Vice President, Human Resources

Photonic is entering a critical phase of growth — scaling globally, maturing operationally, and preparing the business for the future. The VP, Human Resources will build and lead the HR infrastructure required to support that trajectory. This role owns the full delivery of HR services — recruitment, compensation & benefits, HR operations, compliance, and HR business partnership — and ensures they are operating at the standard expected of a company approaching institutional-grade scrutiny.

You are not setting enterprise strategy — you are building the operational foundation that makes Photonic credible, scalable, and ready. When investors, acquirers, or public markets look under the hood, your work is what they’ll find.

Please include a cover letter with your resume (in one file) describing how you would be a great fit at Photonic and what attributes you could bring to our growing team.

• Lead and develop the HR team across recruitment, HR operations, compensation & benefits, and HR business partnership.
• Build a high-performing, service-oriented team capable of supporting Photonic through rapid scaling and the operational rigour required ahead of an exit event.
• Set operational priorities, manage team capacity, and ensure consistent, audit-ready delivery as the company grows.

• Own Photonic’s end-to-end recruitment function, including sourcing strategies for highly specialized scientific and engineering talent (PhDs, quantum, photonics).
• Scale the recruitment function to meet aggressive hiring plans aligned to Photonic’s growth roadmap and pre-exit milestones.
• Partner with hiring managers to define roles, success criteria, and interview plans that result in exceptional hires.
• Oversee employer branding, candidate experience, and recruitment analytics to keep Photonic competitive in the global talent market.

• Manage the design, benchmarking, and administration of compensation and benefits programs across all geographies (Canada, US, UK).
• Ensure compensation structures are market-competitive, defensible, and built to withstand due diligence scrutiny — including equity plan documentation, pay equity analysis, and total rewards benchmarking.
• Administer equity programs and partner with Finance on compensation planning, budgeting, and reporting.
• HR Operations & Compliance
• Oversee core HR operations: HRIS (HiBob), payroll, benefits administration, onboarding/offboarding, and employee lifecycle management.
• Ensure compliance with employment laws and regulations across all jurisdictions, with a particular focus on building the documentation, audit trails, and policy frameworks expected of a company approaching an exit.
• Drive process improvement and automation to increase efficiency and reduce risk as Photonic scales.

• Provide day-to-day HR partnership to leaders across the organization on performance management, employee relations, and workforce planning.
• Coach managers on people leadership, difficult conversations, and navigating team dynamics during periods of organizational change and growth.
• Execute performance review cycles, goal-setting frameworks, and employee development programs.
• Employee Experience & Engagement
• Own employee engagement surveys, action planning, and recognition programs.
• Ensure onboarding programs set new hires up for success and reinforce Photonic’s values — particularly important as headcount accelerates ahead of key business milestones.
• Monitor employee experience metrics and proactively address retention risks during a period of rapid growth and transition.

• 12+ years of progressive HR experience, with at least 5 years leading an HR team in a scaling technology or deep tech environment.
• Experience building HR operations through a company’s pre-exit or pre-IPO phase — you know what “ready” looks like and how to get there.
• Demonstrated expertise across the full HR operations spectrum: recruitment, compensation & benefits, HRIS, compliance, and business partnership.
• Experience managing HR operations across multiple geographies (Canada required; US and/or UK strongly…