Head of People

About Brightbeam

We are on a mission to be the most helpful company in the world. Brightbeam is a fast-growing AI professional services company making AI Second Nature - integrating digital intelligence with humanity for organisations across multiple sectors. We are remote-first, with teams across Ireland, the UK, the US, and Europe. We’re a 50+ person team scaling toward 200+ over the next two years.

About the role

This is a rare opportunity to define what a Head of People role looks like in the AI era. This role is part of our Senior Leadership Team and reports directly to the CEO. You will build people systems for a company where every role is being reimagined by AI and the traditional HR playbook does not apply. The focus is 80% coaching, L&D, and retention — 20% hard HR. You will enable managers, design learning programmes, build performance systems, and guide the organisation through continuous change. This is a hands-on role: at 50 people, you are the team.

What you will deliver in the first 12 months

• An onboarding system where new hires understand how Brightbeam works — including how AI shapes the way we operate
• AI-augmented role definitions and career paths for every role, with people supported through the transition
• A lightweight performance system focused on development, leading indicators, and decisive action on underperformance
• A retention strategy where people become more valuable the longer they stay — targeting retention of high performers
• Cross-functional infrastructure that maintains “one Brightbeam” while scaling from 50 to 200+

What we are looking for

We will assess six core competencies: coaching and L&D capability, transformation leadership, scaling-point experience, organisational design, cultural stewardship, and AI-era people expertise. In practical terms, we are looking for someone who:

• Has deep expertise in coaching, L&D, and manager enablement — you work through managers, not around them. L&D leadership background strongly preferred
• Has personally led transformation where roles fundamentally changed — not just participated in one, and not just digitised
• Has built people infrastructure during scaling (50–200 people), ideally in a services business. Understands the chaos inherent in scaling services
• Designs lightweight processes that create clarity without bureaucracy
• Naturally aligns with our cultural mantras: helpful, deliberately fair, learning together, and showing not telling
• Uses AI daily and sees their own role as being transformed by it
• Is approachable, empathetic, and genuinely cares about people — values coaching and retention above all else

This role is for you if want to write the book on what a Head of People does in the AI era. You find the blank canvas exciting. You get stuck in and build from scratch. You’ve built people systems at scaling companies and want to build again. You thrive in chaos, prioritise friction removal over perks, and bring calm confidence to grey areas.

This role is probably not for you if your experience is primarily in large, established organisations. Your strength is in hard HR rather than people development. You need structure and predictability. Your transformation experience is theoretical. You’ve moved past getting into the weeds. You see AI as just a tool.

Practicalities

• Reports to: CEO
• Salary: €100,000 – €120,000
• Location: Ireland-based, remote with monthly team meetings
• Professional development budget and conference participation encouraged
• Progression path to Chief People Officer through demonstrated impact

How to apply

Share your CV with a brief note on why this opportunity excites you and what you would bring to Brightbeam at this stage of our journey to careers@brightbeam.com. Our process includes a screening conversation, a structured competency interview, and a work sample presentation. We believe in being deliberately fair throughout.

Brightbeam is an equal opportunity employer. We believe the best teams are built from diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of age, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, civil status, sexual orientation, race, religion, ethnicity or any other characteristic protected by law.

We're committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can do their best work. If you need any adjustments during the hiring process, just let us know - we're happy to accommodate.