Head of People and Impact

Position Overview

The Head of People and Impact leads Wonderstate Coffee's people strategy, organizational culture, and leadership development efforts in alignment with the company's mission, values, and business objectives. As a member of the leadership team, this position provides strategic guidance on organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, employee engagement, and people-related decisions.

Working collaboratively across departments, the Head of People and Impact strengthens leadership practices, supports a positive employee experience, and contributes to Wonderstate's collective impact priorities through cross-functional partnership and shared accountability.

Core Responsibilities

People & Culture Strategy

• Develop and lead people strategies encompassing talent acquisition, employee experience, performance, compensation, benefits, and retention.
• Partner with leadership on organizational design, workforce planning, and succession planning.
• Foster an inclusive, values-aligned culture that supports employee well-being and organizational success.

Collective Impact & Engagement 

• Partner with department leaders to advance Wonderstate's collective impact priorities, including community engagement, sustainability, and mission-driven initiatives.
• Establish and track meaningful metrics related to employee engagement, organizational health, and people-focused impact initiatives.
• Collaborate with teams across the organization to encourage employee participation, organizational learning, and communication of impact outcomes.

Leadership Development

• Define leadership expectations and establish development strategies that strengthen manager effectiveness, accountability, and communication.
• Support leaders in building engaged, high-performing teams across all locations.

Compliance & Risk Management 

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.
• Maintain and administer HR policies, procedures, and employee handbook content.
• Support audits, reporting requirements, and employment-related compliance initiatives.
• Promote consistent application of company policies and HR best practices.

People Operations & Compliance 

• Provide strategic oversight of HR policies, employment compliance, employee relations, and organizational risk.
• Guide HR systems, processes, and programs to ensure consistency, effectiveness, and continuous improvement.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Leads the People function and provides supervision, coaching, and development to assigned HR staff. Establishes departmental priorities and ensures effective execution of people programs and initiatives. Partners with department leaders to support consistent people practices across the organization.. 

Required Skills & Abilities

• Strong strategic leadership, organizational development, and decision-making skills.
• Comprehensive knowledge of human resources practices, employment law, compensation, benefits, and employee relations.
• Excellent communication, coaching, relationship-building, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Ability to advise senior leadership and influence organizational decisions through collaboration and sound judgment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret workforce data and organizational trends.
• Ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining confidentiality, professionalism, and integrity.
• Ability to lead organizational change, strengthen leadership practices, and support continuous improvement.
• Commitment to servant leadership, employee development, and purpose-driven work.
• Demonstrates Wonderstate's mission, values, and commitment to honoring relationships.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field required.
• Minimum eight years of progressive human resources or people operations experience, including strategic leadership responsibilities, required.
• Experience with organizational development, workforce planning, employee engagement, and leadership development required.
• Experience supporting multiple departments or locations preferred.
• SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or comparable HR certification preferred.
• Experience within a mission-driven organization or supporting collective impact initiatives preferred.
• Experience with BambooHR or comparable HR information systems preferred.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit and work at a computer for extended periods.
• Ability to perform repetitive keyboard and computer-related activities.
• Ability to occasionally lift and move office materials up to 20 pounds.
• Ability to communicate effectively in person, virtually, and by phone.
• Ability to access and navigate company facilities as needed.

Work Environment

• Hybrid work environment with regular collaboration across Wonderstate locations.
• Occasional travel between company locations for meetings, leadership development, and organizational initiatives.
• Occasional evening or weekend work based on business needs.
• Work may involve office, café, and production environments.

Other Duties

Duties, responsibilities and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Wonderstate is an equal opportunity employer.  We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.