Head of People

Title: Head of People & Culture

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

About Pula: 

At Pula, we are building the systems that enable farmers worldwide to access insurance, using technology to insure this previously uninsured worldwide. We work in over 10 countries across Africa and Asia, and by 2022, have facilitated crop insurance cover to over 20 million farmers, 40% of which are women, across Kenya, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Rwanda, Uganda, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, Zambia, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Tanzania, Mozambique, Ethiopia and Malawi. We are a for profit company, and have raised over $45 million from leading venture and institutional investors as well as developed philanthropic relationships with private foundations and bilateral donors such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and German Insure Resilience Solutions Fund that have accelerated investments in our target markets. 

Pula is proudly fast paced, constantly learning from the challenges we face and overcome. We are proudly culturally diverse but united in our ambition of continuous high-performance. By challenging ourselves we believe that we can overcome the hard problems we love solving.

At Pula, our culture is defined by our: 

• Obsession with results: We are responsible for our future and therefore we get things done
• Ability to connect the Dots: We continuously identify different customer needs & business problems and build solutions that deliver value.
• Our can-do Attitude We dare to do things differently to make things work.
• Ability to have each others' back: We look out for each other & we share high quality, timely feedback that makes us better.
  

Why This Role Matters:

At Pula, our people are our greatest competitive advantage. As the Head of People & Culture, you won't just oversee HR—you'll be a key architect in shaping a workplace where innovation thrives, performance is celebrated, and employees are empowered to do their best work. 

You will play a pivotal role in attracting, developing, and retaining top-tier talent, ensuring that our culture remains dynamic, inclusive, and results-driven. If you're a strategic thinker who can build and execute world-class people strategies, this is the role for you

Your Mission:

You will lead the transformation of Pula's People & Culture function into a data-driven, high-impact powerhouse that fuels our business growth. Your leadership will ensure that our talent acquisition strategy is proactive and forward-looking, our performance management system is transparent and effective, and our learning & development initiatives prepare our employees for the future.

Culture & Employee Experience:

• Partner with senior leadership to define and implement culture programs that enhance team collaboration, engagement, and motivation.
• Lead initiatives that foster inclusivity and create a workplace where employees feel valued and inspired to perform at their best.
• Drive innovative internal culture activities, such as our 'Lunch & Learn' sessions, and develop new engagement programs.
• Own employee feedback mechanisms, ensuring data-driven improvements to enhance workplace satisfaction and productivity.

Performance Management & Talent Development: 

• Overhaul and optimize the performance management system to ensure clear, measurable goals aligned with company objectives.
• Establish a transparent meritocracy, where high performance is recognized, and underperformance is addressed constructively.
• Develop and implement succession planning strategies to strengthen Pula's leadership pipeline.
• Design and roll out cutting-edge Learning & Development (L&D) programs to upskill employees at all levels.

Talent Acquisition:

• Build and lead a best-in-class recruitment function, ensuring Pula attracts top global talent across multiple geographies, with a focus on enterprise sales teams.
• Define Pula's Employer Value Proposition (EVP) to position us as a top employer in a competitive talent market.
• Develop strategic partnerships and talent pipelines to proactively identify and engage high-potential candidates.
• Deliver an engaging, seamless onboarding experience, ensuring new hires feel connected to our mission and set up for success from day one.

Learning & Development:

• Establish and manage the Pula Academy and L&D programs at all levels
• Identify and manage a list of company-approved training providers to ensure quality programs are delivered to employees within a predetermined and acceptable cost framework.

HR and Compliance Excellence:

• Ensure compliance with employment laws and regulations across all markets where Pula operates.
• Maintain accurate records and drive operational excellence in all people-related processes.
• Implement policies and frameworks that reinforce a culture of accountability, integrity, and performance.

What We're Looking For:

Professional Attributes

• 12+ years of proven leadership in People & Culture, HR, or Talent roles, with a strong understanding of culture-building, performance management, and recruitment best practices.
• Experience in fast-paced, high-growth companies, preferably in the startup or fintech/insuretech space.
• Strong background in enterprise sales talent acquisition, with a deep understanding of hiring and driving productivity in sales teams (preferred).
• Proven ability to build human capital systems from scratch, from recruitment to performance management.
• Expertise in developing talent strategies and executing high-impact recruitment initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to build diverse, high-performing teams and foster an excellence culture.
• High comfort level with technology and data-driven decision-making, including Google Suite, CRM tools, task management systems (e.g., Asana, Slack, Jira, Metabase, KOAN).

Personal Attributes:

• Hands-on leader who connects the dots and drives results.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to influence and inspire.
• High-energy, assertive, and persuasive—capable of getting the best out of teams while fostering a positive environment.
• A problem solver who thrives in ambiguity and is unafraid to challenge the status quo.
• Data-driven decision-maker, who translates HR challenges into actionable strategies.
• A transparent, team-oriented leader, capable of building trust and collaboration across all levels of the business.