VP, People & Organizational Effectiveness

Firestorm•San Diego, CA

1d•$210,000 - $250,000•Onsite

About The Position

Firestorm is seeking a VP, People & Organizational Effectiveness to support the company's growth. This role is a strategic partner to the COO and executive leadership team, focusing on building scalable people systems, enhancing leadership capabilities, improving organizational effectiveness, and maintaining agility, accountability, and culture during expansion. The position requires a blend of HR operational leadership, organizational design, executive partnership, leadership development, communication skills, and business acumen. The ideal candidate will be comfortable navigating strategy and execution, leadership and operations, organizational design and implementation, and people priorities and business realities. The role aims to help organizations scale thoughtfully by fostering clarity, leadership capability, communication discipline, and operational maturity without introducing unnecessary bureaucracy.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or related field
U.S. Citizenship required due to ITAR regulations
12+ years of progressive HR, People Operations, Organizational Development, or related leadership experience
3+ years operating at the Senior Director, VP, or equivalent strategic leadership level
Experience partnering directly with executive leadership teams in high-growth, scaling, or rapidly evolving organizations
Experience building and scaling HR infrastructure, systems, and organizational processes
Experience implementing enterprise-wide HR programs, including one or more of the following: payroll and compliance, performance and talent management, learning and development, employee relations, compensation, onboarding, or employee self-service (ESS) systems
Experience supporting employee relations, organizational effectiveness, talent strategy, compensation, performance management, and leadership advisory functions
Experience influencing organizational communication, leadership alignment, and workplace culture initiatives
Experience balancing organizational needs, workforce considerations, and operational business objectives in fast-paced environments
Experience operating effectively in ambiguous, growth-oriented, or rapidly changing business environments
Experience utilizing HRIS, ATS, AI-enabled tools, people analytics, and other scalable people systems and technologies

Nice To Haves

Experience in venture-backed, defense, aerospace, manufacturing, or high-growth technology environments
Experience supporting organizations through rapid scaling, organizational redesign, or transformation
Experience in organizational development, executive coaching, leadership facilitation, or organizational effectiveness
Experience working with founders and entrepreneurial leadership teams
Experience with OFCCP, multi-state employment environments, and scaling compliance infrastructure
SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or related executive HR certification
Master’s degree or advanced education in HR, Organizational Development, Business, Leadership, or related discipline

Responsibilities

Serve as a trusted advisor to the COO and executive leadership team
Provide counsel on organizational design, workforce strategy, leadership effectiveness, and organizational scaling
Coach leaders through growth, change, and organizational challenges
Strengthen executive alignment, accountability, and communication effectiveness
Help evolve the organization from founder-driven execution to scalable operational leadership
Design scalable organizational structures, decision-making frameworks, and operating rhythms
Improve cross-functional coordination and organizational clarity
Identify organizational friction points and scaling risks before they become larger operational issues
Build systems that support growth while preserving entrepreneurial agility
Support role clarity, accountability, and leadership consistency across the organization
Serve as a steward of company culture and leadership behavior
Translate mission, vision, and values into practical organizational behaviors and systems
Improve communication, transparency, and trust across the organization
Build leadership capability and management effectiveness at all levels
Design and support leadership development initiatives and organizational learning
Partner with leadership on workforce planning and organizational structure
Build scalable recruiting and talent acquisition approaches aligned with business growth
Strengthen hiring quality, leadership pipeline development, and succession planning
Help ensure the organization attracts, develops, and retains high-performing talent
Establish scalable performance management and talent review processes
Oversee employee relations, compliance, compensation, performance management, and HR systems
Build scalable HR operational infrastructure appropriate for a rapidly growing organization
Partner with legal counsel on employment matters, investigations, and organizational risk
Ensure operational discipline without creating unnecessary bureaucracy
Guide compensation philosophy, organizational leveling, and total rewards strategy
Leverage HR technology, automation, AI-enabled tools, and people analytics to support scalable operations, workforce insights, and organizational effectiveness
Perform other duties as needed

Benefits

Relocation assistance is available
Comprehensive medical, dental, and visions plans
401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
Equity grants for new hires
Unlimited PTO
Extremely generous company holiday calendar, including a holiday hiatus in November, & December.
Generous Parental Leave
Lifestyle Spending Account
FSA
DCFSA
HSA
Hospital Indemnity insurance
Critical Illness insurance
Accident insurance
Basic Life/AD&D, short-term and long-term disability insurance, 100% covered by Firestorm. Plus, the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your family.
Mental Health Resources: We provide free mental health resources 24/7 including therapy and more.
Additional work-life services, such as free legal and financial support, are available