Vice President of People

Help us tackle the growing wildfire crisis with the latest advancements in AI and IoT Who we are The problem: Every minute matters in fire response. As climate change amplifies the intensity of wildfires—with longer fire seasons, dryer fuels, and faster winds—new ignitions spread faster and put more communities at risk. Today, most wildfires are detected by bystanders and reported via 911, meaning it can take hours to detect a fire, verify its exact location and size, and dispatch first responders. Fire authorities need a faster way to detect, confirm, and pinpoint fires so that they can quickly respond—preventing small flare-ups from becoming devastating infernos. About Pano: We are a 175+ person growth-stage hybrid-remote start-up, headquartered in San Francisco. We are the leader in early wildfire detection and intelligence, helping fire professionals respond to fires faster and more safely—with the right equipment, timely information, and enhanced coordination—so that they can stop a new ignition before it grows. Pano AI combines advanced hardware, software, and artificial intelligence into an easy-to-use, web-based platform. Leveraging a network of ultra-high-definition, 360-degree cameras atop high vantage points, as well as satellite and other data feeds, Pano AI produces a real-time picture of threats in a geographic region and delivers immediate, actionable intelligence. Pano AI has been recognized by Fast Company as one of the Top 10 Most Innovative AI Companies in 2023, and as one of the Top 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2026—ranking #1 in the Sustainability category. The company was also named to TIME’s list of the 100 Most Influential Companies of 2025 and identified by MIT Technology Review as one of the top 15 climate tech companies to watch in 2024. Pano AI has been featured in leading publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and CNBC. The company serves dozens of government and enterprise customers across 16 U.S. states, five Australian states, and British Columbia, Canada, and currently monitors more than 50 million acres of land worldwide. It has raised $89 million in venture capital from investors including Giant Ventures, Liberty Mutual Ventures, Tokio Marine Future Fund, Congruent Ventures, Initialized Capital, Salesforce Ventures, and T-Mobile Ventures. Learn more at https://www.pano.ai/. The Role As Vice President of People, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping and scaling Pano’s people strategy during a critical phase of growth. This leader will own and evolve the People function across People Operations, Talent, and “Connectedness” Initiatives for our hybrid-remote workforce, including Workplace Experience in our physical office(s)—ensuring Pano attracts, develops, and retains exceptional talent while maintaining a strong, values-driven culture. The ideal candidate is both a strategic operator and a hands-on leader who thrives in dynamic, high-growth environments and brings a forward-looking approach to how People teams leverage technology, data, and AI to scale effectively. You will be a pragmatic player-coach and trusted partner to the CEO and executive team to align people strategy with business objectives, enabling Pano to scale thoughtfully while preserving its culture, which is a key competitive strength. This is a unique opportunity to define how Pano grows as an organization and as a team. What you’ll do People Strategy & Executive Partnership:

• Define and execute a company-wide people strategy aligned with business goals and growth plans
• Partner closely with founders and executive leadership on organizational design, leadership development, and culture
• Drive initiatives that reinforce Pano’s values: Impact, Service, Excellence, Speed, and Innovation

People Operations & Programs:

• Build, scale, and lead the People Operations function, ensuring operational excellence across systems, policies, compensation, and benefits for the global Pano team
• Oversee the development of scalable programs across performance management, engagement, and career development that enable accountability and high performance
• Establish and monitor key people metrics across hiring, retention, and organizational health

Workplace Experience & Culture:

• Lead the Workplace Experience function in delivering a best-in-class employee experience across remote, hybrid, and in-office environments
• Ensure events, programs, and spaces foster connection across distributed teams

Talent & Employer Brand:

• Coach and lead the scaling of a high-performing recruiting function that contributes to a strong employer brand that attracts top-tier talent across technical, operational, and GTM roles
• Align hiring strategy, processes, and outcomes with company growth objectives

Team Leadership:

• Lead, coach, and develop a small but mighty People Ops, Workplace Experience and Talent team
• Build a high-performing, aligned People, Talent and Workplace function that scales with the company

What you’ll bring

• 10+ years of experience in People/HR, including 3–5+ years in a senior leadership role
• Experience building and scaling People functions in high-growth startup or scale-up environments
• Proven experience partnering closely with founders and executive teams
• Strong expertise across people operations, talent strategy, and organizational development
• Track record of building and developing high-performing teams and leaders
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution
• Comfortable leveraging modern HR technologies, data, and emerging AI tools to improve efficiency, decision-making, and employee experience
• Data and metrics-driven; comfortable building dashboards and using analytics to guide strategy
• Curious and experimental mindset—willing to test, learn, and iterate on new approaches to recruiting, people programs, and workplace experience
• Excellent judgment, communication skills, leadership skills, and a high degree of integrity
• Passion for building mission-driven, high-performing teams and contributing to climate and impact-focused work

Final compensation for full-time employees is determined by a variety of factors, including job-related qualifications, education, experience, skills, knowledge, and geographic location. In addition to base salary, full-time roles are eligible for stock options. Our benefits package also includes comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, a matching 401(k) plan, and flexible paid time off. Apply tot his job Apply To this Job