadmap or the results of our customer satisfaction survey. We are all masters of Zoom and love the freedom of working from home - - or vans - - or sailboats.
We have made incredible progress but changing the industry is hard. We are well funded by leading venture capital firms like Emergence Capital and ready to scale. We need your help to improve the way that this 4.4 trillion dollar industry communicates with its store employees. Cumbersome, slow, and inefficient systems should not be the status quo. Help us retool retail.
Our perfect account-based marketing manager comes from either the sales or marketing side of a B2B SaaS company. You will own a handful of accounts and be devoted to their success, working hand-in-hand with your sales director to create plans and activities that drive your accounts deeper into the sales funnel. Ready to roll up your sleeves and help spread the power of Zipline?
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