Head of People - KCE Consulting : Job Details

Job Title: Head of People

Location: San Jose, CA (Bay Area) Reports To: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Company: Coactive AI

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About Coactive AI:

Coactive AI is a fast-growing startup developing transformative AI solutions that revolutionize industries such as media and retail. Our platform leverages multimodal AI to help enterprises search and analyze vast amounts of images and videos—without needing metadata or tags. But what we do is only part of the story—how we work together is what sets us apart.

Our guiding principles shape every part of the business. We believe in winning together as one team, engineering magical moments for our customers, and having crucial conversations to learn and grow. At Coactive, we embrace bold actions even when outcomes are uncertain, treat culture as a product that we continually build, and leverage differences to unlock the full potential of every team member.

We believe that diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives strengthens our team and enables us to build better solutions. We are committed to fostering a culture where everyone feels a sense of belonging, their voices are heard, and their uniqueness is celebrated.

As we grow, our people are our greatest asset. We're looking for a Head of People to help us scale with intention and care, building a workplace where employees thrive and diverse talent can do their best work. This role is critical to ensuring that our people strategies and culture evolve alongside the business.

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Job Summary:

The Head of People will define and operationalize a comprehensive HR strategy to support the company's growth and create an outstanding employee experience. Reporting to the CEO, you will lead the design and execution of the People Strategy roadmap while fostering cross-functional alignment across the organization. As a trusted partner to leadership, you'll be instrumental in building and evolving a culture that embodies Coactive AI's guiding principles and commitment to diversity.

This role requires a forward-thinking leader with deep experience in recruiting, talent management, and organizational growth. You will build scalable people programs aligned with our guiding philosophy: “Culture is a product, built and improved every day.”

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The Impact You'll Have:

· Architect the People Strategy Roadmap: Lead the development and execution of Coactive AI's People Strategy roadmap, translating business objectives into actionable people goals. Ensure that people programs align with long-term growth plans and foster a high-performance culture.

· Champion Our Culture as a Product: Partner with the executive team to build and refine Coactive AI's culture, treating it as a product that evolves to meet the needs of our people and business. Promote a work environment where everyone feels valued, inspired, and empowered.

· Drive Inclusion and Belonging: Embed belonging, diversity, and inclusion into every aspect of the employee experience—from recruitment to career development. Ensure that our differences are seen as strengths that enhance collaboration, spark innovation, and unlock value.

· Lead Talent Acquisition and Development: Develop strategies to attract top talent in competitive markets and champion inclusive hiring practices to build a diverse workforce. Build programs that promote growth and development for employees, aligning career pathing with business needs and future opportunities.

· Foster Crucial Conversations: Create an environment where clear, constructive dialogue drives alignment and collaboration. Model and encourage candid conversations to resolve challenges and continuously improve.

· Oversee Organizational Design & Transformation: Lead strategic organizational design and people transformation projects that support Coactive's evolving structure. Collaborate with leadership to ensure that teams are designed for success and operations are optimized for growth.

· Leverage Data-Driven Insights: Use data and analytics to shape people strategies, measure impact, and track adoption of key initiatives. Develop metrics to gauge success across employee engagement, performance, and satisfaction, sharing regular insights with senior leadership.

· Communicate Boldly: Develop and execute internal communication strategies to ensure that employees stay informed and engaged. Present strategic insights to leadership and key stakeholders in a way that drives alignment around key people initiatives.

· Build and Empower a High-Performing, Diverse People Team: Recruit, build, and lead a talented, diverse People team capable of scaling with the organization. Mentor and develop HR professionals, enabling them to execute initiatives that align with business objectives. Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous learning within the team, creating opportunities for growth and leadership at every level.

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Who You Are:

· Experience: 15+ years of experience in Human Resources, with a specific focus on People Strategy, talent management, organizational growth, and professional recruiting. Demonstrated success in leading inclusive talent acquisition initiatives to attract top talent in competitive markets, ideally in high-growth environments such as the technology sector or startups.

· Strategic Alignment: Proven ability to design and execute people strategies that directly support business goals. Experience partnering with leadership to align people initiatives with broader company objectives.

· Collaborative Leadership: A collaborative leader who thrives in cross-functional environments. Skilled at driving alignment across teams and fostering a “win together” mentality.

· Startup Agility: Experience working in fast-paced, high-growth organizations. Comfortable navigating ambiguity and building scalable HR functions to support rapid expansion.

· Bold Decision-Maker: Confident in taking action despite uncertainty and inspiring others to do the same. You see challenges as opportunities and aren't afraid to try new approaches.

· Exceptional Communication Skills: Clear and compelling communicator, both verbally and in writing. Able to present complex strategies and data-driven insights in a way that resonates with all audiences, from executives to employees.

· Data-Driven & Analytical: Adept at using data and metrics to inform decisions. Comfortable evaluating and reporting on the effectiveness of HR initiatives with an eye toward continuous improvement.

· Team Builder: Experience recruiting, building, and developing high-performing, diverse HR teams, empowering them to take ownership and excel in their roles.

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Why Join Coactive AI?

At Coactive AI, “coactive” means working together—with customers, partners, and each other. It's also how we're building our grand vision: to help humans and machines collaborate seamlessly. To achieve that vision, we need the right people—and as our Head of People, you'll play a critical role in creating a company that sets a new standard for workplace culture in Silicon Valley and beyond.

We are committed to acting boldly, learning together, and celebrating differences. At Coactive, diversity and inclusion aren't just values—they are integral to our success and embedded in everything we do. Join us to build something transformative, starting with our culture.