VP of People Operations & Culture (Remote US)

• About Us: Food Connect is building the infrastructure that ensures good food reaches people who need it
• most: efficiently, equitably, and with dignity. Food Connect is a multi-market nonprofit technology
• and logistics organization operating at the intersection of food access, health, and last-mile
• infrastructure. As we scale, we are transitioning from startup systems to institutionalized
• leadership infrastructure.
• Now, we are intentionally strengthening the systems, leadership infrastructure, and cultural
• foundation that will support the next phase of scale. This is an opportunity to help shape the
• backbone of an organization that is redefining how food systems work.
• The VP of People Operations & Culture will play a central role in building a thriving workplace
• culture, strengthen the people and governance systems to support the work, and enhance
• performance management systems and processes required to move from entrepreneurial
• growth to institutional excellence.
• Location: Hybrid, 70% remote with 30% in-person meetings/travel

Position Type: Full-time, Salaried

Salary Range: $95,000 - $125,000

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer

Role Overview

The VP of People Operations & Culture is the architect of Food Connect’s people infrastructure.

This executive leader partners with the CEO, leadership team, and Board to

• Translate bold vision into structured execution
• Build performance systems that elevate excellence
• Create processes and decision-making clarity across departments
• Strengthen trust, transparency, and communication
• Ensure governance and compliance

• If you are someone who thrives at the intersection of systems, leadership psychology, and
• mission-driven growth, and you are excited by the challenge of transforming a scaling nonprofit
• into a high-performing institution, this role is the right fit.
• You will help design the structure that allows Food Connect to scale responsibly, sustainably,
• and boldly. This role is responsible for designing and strengthening how Food Connect’s people,
• leaders, and teams operate as the organization scales.
• This role partners closely with the CEO and team to ensure that organizational structure,
• leadership capacity, performance systems, culture, and people analytics are aligned with Food
• Connect’s mission and growth goals.

Core Responsibilities

Strategic Partner to the CEO

• Serve as a trusted thought partner to the CEO on organizational design, leadership

effectiveness, and scaling decisions.

• Translate strategic priorities into clear roles, accountability, and decision structure
• Identify people and organizational risks early including capacity gaps, leadership strain,

and burnout.

• Support leadership planning with data driven insights

Organizational Design and Effectiveness

• Design and evolve org structure, role clarity, and reporting models
• Implement RACI or similar accountability frameworks across departments
• Partner with team leaders to ensure clean handoffs between execution and people

systems

• Support restructuring, growth phases, and change initiatives with clear communication

and transition planning

• Culture and change management
• Translate Food Connect’s values into clear behaviors and expectations
• Ensure culture shows up in how leaders lead, teams communicate, and decisions

are made

• Lead change management efforts during periods of growth or transition
• Monitor culture health and intervene early when misalignment appears
• Audit and refine organizational structure to support growth
• Define and document decision structures and escalation pathways
• Partner with senior leaders to reduce bottlenecks and strengthen delegation
• Ensure major transitions are supported by structured communication plans

Performance Management

• Design and operationalize a clear, consistent, and measurable performance management

system that reinforces accountability, growth, and fairness.

• Build and implement a structured annual goal-setting process aligned to organizational strategy
• Establish performance check-ins and leadership review rhythms
• Standardize documentation practices for feedback, performance improvement, and corrective action
• Develop clear guidelines for managing underperformance, including formal Performance
• Improvement Plan (PIP) frameworks
• Train managers on delivering candid, constructive, and well-documented performance conversations
• Ensure performance decisions are consistent, transparent, and aligned with documented expectations
• Track performance trends and identify systemic capability or capacity gaps
• Create clear job descriptions with measurable expectations and success metrics

Employee Relations

• Serve as a trusted resource for employees and leaders to navigate workplace concerns

constructively.

• Establish clear channels for employee relations and communication
• Lead employee and team building activities that support a thriving culture aligned with

organizational values

• Implement safeguards and reporting pathways
• Ensure consistent and legally sound handling of workplace issues
• Design manager training programs focused on communication, feedback, and accountability
• Implement structured learning plans tied to role expectations in partnership with managers leading it
• Build training systems for compliance, performance management, and workplace conduct

Recruitment & Hiring

• Improve hiring readiness by ensuring roles are clearly defined with measurable success criteria
• Partner with hiring managers to design structured interview processes
• Implement standardized evaluation tools and scoring frameworks
• Implement and refine onboarding and offboarding processes to support strong work culture and organizational values
• Train managers on objective candidate assessment and management
• Ensure employment decisions are aligned with best practices and well-communicated

HR & Compliance

• Audit and maintain employment compliance practices across markets
• Develop internal controls for HR processes
• Partner with Finance and Operations to ensure regulatory compliance alignment
• Ensure required state and federal compliance standards are met across markets
• Serve as liaison to employment counsel
• Align HR policy updates with evolving legal standards

Additional Benefits

• ● Paid Vacation Leave (10 days/year after 3 months)
• ● Paid Sick Leave (5 days after 3 months)
• ● Paid Birthday Leave (1 day/year after 3 months)
• ● Paid Work Anniversary (1 day/year after 3 months)
• ● 12 Paid US Holidays
• ● 4-week paid leave at 5-year work anniversary
• ● 401k benefits
• ● Healthcare benefits
• ● Work from home with as-needed in-person meetings
• ● Flex-time options
• ● Supportive work/life balance in a high-performing, friendly team environment