VP, People

Backblaze is a cloud storage company serving AI and data-intensive businesses, operating remotely with a US-based team. The VP, People role reports to the CHRO and involves leading People operations at a public, remote-first company scaling from 500 to 1000 employees and expanding internationally. Responsibilities include designing systems for engagement, culture, communications, retention, succession, and manager development without relying on a physical office. The role requires running a small HR Operations and strategic HRBP team, building the next operational layer using AI agents, and fostering a culture of connection, belonging, and teamwork. Key responsibilities: — Build engagement as a leader-owned discipline with measurable outcomes. — Develop strategic employee and leader communications with consistent messaging across geographies and time zones. — Design culture intentionally for a remote-first, fast-growing, international company. — Establish onboarding, team rituals, and in-person events with proper design and budgeting. — Promote remote working excellence ensuring uniform expectations and development opportunities worldwide. — Manage retention and succession planning to anticipate risks and build talent pipelines. — Rebuild manager capabilities for distributed teams adapting to AI-driven changes. — Collaborate with AI Transformation Leader on work design, job architecture, and team structure. In the first year, the VP will build engagement programs, remote work guidelines, recognition systems, communication cadence, retention and succession models, manager development approaches, and design in-person moments. Requirements: — Experience operating teams outside the US, managing employment realities internationally. — Experience scaling companies from 500 to 1000 employees with international expansion. — Hands-on builder who develops people through work and uses AI agents daily. — Leadership experience with a small team, close to operational work. — Ability to make a distributed, multi-geography workforce a great place to work. Preferred: — Comfortable with public company environment. — Experience in mid-sized technology companies with resource constraints. — Strong communication skills with a tendency to over-communicate. Not suitable for those who prefer established functions, large teams, focus on executive compensation, or see culture as a benefits or office issue. Interview process includes discussing past projects, AI usage, and interaction with HR teams. Benefits include competitive compensation, equity, full medical and retirement benefits, flexible vacation, parental leave, equipment stipend, childcare bonus, fertility support, learning programs, and commuter benefits. Backblaze is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion.