Head of People

About Meridian Media Ventures

Meridian Media Ventures is a private investment and operating firm based in Washington, D.C., active across technology, politics, and diverse business sectors. We operate with a hands-on approach, partnering with visionary leaders to build, scale, and influence ventures that shape the future. As a dynamic and growing firm, we place high value on talent, performance, and culture.

About the Role: Head of People

We are seeking a strategic and pragmatic Head of People to join our leadership team. This role will be critical in attracting and retaining top talent, developing performance and skill-building systems, and acting as a close partner to the CEO in managing our team. The ideal candidate combines operational excellence with emotional intelligence, and thrives in high-stakes, high-impact environments.

Tasks

1. Talent Acquisition & Recruitment (20%)

• Conduct end-to-end hiring for executive and senior roles, including job scoping, outreach, interviews, and onboarding.
• Collaborate with business leaders to clarify hiring needs, define role requirements, and anticipate future talent gaps.
• Develop proactive recruitment systems, including talent pools, referral networks, and long-term pipelines across all business verticals.

2. Leadership Development & Growth Planning (40%)

• Design and oversee onboarding programs that embed new hires into Meridian’s leadership culture from day one.
• Create structured development pathways for emerging leaders, including growth plans, promotion tracks, and feedback loops.
• Partner with managers and the CEO to identify high-potential team members and chart individualized development trajectories.

3. Cultural Design & Implementation (25%)

• Codify and evolve company culture, translating values into behaviors, rituals, and expectations across teams.
• Facilitate culture-building workshops, offsites, and peer learning sessions that promote alignment and shared identity.
• Act as a culture champion, modeling and reinforcing behaviors that reflect the firm’s commitment to excellence and impact.

4. Coaching & Internal Enablement (10%)

• Offer direct coaching to team leads and managers to enhance communication, decision-making, and team effectiveness.
• Support the CEO and leadership team in managing interpersonal dynamics, performance challenges, and team growth.
• Lead mentorship initiatives, ensuring every team member has access to guidance and developmental support.

5. Performance & Organizational Health (5%)

• Develop tools and processes to evaluate leadership readiness, team health, and cultural fit.
• Run regular check-ins, surveys, or diagnostics to gauge employee engagement, alignment, and organizational performance.
• Refine performance frameworks to ensure feedback, growth, and accountability are built into daily operations.

Requirements

Experience & Background

• 7+ years of experience in HR, people operations, talent development, or leadership roles—ideally in high-performance or cross-sector environments (e.g., startups, consulting, politics, or media).
• Demonstrated success in recruiting senior-level talent and building leadership pipelines.
• Proven track record of designing and implementing people systems, including onboarding, development programs, and culture-building initiatives.
• Experience supporting or partnering directly with CEOs or executive teams in managing team performance, dynamics, and development.

Skills & Abilities

• Strong strategic thinking with the ability to design scalable systems that serve both people and business needs.
• High emotional intelligence and excellent interpersonal skills; able to earn trust and influence at all levels of the organization.
• Skilled facilitator and communicator, able to lead workshops, feedback sessions, and internal communications with clarity and impact.
• Deep understanding of organizational culture and leadership development—with a bias toward action and continuous improvement.
• Exceptional project management and execution skills; able to drive initiatives from concept to adoption.

Mindset & Approach

• Mission-driven and energized by building organizations that aim to shape culture and society.
• Discreet, ethical, and trusted with sensitive people matters.
• Curious, coachable, and open to feedback.
• Adaptable and unflappable in a fast-moving, high-stakes environment.

PreferreD

• Experience in both structured and unstructured settings—able to build systems from scratch but comfortable refining existing ones.
• Familiarity with executive coaching, assessments, or leadership development frameworks is a plus.