The Petal mission

At Petal, we’re using fresh thinking and cutting-edge technology to make credit honest, simple and accessible. We use machine learning to analyze more data in our credit decisions, which means more people qualify, even if they’ve never had credit before. And we use behavioral science and smart, intuitive design to offer a simple, customer-centric product that’s engineered to achieve better financial outcomes, with straightforward terms and no fees whatsoever. The result is an exciting new approach to credit that has the potential to radically expand credit access and improve the lives of millions of consumers, shaking up a trillion dollar industry in the process.

To do this, we’re bringing together exceptional talent from across disciplines and industries to shape the future of financial services and improve the lives of our customers in a meaningful way.

The VP/Director of People role

As we look forward to hitting Dunbar’s number of employees, expanding our team footprint across offices and distributed locations, and achieving scale, we foresee a need for a very specific profile of VP/Dir of People Operations: someone who has overseen Talent at progressive, ~500-person tech startups and who aspires to broaden (or already has done so) their experience to cover key elements of the People function: Talent Acquisition, Core HR, Compensation & Rewards, and Employee Engagement. This person must be someone who has the courage and experience to do what’s right for Petal versus just following the crowd. Intrinsic intelligence, rigor to understand the ‘whys’, and superb oral and written communications are fundamental requirements for success. This role is for someone who throws their whole self into their job, and whose pride is inextricably linked to their work quality and outcomes.

If the above hasn’t deterred you, please read on and apply!

(Note: This role reports into the Chief People Officer, and is located in New York.)

Key responsibilities

• Collaborate extensively with the Chief People Officer (CPO) to develop the evolving vision for the Petal organization -- near- and long-term.
• Shepherd and continuously improve Petal’s People function across Talent Acquisition, Core HR, Compensation & Rewards, and Employee Engagement. This includes overseeing facilities for HQ in NY and our Richmond (RVA) offices.
• Attract, hire, develop, and retain the People team members who will carry out what we need to continue to be regarded as one of the top startups to work for. We tend to keep things lean, so you’ll need to pitch in and be judicious about hiring.
• Keep all company policies up-to-date with state and federal laws, and bring in new tools and operational processes that fit a company at-scale. This includes developing dashboards and managing key People team metrics.
• Be on-point for employee relations issues, and/or work through the relevant managers, People team members, and external employment counsel.
• Work with CPO on all things related to diversity, equity, and inclusion; learning & development; coaching; budgeting; etc., although these areas will continue to be owned by the CPO.
• If and when required, take on duties of team members who are out or who haven’t yet been hired.
• Ultimately, you are responsible for: our internal employer Net Promoter Score, external employer brand, and ability to hire high-quality team members on time and as planned.
• Title will be based on your level of experience, technical skills, and amount of new learning you'll require to master this role.

Characteristics of a successful candidate

• Education.  B.A. from a top tier university, ideally with a major in an analytical or business-related field. No SHRM or PHRs necessary.
• Experience. 8+ years of experience in People and Talent, with a minimum of 4 years of experience in fast-growing/~500-person startups / as a people manager / running a Talent Acquisition function.
• Strong work ethic and diligence.  You care about getting results, and a lot of results in a short period of time. This means being able to multi-task and to drive and inspire others to produce.
• Superb, persuasive oral and written communications. This goes beyond just grammar and spelling, but includes word choice, concision, and understanding what will sway the audience.
• Track record of inspirational, motivational people leadership and management.
• Diligent curiosity and problem-solving versatility. You are open to ideas, and then dig to understand alternatives and paths forward. You propose pressure-tested solutions. You should have a point of view on how to solve any kind of problem, not just People problems. Have just enough self-doubt to double-check and research ideas, but not so much that you second-guess all of your work.
• Positivity, empathy, and unflappability. You relate well to people from all backgrounds and quickly gain trust and credibility. You also are known for your mental toughness.
• Process-focused, with a “quantitative” mind.  Undaunted by ambiguity, you innately break down complexity into smaller process steps, can handle managing large projects, enjoy thinking in terms of numbers, outcomes, results. Love of and mastery of Excel is necessary.
• Collaborative, but not afraid of conflict.  When you push back, it's respectful and defensible.
• Belief in our mission and adherence to our values. 

Petal is an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to building a team culture that celebrates diversity and inclusion. We’re proud to be different, together.