Head of People

About the role

• As Head of People, you will build and lead the People organization Lyte needs for its next stage of growth. Working directly with the CEO and executive leadership team, you will help shape how the company is organized, how we hire and develop talent, how leaders manage their teams, and how our People systems and infrastructure evolve as the company scales globally. This is an executive builder role. We are looking for someone who can move easily between strategy and execution: advising the leadership team on major organizational and people decisions while also personally building the systems, programs, processes, and team required to support a growing deep-technology company. You will work across a workforce that includes engineers, technicians, operators, and corporate teams in the United States, Asia, and Europe. This is not a role for someone who requires a large established HR organization around them. The right person will be comfortable creating structure where it does not yet exist, making decisions with incomplete information, and pushing important initiatives forward. This is an on-site position based in Sunnyvale, CA, reporting to the CEO.

What you'll do

• Partner directly with the CEO and executive leadership team on organization design, workforce planning, headcount, the People budget, leadership effectiveness, and critical people decisions as Lyte scales.
• Build and continuously improve Lyte's People infrastructure, creating practical systems and processes that can support rapid growth without adding unnecessary complexity.
• Shape Lyte's talent strategy across hiring, onboarding, performance, development, retention, and employee engagement, with clear priorities and measurable outcomes.
• Set the direction for talent acquisition and work closely with internal recruiters and agency partners to deliver against the company's approved hiring plan, including technical and executive hiring.
• Develop compensation, benefits, leveling, and equity programs appropriate for a growing global technology company, including annual merit and equity review cycles.
• Build practical performance and leadership systems that strengthen accountability, employee development, and manager effectiveness, including support for first-time technical managers.
• Guide employee relations, investigations, separations, and other sensitive people matters with sound judgment, consistency, and appropriate legal compliance.
• Establish and maintain employment policies and compliance practices across the countries where Lyte operates, including California and U.S. requirements.
• Develop Lyte's international employment approach across EOR partners, contractors, new entities, immigration support, and related global workforce needs, partnering with legal where appropriate.
• Evaluate, select, and improve the systems supporting the People function, including HRIS, applicant tracking, payroll, benefits, workforce management, people analytics, and executive reporting.
• Build useful workforce reporting around headcount, hiring, attrition, staffing needs, and other metrics that help the CEO and leadership team make better decisions.
• Work with leaders across the company to understand where talent is needed, anticipate future staffing requirements, and translate business priorities into practical workforce plans.
• Help define and reinforce Lyte's culture through leadership practices, employee experience, communication, and scalable People programs.
• Serve as a trusted and approachable resource for employees while maintaining the judgment and authority required to handle difficult decisions and move issues forward.
• As Lyte grows, build and develop a lean, high-performing People team appropriate for the company's stage and needs.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive HR / People experience, including senior leadership responsibility in a high-growth technology environment.
• Demonstrated experience building a People function, or significant portions of one, rather than only operating within mature established systems.
• Experience working closely with founders, CEOs, and executive teams on organization design, workforce planning, leadership, talent, and complex people decisions.
• Experience building or materially improving People programs and infrastructure across areas such as talent acquisition, performance management, compensation, leveling, benefits, HR systems, and retention.
• Experience supporting technical organizations that may include engineering, hardware, manufacturing, laboratory, operations, or similarly specialized teams.
• Strong working knowledge of California and U.S. employment practices and experience handling employee relations and people risk in a fast-moving environment.
• Experience evaluating and working with HR and workforce platforms such as Rippling, Gusto, or similar HRIS, payroll, benefits, recruiting, and workforce-management systems.
• A hands-on operating style. You are comfortable personally doing the work when needed rather than relying on a large team or established infrastructure.
• Strong business judgment and the ability to create structure and make sound decisions in an environment where every process has not yet been defined.
• Able to move between high-level strategy and detailed execution without losing momentum.
• Decisive and comfortable pushing priorities forward, raising issues when necessary, and constructively challenging leaders rather than operating as a passive support function.
• Strong communicator and relationship builder who can earn the trust of executives, managers, and employees.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in robotics, semiconductors, photonics, hardware, advanced manufacturing, or another deep-technology environment.
• Experience helping an early-stage or venture-backed company scale through significant organizational growth.
• Experience at both an early-stage company and a larger established organization.
• Experience supporting employees in Asia and Europe, including EOR arrangements and transitions to local entities.
• Experience with post-acquisition, restructuring, or organizational integration.
• Experience building or scaling a People team from a small initial organization.
• SPHR, SHRM-SCP, or equivalent certification.

Benefits (subject to location and local regulations)

• Competitive salary and equity 
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage 
• 401(k) retirement plan 
• Flexible vacation and time-off policy 
• Collaborative, fast-paced, and inclusive work environment 
• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies with a highly cross-functional team