Director of People Operations
About Wildtype
Wildtype is on a mission to create the cleanest, most sustainable seafood on the planet, starting with sushi-grade salmon. We’re pioneering cellular agriculture to protect wild species and our oceans, and to reverse trends of global food insecurity. Wildtype will provide consumers with a new option for real seafood that provides the same nutritional benefits as the most pristine wild-caught fish, without common contaminants such as mercury, microplastics, antibiotics, or pesticides.
We were founded in 2016 by Aryé Elfenbein, a cardiologist and molecular biologist, and Justin Kolbeck (CEO), a former US diplomat who served in Pakistan and Afghanistan, in an effort to solve one of the world’s biggest problems: how to feed a growing population without stripping the earth of its natural resources and biodiversity. Investors include L Catterton, Jeff Bezos, Spark Capital, CRV, Temasek, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Robert Downey Jr.’s Footprint Coalition, among others.
Come join us in transforming our food system for good!
What you will own at Wildtype
Partner with leaders across the organization to build an inclusive, fun, and productive work environment
Lead the People strategy for Wildtype to ensure the best crewmate (employee) experience
Build and implement new People policies and processes to support the full crewmate lifecycle, while identifying opportunities and plans for improvement
Enhance existing people management programs to further develop our people managers into effective leaders
Define and execute engagement, development, and retention plans
Work closely with our leadership team to embed our values firmly into our strategic planning
Manage the strategy and day-to-day work of all People Operations functions including: payroll, benefits, compensation, performance management, learning & development, engagement and compliance.
Maintain and improve upon current crewmate programs to optimize performance management, compensation, career development, and engagement
Further develop people analytics to derive quality insights
Support and plan quarterly diversity, equity and inclusion workshops
Manage our immigration & visa sponsorship
Oversee all benefits administration
Skills and experiences that you’ll bring to Wildtype
12+ years of experience in People Operations, with at least 5+ years of leadership experience
PHR/SPHR or SHRM-CP/SCP certification preferred
Experience in making a visit to “HR” feel more like a meal with a trusted friend than a visit to the principal’s office
Ability to easily switch between the tactical and strategic aspects of the role
Ability to deliver tough feedback and coach leaders at all levels
Clear and concise communication style
Startup experience a plus
World-class empathy and a people-centric mindset
The tools you used to build great workplace culture in your previous roles
Demonstrated expertise in developing strategies and frameworks for all aspects of people operations from compliance to development.
How to navigate a distributed workforce as we expand our facilities and locations
What we’ll teach you
Lessons learned as we’ve assembled the crew behind the world’s first cultivated seafood company
How to work with a fast-moving, interdisciplinary team working at the leading edge of numerous highly technical fields
Impact plan
Within 1 month you’ll have worked closely with our leadership team to build upon existing objectives and key results for People Ops at Wildtype. Most importantly, you will have spent a meaningful amount of time with members from all departments to get to know them and understand how we can build upon the best aspects of our company culture. You will have assumed accountability for all People Ops functions at Wildtype, in close partnership with our leadership team.
Within 3 months you will have begun to test and implement your own ideas for building a world-class crewmate experience at Wildtype. You will be operating the day-to-day operations of the people function at Wildtype independently and will have created a strategic vision to guide your work over the coming twelve months.
Within 6 months you will have become a trusted partner and coach to leadership and key crewmates across the organization. You will serve as the voice of our crewmates on the leadership team and will advocate to put our people first in any decisions impacting our crewmates. You will have begun to see the impact of your early initiatives in terms of crewmate feedback and engagement.
Within 12 months you will continue to shape how Wildtype navigates the transition from a small startup culture to a company that builds and delivers on trust with customers, stakeholders, and community. Most importantly, by the end of your first year with us, you will be able to take pride in shaping a company culture that allows our people to flourish as individuals.
Pay range is listed below, additionally we offer equity.
Location: This position is an onsite role based in San Francisco.
Compensation (per year)
$185,000—$230,000 USD