Chief People Officer
About the Chief People Officer at Headspace:
At Headspace, we are committed to transforming the world through mindfulness and mental health. As a global leader in the digital wellness space, we strive to make mental health care accessible, personalized, and scalable. Our mission drives everything we do, and we're looking for a dynamic and visionary Chief People Officer (CPO) to help us scale, innovate, and ensure a high-performing, values-aligned workplace culture.
Reporting to the CEO, the Chief People Officer will lead and manage our entire people function, overseeing all aspects of talent strategy, including employee experience, compliance, performance management, compensation, learning and development, and organizational design. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of leading HR through significant growth and change, building a high-accountability culture, and managing complex, multi-class workforces.
This is a unique opportunity to impact the business beyond HR, acting as both a strategic business leader and a key cultural architect as we continue to grow and scale.
What you will do:
- Strategic Leadership: Serve as a trusted advisor and business partner to the Headspace executive team, providing thought leadership on talent strategy, organizational development, and HR operations.
- Workforce Management: Manage a diverse workforce that spans corporate functions, technical, and frontline member-facing employees. Design and implement a holistic HR strategy that addresses the distinct needs of both hourly and salaried teams.
- Compliance and Change Management: Ensure compliance with relevant regulations and lead the organization through transformational changes, particularly as we scale. Act as a change agent who knows how to make tough decisions while maintaining trust and credibility.
- Performance Culture: Build and embed a high-accountability, performance-driven culture with robust feedback loops, and clear performance management systems.
- Executive Team Optimization: Assess and optimize the executive team's performance. Provide coaching and development to enhance leadership capabilities and improve decision-making across the organization.
- Data-Driven Decisions: Leverage analytics and data to guide people decisions, identify talent trends, and optimize workforce planning. Strong pattern recognition and data-backed instincts are critical.
- Talent Density: Lead high-quality, high-volume recruiting efforts while building a high-performing HR team capable of adapting as the company grows.
- Compensation & Benefits: Oversee the design and execution of competitive pay-for-performance compensation structures, including cash, bonus, and equity programs that align with company goals.
- Cultural Champion: Be a brand evangelist within the HR community and act as an ambassador in the marketplace, ensuring Headspace is known for innovative, impactful people practices.
- Employee Experience: Continuously improve employee engagement and satisfaction, ensuring our people are empowered to do their best work while aligning with the pragmatic needs of the business.
What you will bring:
Required Skills & Experience:
- At least five (5) years of experience in a senior HR exec position (VP, SVP, EVP)
- Proven experience leading HR in high-growth, dynamic organizations, preferably within multi-class workforces (e.g., corporate and technical/frontline teams).
- Strong knowledge of compliance requirements.
- Demonstrated ability to lead through significant organizational change and transformation, with a focus on building scalable HR infrastructure.
- Experience building high-performing cultures, with a strong track record of talent development, performance management, and leadership coaching.
- Data-driven and analytical, with excellent pattern recognition and the ability to translate insights into action.
- Exceptional executive presence, able to connect with employees at all levels—from early career to member-facing employees to the boardroom.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the gravitas to influence senior leaders and navigate complex challenges.
- A history of successfully building and optimizing Total Rewards programs and experience gaining buy-in from Compensation Committee members.
- Business acumen and strategic mindset, with the ability to balance employee needs and commercial realities.
Preferred Skills & Experience:
- Healthcare and/or Tech industry experience
- Bachelor’s Degree
Pay & Benefits:
The base salary range for this role is determined by a number of factors, including but not limited to skills and scope required, relevant licensure and certifications, and unique relevant experience and job-related skills. The base salary range for this role is $325,000 - $400,000.
At Headspace, cash salary is but one component of our Total Rewards package. We’re proud of our robust package inclusive of: base salary, company bonus, stock awards, comprehensive healthcare coverage, monthly wellness stipend, retirement savings match, lifetime Headspace membership, unlimited, free mental health coaching, generous parental leave, and much more. Paid performance incentives are also included for those in eligible roles. Additional details about our Total Rewards package will be provided during the recruitment process.
How we feel about Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging:
Headspace is committed to bringing together humans from different backgrounds and perspectives, providing employees with a safe and welcoming work environment free of discrimination and harassment. We strive to create a diverse & inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, feel a sense of belonging, and do impactful work together.
As an equal opportunity employer, we prohibit any unlawful discrimination against a job applicant on the basis of their race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, family or parental status, disability*, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. We respect the laws enforced by the EEOC and are dedicated to going above and beyond in fostering diversity across our workplace.
*Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the way things are normally done which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on Headspace. Please inform our Talent Acquisition team by filling out this form if you need any assistance completing any forms or to otherwise participate in the application or interview process.
Headspace participates in the E-Verify Program.
Privacy Statement
All member records are protected according to our Privacy Policy. Further, while employees of Headspace (formerly Ginger) cannot access Headspace products/services, they will be offered benefits according to the company's benefit plan. To ensure we are adhering to best practice and ethical guidelines in the field of mental health, we take care to avoid dual relationships. A dual relationship occurs when a mental health care provider has a second, significantly different relationship with their client in addition to the traditional client-therapist relationship—including, for example, a managerial relationship.
As such, Headspace requests that individuals who have received coaching or clinical services at Headspace wait until their care with Headspace is complete before applying for a position. If someone with a Headspace account is hired for a position, please note their account will be deactivated and they will not be able to use Headspace services for the duration of their employment.
Further, if Headspace cannot find a role that fails to resolve an ethical issue associated with a dual relationship, Headspace may need to take steps to ensure ethical obligations are being adhered to, including a delayed start date or a potential leave of absence. Such steps would be taken to protect both the former member, as well as any relevant individuals from their care team, from impairment, risk of exploitation, or harm.
For how how we will use the personal information you provide as part of the application process, please see: https://www.headspace.com/applicant-notice
Apply for this job
*
indicates a required field