Head of People

About Salient

Salient specializes in developing AI agents tailored for the regulated financial services sector. Our solutions streamline processes such as loan servicing, compliance, collections, recovery, insurance claims, and dispute handling for various financial institutions including banks, captives, and specialty lenders.

• Supported by a16z and Y Combinator with $75 million raised in Series A funding
• Profitably cash flow positive with mid eight-figure annual recurring revenue achieved within two years
• Serving over 20% of the auto lending market
• Handling millions of real customer calls and transactions daily
• Fully operational with major financial organizations
• Expanding into additional financial service sectors
• Collaborative in-person teamwork based in San Francisco

Our company owns the complete technology stack and prioritizes precision, reliability, and performance as we introduce modern AI into regulated industries.

Why We're Hiring

We plan to grow our workforce from 50 to over 100 employees within the next year and require a seasoned people leader to scale and elevate our people operations. While foundational systems like Rippling and benefits are established, we seek someone to build strategic HR infrastructure, cultivate our culture, and collaborate with leadership on talent initiatives.

Role Overview

This position is the first dedicated people leadership role within Salient. The successful candidate will advance our people function from foundational status to a strategic partnership role. Responsibilities span performance management, compensation, employee relations, culture initiatives, and collaborating with the CEO and other executives on people strategy.

Core Responsibilities

• Develop and manage the overall people strategy including performance assessment, compensation design, employee growth, and cultural development
• Collaborate with leadership on organizational structure, workforce planning, and talent acquisition decisions
• Advance HR systems by refining policies, ensuring legal compliance, and optimizing benefit schemes
• Create and deploy performance management frameworks encompassing goal setting, evaluations, promotions, and career growth pathways
• Lead compensation strategy to maintain equitable salary bands, oversee equity allocations, and conduct competitive market analyses
• Drive initiatives to enhance culture and engagement such as team-building activities, defining company values, soliciting employee feedback, and DEI programs
• Handle employee relations by coaching managers through challenging conversations, resolving conflicts, and managing sensitive issues
• Implement manager training programs focused on feedback delivery, performance oversight, and recruitment effectiveness
• Maintain adherence to employment laws and regulations across multiple jurisdictions
• Work closely with recruitment leadership on hiring strategies and process enhancement

Required Qualifications

• 5 to 8+ years experience in people or HR roles within high-growth startup environments, including at least 2 years in leadership
• Proven background in scaling people operations for early-stage companies growing from 50 to 200 employees
• Expertise in designing and operationalizing people-centric processes such as performance reviews, compensation frameworks, onboarding, and career development
• Strategic business partner approach advising leadership on key talent and organizational decisions
• Strong coaching capabilities to empower managers through complex people challenges
• Ability to work effectively amid ambiguity, creating infrastructure proactively without full clarity
• Sound judgment handling sensitive employee matters discreetly and professionally

Preferred Experience

• Exposure to fintech, lending, or other regulated industries
• Background connected to AI/ML or technology product firms
• Experience managing rapid organizational growth from 50 to 200+ employees
• Familiarity with compliance requirements across multiple states

Role Highlights

• Opportunity to develop the people function from the ground up as the inaugural people leader
• Direct collaboration with the CEO and senior management on all workforce-related decisions
• Influence the company culture during a critical expansion phase
• High impact role affecting all employees and the company’s future trajectory

Working Conditions & Benefits

Salient operates in a fast-paced environment with focus and ownership. The team typically dedicates around 60 hours weekly, starting each day at 8:00 AM, with four days a week spent collaborating onsite at our San Francisco office.

We provide a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision insurance, a robust 401(k) plan, and catered lunches for employees.

Compensation

The salary for this role ranges from $200,000 to $250,000 annually.