People Lead

About this role

About us
At Gridcog, we are on a mission to accelerate the global deployment of flexible energy assets.
We are a SaaS company of energy nerds building project modelling software that helps our users make intelligent energy decisions. We work with customers developing, operating and investing in complex clean energy projects all around the world.
Gridcog has an amazing team of tech and energy nerds, spread across Australia, the UK, Germany and Spain. We’re a high-trust, high-ambition team tackling hard problems in the energy transition. We think boldly, challenge assumptions, keep our commitments, and work with openness, generosity, self-awareness and low ego.
We are now seeking a People Lead to take ownership of Gridcog’s people function and help us continue to develop the culture, practices and team environment that support our next stage of growth.
Who we’re looking for
We are looking for a practical, thoughtful and commercially minded People Lead who can take ownership of Gridcog’s people practices and help us continue to be a high-performing, values-led and effective organisation as we scale.
You should be comfortable working closely and collaboratively with the executive team to support the full employee lifecycle, from hiring and onboarding through to performance, development, engagement, compensation, organisational design and employee relations.
This is a hands-on, get things done role. You will need to be equally comfortable advising the CEO on organisational questions, coaching emerging managers, improving people processes, and getting into the details of implementation. You will bring structure, judgement and follow-through, without adding unnecessary bureaucracy.
What you’ll do
Own Gridcog’s People function
Take ownership of Gridcog’s people strategy, priorities, processes and operating rhythm
Gridcog is scaling quickly, ensure our people practices and policies are clear, consistent, compliant and aligned with the needs of a globally distributed SaaS business, and ready to handle the jump from a team of 25 to 50 people
Identify opportunities to improve how we hire, onboard, develop, support and retain great people
Partner with the executive team and managers
Act as a trusted people partner to the CEO, executive team and managers
Support leaders on role design, team structure, hiring plans, performance, feedback, development and employee relations
Help managers build stronger team operating rhythms, role clarity and accountability
Provide practical, well-judged advice that balances employee experience, business needs and compliance obligations
Strengthen culture and employee experience
Help Gridcog deliberately maintain and evolve its ambitious and high performing culture as the company grows
Support forums, communication practices and ways of working that help a distributed team stay connected and effective
Lead initiatives that improve engagement, inclusion, collaboration and team health
Help ensure new starters understand how Gridcog works, what we value and how to be successful here
Listen to employee feedback and help turn it into practical improvements
Own hiring and talent practices
Improve Gridcog’s hiring processes, including role definition, interview design, assessment, candidate experience and decision-making
Support hiring managers to run structured and effective recruitment processes
Help ensure Gridcog attracts people who are well suited to our mission, stage, culture and operating style
Lead performance, development and progression
Own Gridcog’s approach to performance, feedback and development
Help the company set clear expectations around roles, contribution, growth and accountability
Support managers and employees through performance review and development conversations
Develop practical approaches to learning, career development and progression
Help ensure compensation, recognition and progression decisions are consistent, fair and well governed
Manage people operations and compliance
Own and develop people-related policies, employment contracts, employee handbooks and other documentation, and all of our employment-related practices. Ensure these are market standard and help us to attract and retain our talented team
Work closely with Finance & Operations on contracts, payroll coordination, leave, benefits, employee records and other administrative processes
Ensure Gridcog meets relevant employment obligations across the countries where we operate
Manage external HR, employment law or recruitment partners where needed
Improve the accuracy, accessibility and usefulness of people data and reporting
Requirements
To be successful in this role you will have
6-7 years of strong generalist People experience across hiring, onboarding, performance, development, employee relations, engagement and people operations
Experience working with executives in a growing tech company
A hands-on operating style and the ability to take ownership from strategy through to implementation
Good judgement, discretion and the ability to handle sensitive matters with care
Strong communication skills, including the ability to write clear policies, explain decisions and coach managers
Experience supporting organisational growth, change and team effectiveness
A practical understanding of employment compliance, with the judgement to know when specialist advice is needed
Strong project management skills and attention to detail
Comfort working with distributed teams across multiple locations and time zones
Nice to have
Experience as the first dedicated People hire in a startup or scaleup
Experience working across Australia, the UK and Europe
Experience supporting globally distributed teams
Familiarity with HR systems, recruitment tools and people analytics
Experience in B2B SaaS, energy, and/or a technical product company
You’ll probably enjoy this role if
You like taking ownership of important company-wide practices
You are comfortable being both strategic and operational
You enjoy working…