People Lead

Gridcognition
Gridcognition

People & HR

London, UK

Posted on Jun 22, 2026

About us

At Gridcog, we are on a mission to accelerate the global deployment of flexible energy assets.

We are a SaaS company of energy nerds building project modelling software that helps our users make intelligent energy decisions. We work with customers developing, operating and investing in complex clean energy projects all around the world.

We are now seeking a People Lead to take ownership of Gridcog’s people function and help us continue to develop the culture, practices and team environment that support our next stage of growth.

Gridcog has an amazing team of tech and energy nerds, spread across Australia, the UK, Germany and Spain. We are looking for someone who can help us invest in this team and support them to connect and collaborate effectively.

Who we’re looking for

We are looking for a practical, thoughtful and commercially minded People Lead who can take ownership of Gridcog’s people practices and help us continue to be a high-performing, values-led and effective organisation.

You should be comfortable working closely and collaboratively with the executive team to support the full employee lifecycle, from hiring and onboarding through to performance, development, engagement, compensation, organisational design and employee relations.

This is a hands-on role. You will need to be equally comfortable advising the CEO on organisational questions, coaching emerging managers through people issues, improving people processes, and getting into the details of implementation. You will bring structure, judgement and follow-through, without adding unnecessary bureaucracy.

What you’ll do

Own Gridcog’s People function

  • Take ownership of Gridcog’s people strategy, priorities, processes and operating rhythm
  • Work closely with the CEO and executive team on people planning, organisational design, culture and team effectiveness
  • Ensure our people practices and policies are clear, consistent, fair and aligned with the needs of a globally distributed SaaS business
  • Identify opportunities to improve how we hire, onboard, develop, support and retain great people
  • Work with Finance & Operations to ensure people administration is accurate, timely and well managed

Partner with the executive team and managers

  • Act as a trusted people partner to the CEO, executive team and managers
  • Support leaders on role design, team structure, hiring plans, performance, feedback, development and employee relations
  • Help managers build stronger team operating rhythms, role clarity and accountability
  • Support leadership conversations around capability, succession, resourcing and organisational priorities
  • Provide practical, well-judged advice that balances employee experience, business needs and compliance obligations

Strengthen culture and employee experience

  • Help Gridcog deliberately maintain and evolve its culture as the company grows
  • Support rituals, communication practices and ways of working that help a distributed team stay connected and effective
  • Lead initiatives that improve engagement, inclusion, collaboration and team health
  • Help ensure new starters understand how Gridcog works, what we value and how to be successful here
  • Listen to employee feedback and help turn it into practical improvements

Own hiring and talent practices

  • Improve Gridcog’s hiring processes, including role definition, interview design, assessment, candidate experience and decision-making
  • Support hiring managers to run structured and effective recruitment processes
  • Help ensure Gridcog attracts people who are well suited to our mission, stage, culture and operating style
  • Improve onboarding so new team members become productive and connected quickly

Lead performance, development and progression

  • Own Gridcog’s approach to performance, feedback and development
  • Help the company set clear expectations around roles, contribution, growth and accountability
  • Support managers and employees through performance review and development conversations
  • Develop practical approaches to learning, career development and progression
  • Help ensure compensation, recognition and progression decisions are consistent, fair and well governed

Manage people operations and compliance

  • Own people-related policies, documentation and employment practices
  • Work closely with Finance & Operations on contracts, payroll coordination, leave, benefits, employee records and other administrative processes
  • Help ensure Gridcog meets relevant employment obligations across the countries where we operate
  • Manage external HR, employment law or recruitment partners where needed
  • Improve the accuracy, accessibility and usefulness of people data and reporting

To be successful in this role you will have

  • 6-12 years of strong generalist People experience across hiring, onboarding, performance, development, employee relations, engagement and people operations
  • Experience working with executives in a growing tech or energy company
  • A hands-on operating style and the ability to take ownership from strategy through to implementation
  • Good judgement, discretion and the ability to handle sensitive matters with care
  • Strong communication skills, including the ability to write clear policies, explain decisions and coach managers
  • Experience supporting organisational growth, change and team effectiveness
  • A practical understanding of employment compliance, with the judgement to know when specialist advice is needed
  • Strong project management skills and attention to detail
  • Comfort working with distributed teams across multiple locations and time zones

Nice to have

  • Experience as the first dedicated People hire in a startup or scaleup
  • Experience working across Australia, the UK and Europe
  • Experience supporting globally distributed teams
  • Familiarity with HR systems, recruitment tools and people analytics
  • Experience in B2B SaaS, energy, and/or a technical product company

You’ll probably enjoy this role if

  • You like taking ownership of important company-wide practices
  • You are comfortable being both strategic and operational
  • You enjoy working closely with executives and managers
  • You care about culture, but also believe culture needs to show up in operating practices
  • You are trusted, pragmatic and commercially aware
  • You want to help scale a company working on the clean energy transition

Some of the benefits of this role include

  • Competitive remuneration package aligned with experience and skills
  • Opportunity to work as part of our social London based team with flexible working arrangements
  • Be part of a high-performing team that values innovation and creative problem-solving
    Contribute to the decarbonisation of the world’s energy system
  • Support for ongoing professional and personal development
  • An annual all-company retreat, with recent locations including Bali and Bintan Island

Diversity and Inclusion:

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team at Gridcog. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, as we believe an inclusive environment and diversity of perspective leads to innovation and success.