Head of People Operations
Note that applications for this role will be evaluated on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early.
We’re hiring a Head of People Operations to oversee our HR and Recruiting teams. This is a senior management position on our growing operations team. This role is an opportunity to build the people operations systems and strategy that will help us achieve our ambitious mission in both the near and long term.
About CEA
The Centre for Effective Altruism (CEA) stewards the movement of people putting effective altruism principles into practice to solve the world's most pressing problems. We’re working to build a flourishing future by applying evidence, reason, and compassion to challenges like global poverty, animal suffering, and existential risks.
Our work centers on growing and supporting a global community of people who rigorously analyze where they can do the most good—and take action on those insights. Current strategic priorities include increasing understanding of effective altruism and its principles, growing the number of people who are motivated by EA principles to take significant action to address pressing problems, and diversifying funding sources for high-impact work.
We had significant success in 2025, building momentum within CEA. Our headcount grew from 42 to 66 core staff. Participation in our programs (e.g., events, courses, groups) grew by 20-25% year over year. We merged with EA Funds and are rapidly scaling up our capacity for grantmaking and associated fundraising: our first Fund staffed with full-time employees (EA Animal Welfare Fund), raised almost as much as the previous three years combined.
In 2026, we aim to maintain our momentum while laying the foundations for a step-change in the wider EA ecosystem’s growth trajectory from 2027 onwards.
About the People Operations team
The People team's work is crucial to CEA’s success. This function is going to shape the foundation of the organization as it grows, and thus will determine the impact we can achieve.
With entities in the US and UK and team members employed via EOR across several other countries, we support approximately 70 people worldwide. Fundamentally, we aim to enable team members to do the best work of their lives. We don’t just manage narrow processes - our team’s work determines who we’re able to hire, what it's like to work here, and who decides to build their career at CEA. By managing the employee lifecycle well, from recruiting through offboarding, we bear a huge amount of responsibility for what CEA is capable of accomplishing.
We're in the process of spinning out of our fiscal sponsor, so we're focused on building out the people operations infrastructure and systems needed for significant long-term organizational growth.
About the role
This role is an opportunity to build the people operations systems and strategy that will help us achieve our ambitious mission in both the near and long term. Talent strategy is a core priority for CEA; we believe that talent will be the primary factor that determines our success, and we want to invest heavily in this department.
As Head of People Operations, you'll be a manager of managers. You'll have two direct reports: Keighly Baron, who oversees our HR team, and Kale Ridsdale, who manages our growing talent function.
Over the past year, we’ve increased our headcount from ~40 to ~70 team members, and we’re continuing to rapidly expand our team. We're looking for someone with a strong background in HR fundamentals, experience overseeing a People Operations department, and a passion for building high-performing teams.
Over time, this role could expand in scope beyond just HR and internal recruiting. For example, we have discussed potentially building out a headhunting function for the EA ecosystem as a whole, or doing more coaching of other staff and new managers to help them succeed as we scale.
Key responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
Develop and execute CEA's people strategy in partnership with leadership
Build scalable people systems and processes that support organizational growth
Create a talent strategy and serve as a trusted advisor to leadership on organizational design, talent strategy, and culture
Department Management
Manage the HR Manager and Recruiting Manager, providing coaching and strategic direction
Set team priorities, define success metrics, and ensure execution against quarterly OKRs
Make strategic decisions about team structure and capacity allocation
Foster collaboration across the recruiting and HR functions
Performance and Development
Design and oversee the performance review process, including biannual reviews and probation reviews for new employees
Partner with managers to address performance issues and support employee development
Lead compensation planning, including annual compensation review
Employee Experience and Culture
Ensure a positive employee experience from recruitment through offboarding
Work with the HR Manager to monitor employee engagement, implementing interventions as needed
Partner with leadership to navigate organizational change and transitions
Risk Management and Compliance
Ensure compliance with employment laws across all jurisdictions where CEA operates
Lead investigations and resolution of sensitive employee relations issues
Oversee risk assessment for international expansion and new jurisdiction considerations
What we’re looking for
You might be a great fit for this role if you have:
Significant HR/People Operations experience, including in a leadership role
Deep expertise in core HR functions including talent acquisition, performance management, compensation, employee relations, and compliance
A proven track record building and scaling people operations in growing organizations
Experience navigating multi-jurisdiction employment law (US and UK experience strongly preferred)
Excellent judgment on sensitive and complex people matters
Strong coaching and people development skills
Other information
This is a full-time, remote position. We prefer applicants who are able to work in time zones between US Pacific Time and CET.
Compensation
US: total compensation package of $157,435, comprising a base salary of $143,123 and a 10% unconditional 401k contribution.
UK: total compensation package of £94,711, comprising a base salary of £86,101 and a 10% pension contribution.
Other locations: For candidates outside the US and UK, we base compensation on our UK salary structure and adjust for the cost of employment and fixed local benefit costs to create an equivalent package
Benefits in the US/UK include private health insurance, flexible work hours, a $6,000 / £5,000 annual professional development allowance, a $6,000 / £5,000 mental health support allowance, extended parental leave, ergonomic equipment, 25 days of paid vacation, and more.
This role will involve travel. There are likely 4 trips annually to attend team retreats and other events, including several international trips.
We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. We especially encourage applications from self-identified women and people of colour who are excited about contributing to our mission. The Centre for Effective Altruism is an equal opportunity employer. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, or have any other questions about applying, please contact jobs@centreforeffectivealtruism.org.
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Interview plan
We expect the interview process to include the following steps, subject to minor changes:
Application
Test task 1
Short interview
Test task 2
Final interviews (3-4, non-sequential)
Reference checks