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