OpenRouter

Head of People

OpenRouter

full-time

Posted on:

Location Type: Remote

Location: United States

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Job Level

Lead

About the role

  • This is not a traditional HR role. It is a builder-operator role focused on talent, systems, and scaling
  • Build and own the recruiting engine as Head of Recruiting
  • Hire and manage a team of IC recruiters
  • Hire from ~50 → 200+ employees without lowering the talent bar
  • Own core people operations: Onboarding and Offboarding, Benefits, Payroll
  • Design and implement compensation, leveling, and career ladder frameworks
  • Establish lightweight, high-signal performance management systems
  • Build talent development systems including career paths, leveling, and internal mobility
  • Define and reinforce company values through hiring and performance decisions
  • Partner with founders and leadership on org design and hiring strategy

Requirements

  • Have scaled a company from ~50 to 150–300 employees
  • Experience in a technical company (AI, infrastructure, devtools, or engineering-heavy org)
  • Have personally built:
  • Recruiting function
  • Compensation and leveling frameworks
  • Performance management systems
  • Can operate as both Head of People and Head of Recruiting
  • Strong talent judgment and ability to close senior candidates
  • Experience overseeing technical hiring
  • Comfortable operating in ambiguity and moving quickly
  • Will push back on leadership when needed
  • High agency, low ego, strong commercial mindset
  • You’ve operated with full ownership, not as a support function
  • Bonus points
  • Experience competing for top-tier AI or engineering talent
  • Prior Head of People or strong #2 stepping into the role
  • Experience working closely with founders and technical leadership
  • Experience building people systems through rapid scaling (50 → 150+)
  • Experience integrating teams from acquisitions
Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools
recruiting functioncompensation frameworksleveling frameworksperformance management systemstalent development systemsonboardingoffboardingpayrollorg designhiring strategy
Soft Skills
talent judgmentability to close senior candidatesoperating in ambiguityhigh agencylow egostrong commercial mindsetownershippushing back on leadershipteam managementpartnering with leadership