60 Decibels is a tech-powered impact measurement company that makes it easy to listen to the people who matter most. We've been in business as an independent entity since early 2019, when we spun out of the global Impact Investor Acumen.
We believe that the best way to understand social impact is by talking to the people experiencing that impact. It sounds obvious when you say it, but that is not the typical practice for many impact investors, corporations and foundations working to create social change.
We collect social impact data directly from beneficiaries (customers / employees / suppliers) using our network of 1000+ trained research assistants in 75+ countries. We do it quickly and without the fuss typically associated with measuring social impact. Our research assistants speak directly to customers to understand their lived experience; and our team turns all this data into benchmarked social performance reports, with accompanying insights, to help our clients demonstrate and improve social performance.
By making impact measurement simple, scalable, and comparable, we not only enable organizations to improve their products and services; we also help transform what it means to credibly measure impact, ensuring that the voices of those who matter most are always part of the story.
About the Role
We are a fast-growing, mission-driven, B2B company working with the world’s leading impact investors, companies, foundations and nonprofits who are looking to create positive social impact.
Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Head of People will lead our small but mighty People Operations team in managing the employee life cycle for our 100+ person team distributed across 5 offices and 10+ countries. This is an opportunity for a dynamic, experienced HR leader to elevate our existing systems and operations and provide HR business partnership to regional and functional leaders.
This role is for someone who can:
- Elevate our employee-oriented people practices and initiatives to reinforce a culture of high performance and engagement—one that values ownership, experimentation, and collaboration—strengthening our organization as we prepare for the next chapter
- Serve as a business partner to functional and regional leads, as well as the executive team, around organizational design, effective people and team leadership, resourcing needs, and talent planning
- Oversee and direct core People functions: talent acquisition, talent management, total rewards, employee relations, compliance, organizational design, training and development, employee engagement, and people database systems
Specifically, the Head of People will:
- Work closely with the Chief Operating Officer to help to define and lead strategic objectives for People Operations at 60 Decibels
- Own the end-to-end employment cycle, from talent acquisition, onboarding, total rewards, performance management, learning and development to offboarding
- Review, refine, and iterate on our employment policies, systems, and philosophies, ensuring that they are people-centric, forward-looking, and thoughtfully reflect company values and strategic objectives
- Partner with regional and functional leads to maintain a pulse on employee engagement and performance; design and consult on responsive initiatives
- Build and maintain robust feedback systems to get actionable data on areas of strength and growth for the organization; regularly reference and utilize people ops data to inform priority areas of investment and to flag issues of strategic importance to leadership
- Provide strategic support in building an inclusive organization that values collaboration, growth, diversity, and equity
- Manage core HR responsibilities as needed, including benefits management & administration, employment law and legal compliance, immigration, staffing and recruitment
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency within People Operations, vis-à-vis tools and systems currently deployed and workflow modifications to enable a small team to prioritize, act and executive effectively
- Coach and develop the People Ops team
About You
First and foremost, you bring compassion and dedication to this work because it matters to you.
Other characteristics that will help you succeed in this role and be a great cultural fit: you have a bias towards action—you get your hands dirty—and you actively tackle problems in ways that lead to great outcomes and bring people together. You deftly balance the needs of the individual and the business with empathy and accountability. You use informed judgment to make decisions, and you model critical thinking and introspection. You are decisive and bold, have a growth mindset, and know the value of being a part of an effective team. You take pride in enabling the best work in others. Ultimately, you are eager to do the work to build something new and (we hope) important to the world.
We also expect that most candidates will have had the following experiences / attributes. If your experience set differs, but you think you’re the right person for the job, say that in your application.
- 10+ years of relevant professional experience, preferably in people operations, business operations, or organizational development within a social enterprise or start up environment
- Demonstrated success managing across the employee life cycle and/or technical depth in several core disciplines of People Operations
- An entrepreneurial mindset and proactive approach to identifying and resolving problems, and the project management skills to back It up
- A natural relationship-builder, with cross cultural fluency and an ability to connect across geographies, levels, functions and backgrounds
- Affinity towards data and high level of proficiency with analysis – you know how to use data to generate insights and drive decision making
- Superb communication skills, both verbal and written. You are a confident and experienced multi-level communicator.
- Fluency in Microsoft Excel and/or similar analytical tools; familiarity with Lattice, Greenhouse, and similar HR software; high levels of comfort with navigating new technologies
- Comfort in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment; awesome ability to prioritize and manage multiple workstreams
- Demonstrated interest in social impact and/or sustainable development
- Comfortable with a flexible work schedule to accommodate a widely distributed global staff (Bangalore to California)
Interested in applying?
Deadline: Candidates are encouraged to apply early, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The deadline to apply is January 17, 2025.
Location: The Head of People will be based in our London office and must have permanent work authorization in the United Kingdom.
Compensation: 60 Decibels offers a competitive salary and benefits package and the opportunity to work in a flexible, fun and supportive environment. The salary range for this position is GBP 80,000 to 95,000 depending on relevant experience.
About our team and our culture: we are a fun and hardworking global team that is full of smart, mission-driven folks who combine an entrepreneurial spirit with a commitment to make a positive change in the world.
We consistently hear from our clients that the best thing about 60 Decibels is the people. To get a feel for our slightly nerdy, not-take-ourselves-too-seriously vibe, check out our monthly newsletter, The Volume.
Extra Perks: Please note these benefits are only offered to full time employees. We have an unlimited leave policy and a monthly recharge day, on the first Friday of each month. We are a globally distributed team and you’ll get the chance to work with colleagues from around the world.
Want to get to know us a little better?
> Sign up to receive The Volume, our monthly collection of things worth reading.
> Visit our website at 60decibels.com.
> Read about our team values here.
Please note that your responses to the questionnaire really helps us get to know you more and we prioritize candidates that complete the application questionnaire.
What We Do
60 Decibels is a global, tech-enabled impact measurement company that brings speed and scalability to social impact measurement and customer insights. We provide genuine benchmarks of impact performance, enabling organizations to understand impact relative to peers and set performance targets. We have a network of 1200+ researchers in 80+ countries, and have worked with more than 1000 of the world’s leading impact investors, companies, foundations, corporations, NGOs, and public sector organizations. Medium: https://60-decibels.medium.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/60_decibels
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