Head of HR

Our client builds high-performance, real-time data-integration and application-development platforms for the financial services industry. Headquartered in New York and Orlando, we also maintain offices in London, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore, giving us a truly global footprint. They are a bootstrapped–turned–VC-funded scale-up, engineering-driven at their core.

They are recruiting their first Head of Human Resources, a critical role that will set up and lead a global people function. The position reports directly to the CEO, is based in New York or Orlando office (in-office presence at least three days per week), and will collaborate closely with colleagues across North America, Europe and Asia–Pacific. Because half of our team operates in APAC, flexibility for out-of-hours meetings is necessary.

Role Summary

The Head of HR will build and lead a people function that supports rapid growth while preserving our engineering-driven culture. Responsibilities span the full employee life cycle, including job analysis, recruitment, onboarding, training and development, performance management, compensation and benefits. Additionally, this leader will guide culture development, ensure compliance with employment regulations (including SOC II requirements) and partner with executives to align talent strategy with business goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic HR leadership: Define the HR strategy and structure for a VC-funded, fintech scale-up; advise the CEO and leadership team on people matters and help shape the culture.
• Global workforce planning & organisational design: Design an organisational framework that supports collaboration across New York, Orlando, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore. Establish clear communication channels and reporting lines, including practices for working across time zones.
• Job analysis & role design: Partner with engineering and business leaders to define roles and required skills; data-science familiarity (Python, Java, SQL) is a plus to engage effectively with technical teams.
• Recruitment & onboarding: Attract, interview and hire candidates who excel in engineering-driven organizations. Build recruitment processes that can scale rapidly and adapt to multiple global markets.
• Culture and employee engagement: Develop initiatives that reinforce our values, support a diverse and inclusive workplace and foster a sense of community across continents.
• Training & development: Assess skill gaps and deliver training programs to support technical and leadership growth.
• Performance management: Design and manage annual reviews and feedback mechanisms that encourage continuous improvement.
• Compensation & benefits: Oversee payroll and benefits administration for multiple jurisdictions. Implement reward programs that motivate a distributed engineering team and support retention. Experience with equity option plans is a plus.
• Policies, compliance & security: Draft and update HR policies; ensure compliance with local and federal labor laws and SOC II standards; maintain accurate employee records.
• HR analytics: Use data (including workforce metrics and recruitment funnels) to inform decisions on headcount, compensation and organizational health.
• Team leadership: Build and lead an HR team as the company scales.
  
  

Qualifications

• 7 years of progressive HR experience, including HR leadership in high-growth, VC-funded companies; fintech or financial-services experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success supporting engineering-driven organizations and partnering with technical leaders; working knowledge of data-science environments (Python, Java, SQL) is a plus.
• Familiarity with SOC II compliance and HR practices in regulated industries.
• Experience scaling recruitment, onboarding and performance-review processes in rapidly growing, global organizations.
• Ability to manage teams across multiple time zones and adjust working hours when necessary.
• Thorough knowledge of U.S. and international employment law and HR best practices.
• Strong communication, empathy and relationship-management skills.
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or a related field; advanced certification (e.g., SHRM-SCP, SPHR) a plus.
• Base salary $175,000 - $200,000, depending on experience and location, plus bonus and benefits. Candidates will be eligible for equity participation based on performance in role.