Head of People
About Stitch
Stitch is a payments infrastructure company on a mission to make it easier for enterprise businesses to connect to the financial system and build better experiences for their customers.
We are expanding the team to enable Stitch to broaden our product offering and extend our geographical footprint.
Job Purpose:
The Head of People will lead and evolve the People function at Stitch, with full ownership of people operations, strategic partnering, employee experience, and people planning. They will be responsible for scaling systems, policies, and programs that support Stitch’s growth while maintaining a strong, values-aligned culture.
Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this role will manage the People Business Partners and the People Operations Associate, and act as a trusted advisor to the executive team on all people-related matters. The ideal candidate will be equally comfortable operating at a strategic level and rolling up their sleeves to get things done.
Key Responsibilities:
- Assume full responsibility for the strategic leadership and operational excellence of Stitch’s People function, including People Operations, Business Partnering, Performance & Rewards and Employee Experience.
- Own and strengthen Stitch’s people operations foundation — including HR systems, onboarding, compliance, and payroll — with a focus on process improvement, data integrity, and scalable automation.
- Develop and oversee Stitch’s people strategy, covering workforce planning, organisational design, internal mobility, and performance enablement.
- Define and embed Stitch’s compensation, progression, and performance philosophy to ensure fairness, transparency, and motivation at scale
- Act as a trusted advisor to the executive team — providing people-centric guidance, challenging assumptions when needed, and influencing leadership behaviour as Stitch continues to scale.
- Lead and develop the People team, providing feedback, support, and career growth for People Business Partners and the People Ops Associate.
- Build and maintain people analytics infrastructure, including dashboards, reporting systems, and regular analysis across key metrics (e.g. headcount, attrition, engagement, employment equity).
- Assume strategic oversight for office and facilities operations, ensuring workplace experience is aligned with Stitch’s culture and operational needs.
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent working experience in Human Resources, Organisational Psychology, Business, or related field.
- Minimum of 8 years’ experience in progressive People leadership roles, with at least 3–4 years in a fast-scaling startup or growth-stage environment.
- Proven experience leading a People team, including direct line management of both operational and strategic HR functions.
- Strong background in people operations infrastructure and systems, with hands-on experience improving workflows and data accuracy including automation systemisation and development of self service solutions for managers and staff.
- Demonstrated success in designing and embedding people strategies across performance, development, compensation, and culture.
- Comfort operating at both strategic and tactical levels — balancing long-term planning with day-to-day delivery.
- Experience working with or influencing senior leadership teams and founders on high-stakes people decisions.
- Strong values orientation and a leadership style that balances empathy, clarity, and accountability.
- A track record of success in financial technology or a related high-growth technology sector is advantageous.
Benefits & Perks
🏖️ Remote-friendly Work
We recognise and value the importance of enabling remote work and maintaining a globally distributed workforce. We cater to equitable employee experiences for both in-office and remote team members. We remain conscientious about ensuring a level playing field, especially around team events, business meeting practices, and office-driven benefits. While we facilitate remote work, we also see the value in bringing the full team together in person from time to time.
🎨 Stock Ownership*
We believe in the power of ownership. That's why every full-time team member becomes a part-owner of Stitch. Our employee stock ownership plan ensures that when the company thrives, you do too.
⏰ Time Off*
Taking time off from work is critical to ensure that you can take necessary breaks and have time for important life events outside of work. It also helps you manage your energy better. In line with this, we provide a generous annual leave policy, along with supportive family responsibility, parental, study, and long-tenure sabbatical leave options, designed to accommodate the diverse needs of our team.
📚 Learning & Development Fund*
We are committed to the professional growth of our team. Each year, we allocate $3,000 per full time team member for learning and development, supporting a culture of continuous improvement and skill enhancement.
🩺 Health Insurance Contribution*
Recognising the importance of health and well-being, we contribute to health insurance for all team members and provide group health insurance schemes in certain jurisdictions.
💻 Equipment
To ensure our team has the tools they need, new members receive a brand-new Mac laptop along with the necessary peripheral equipment upon joining Stitch.
💜 Employee Assistance Programmes
We care about the well-being of our team. Our Employee Assistance Programmes provide you with the necessary resources and support to not only excel in your job but also to thrive in your personal life. Whether it's counselling, advice, or support services, we're here to help every step of the way.
Other notable benefits and perks
Celebrations for important life and work milestones
Daily team lunches in the Cape Town office
Bi-annual work retreats
New starter dinners
Frequent team and company events
Compliance with POPIA
Our processing of your Personal Information is subject to, and in compliance with, the provisions of POPIA.
Privacy and security of your information
We will process your information only on instructions from you, which we are deemed to have received when you submit information on our website. We will maintain the confidentiality and security of such information per the standards contained in the POPIA, which requires us to adopt reasonable safeguards to protect the integrity and confidentiality of such information from unauthorized access, loss or destruction.
*these benefits are applicable for full-time staff members but may not apply for fixed-term and part-time staff
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