Interim Head of Human Resources

Interim Head of Human Resources

Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Work Arrangement:  Substantial on-site presence required

The Opportunity

Our client is a rapidly scaling, venture-backed deep-technology company focused on AI, software and hardware is seeking an interim senior People leader. The company has approximately 130 employees across nine countries, with a highly technical workforce and significant operations in the U.S. and Europe. The current Head of HR is transitioning into a new role, creating the need for an experienced leader who can quickly assume day-to-day ownership of the People function.

Position Summary

The Interim Head of People will provide hands-on leadership and execution across the People function while the company evaluates its long-term leadership needs. The immediate focus is to ensure continuity and effective execution, not to undertake a major HR transformation. The ideal candidate will quickly establish credibility, take HR leadership off the CEO/current leadership team's plate, and provide experienced counsel to managers and employees.

Key responsibilities include:

• Own day-to-day People/HR operations and lead the existing People team.
• Oversee ongoing hiring and recruiting.
• Lead performance management, employee evaluations and annual review processes.
• Advise and coach managers on performance, employee relations and career development.
• Handle employee matters, including hiring, terminations and other HR issues.
• Ensure sound execution of HR policies, procedures, employment practices and compliance.
• Support career paths and performance expectations for engineers and other technical employees.
• Advise the CEO and Executive Leadership Team on People matters.
• Navigate international HR considerations, particularly across Europe.
• Identify and address key People-related risks, gaps and priorities.
• Ensure a smooth transition to the permanent People leader.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will be a credible, hands-on HR practitioner with the ability to operate independently and make an immediate impact.

• Proven HR/People leadership experience, ideally within a 100–500-person, venture-backed or high-growth organization.
• Experience in deep tech, software/hardware, industrial technology, engineering or similarly technical environments.
• Strong command of HR fundamentals, employee relations, performance management, policies, procedures and employment matters.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to build trust quickly.
• Strong manager coaching and development experience; a true leader of leaders.
• Executive presence and judgment to serve as a trusted adviser to the CEO and Executive Leadership Team.
• Experience supporting engineering and highly technical employee populations.
• International HR experience, particularly European experience, strongly preferred.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, evolving organization and through executive leadership transitions.
• Practical, entrepreneurial leadership style; not overly corporate or bureaucratic.
• Willingness to remain hands-on while operating at the executive level.
• Immediate or near-immediate availability.

This is a genuine conversion opportunity for the right interim leader.