Head of People & Culture

Background    

Bay FC is the first NWSL team in the Bay Area. Co-founded by four U.S. Women’s National Team legends—Brandi Chastain, Aly Wagner, Danielle Slaton, and Leslie Osborne—in partnership with global investment firm Sixth Street, Bay FC is changing the face of women’s soccer as we know it. Beginning play in the 2024 season, we are building a squad that will play the beautiful game with power, passion, energy, and creativity.   

Bay FC is a team that defies convention and transcends culture. We are proud to represent the Bay Area with its tapestry of different ethnicities, languages, climates, and ideas. Our team will be a uniting force, building a culture of belonging and shared pride. We will become a beacon of hope and connection, welcoming and embracing all fans. Our stadium will be a home for people of all backgrounds and identities. We will be the bridge that unites the Bay’s diverse communities. Through our actions and our love of the game, we will inspire and improve the lives of others.   

While our community is our foundation, our love of football is our reason for being. We have the fire to be the best, and we will show up on the field every day with intensity, competitiveness, passion, and a drive to win.   

Position Summary

The Head of People & Culture will lead Bay FC’s people strategy and employee experience across the Club’s business and sporting operations. Reporting directly to the President, this leader will serve as a trusted advisor to the executive team, strengthening the systems, programs, and leadership capabilities that enable our people and organization to perform at their highest level.

This is both a strategic and hands-on role. The Head of People & Culture will translate Bay FC’s strategic priorities into clear, scalable people practices across talent acquisition, organizational design, performance management, total rewards, employee relations, and compliance. This individual will champion and protect a club-wide culture grounded in trust, accountability, inclusion, and competitive excellence.

The ideal candidate brings sound judgment, high emotional intelligence, and the ability to move comfortably between long-term organizational strategy and roll-up-your-sleeves execution. They will understand the unique cadence of professional sports and build a cohesive, equitable employee experience that unites our business and sporting teams.

Role Responsibilities

People Strategy

• Develop and execute a comprehensive People & Culture strategy aligned with Bay FC’s organizational, sporting, and business goals.
• Partner with leadership to assess organizational design, clarify accountabilities, and forecast evolving talent needs across the Club.

Culture & Employee Experience

• Champion a high-performance, values-driven culture that reflects Bay FC’s mission, its founders' vision, and the diverse Bay Area community.
• Curate purposeful internal experiences—including team off-sites, staff matchday engagements, recognition programs, and community initiatives—that reinforce shared purpose.

Talent Development

• Provide executive coaching and strategic counsel to managers and senior leaders to elevate management capability, communication, and emotional intelligence.
• Design practical frameworks, manager toolkits, and training sessions to help leaders guide, support, and evaluate their teams effectively.
• Build integrated talent management processes, including goal setting, continuous feedback, performance reviews, and succession planning.

Total Rewards & People Operations

• Design, maintain, and administer transparent, equitable, and competitive compensation and job-leveling structures.
• Oversee comprehensive employee benefits, ensuring market competitiveness and responsive employee support.
• Manage people operations infrastructure, HRIS platforms, personnel records, and payroll coordination with accuracy, confidentiality, and operational efficiency.
• Establish, update, and communicate practical workplace policies and an employee handbook aligned with Club values and legal standards.

Employee Relations, Compliance & Player Safety

• Oversee employee relations, resolving sensitive workplace matters, grievances, and performance issues with fairness, discretion, and consistency.
• Conduct and document workplace investigations thoroughly and impartially in close coordination with legal counsel.
• Partner with Bay FC’s General Counsel and external advisors to maintain full compliance with California labor laws, federal regulations, and NWSL standards.
• Serve as the Club’s Player Safety Officer designation as required by the NWSL.

Talent Acquisition & Onboarding

• Oversee the Club’s recruiting strategy to attract, evaluate, and hire top-tier, values-aligned talent across business and soccer operations.
• Design an end-to-end onboarding experience that accelerates integration, fosters early engagement, and immerses new hires in Club culture.

Requirements

• 12+ years of progressive People/HR leadership experience, including proven success heading a People function or a major division within a fast-paced organization.
• Hands-on experience building and scaling modern HR systems, leveling matrices, performance management frameworks, and people programs.
• Strong working knowledge of California employment law, wage-and-hour compliance, and employee relations best practices.
• Proven capability to handle complex employee relations investigations and sensitive personnel situations with empathy, confidentiality, and objective judgment.
• High emotional intelligence, integrity, and the agility to navigate nuanced sports, entertainment, or mission-driven dynamics.
• Ability and willingness to work non-traditional hours, including matchdays, weekends, and occasional travel.

Compensation

The anticipated salary for this role is $175,000+ plus bonus eligibility. Actual starting pay may vary based on a range of factors which can include experience, skills, and scope.

Bay FC is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation, or any other characteristics protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.