HR Director at Substack

Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia

Substack Logo
Not SpecifiedCompensation
Senior (5 to 8 years), Expert & Leadership (9+ years)Experience Level
Full TimeJob Type
UnknownVisa
StartupsIndustries

Requirements

  • 8–12 years of progressive HR leadership in startups or high-growth businesses, ideally scaling from ~50 to 200+ employees
  • Proven builder of HR functions from hiring playbooks and performance frameworks to comp & benefits and HR tech adoption
  • Talent acquisition expertise: able to design recruitment engines that consistently attract and close top startup talent
  • Organizational design capability: experience mapping roles, career paths, and reporting structures during rapid headcount growth
  • HR operations leadership: hands-on in payroll, compliance, contracts, and employee lifecycle management
  • Change management skillset: comfortable leading transformation from informal processes to structured, scalable systems
  • Data-driven decision maker: able to use HR metrics (attrition, cost per hire, time to fill, engagement) to guide leadership
  • Commercial mindset: understands how people strategy ties into growth, funding milestones, and investor expectations
  • Hands-on operator: just as comfortable running recruitment sprints or solving day-to-day HR issues as influencing founders and the board

Responsibilities

  • Define HR strategy aligned with business milestones and growth plans
  • Partner with founders to design organizational structures and workforce planning
  • Build succession and leadership development programs to prepare for scale
  • Lead recruitment to secure high-caliber talent across key functions
  • Build frameworks for performance, progression, and skills development
  • Introduce employer branding initiatives that strengthen talent pipelines
  • Standardize HR processes: onboarding, payroll, compensation, and compliance
  • Select and implement HR tech tools to drive efficiency and data-driven decisions
  • Ensure HR practices meet local labor law and prepare for regional readiness
  • Move HR from reactive to proactive anticipating growth needs before bottlenecks
  • Develop policies and benefits that support retention and performance
  • Build a foundation that scales from 50 to 200+ employees without slowing momentum

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

HR StrategyOrganizational DesignWorkforce PlanningSuccession PlanningLeadership DevelopmentTalent AcquisitionPerformance ManagementEmployer BrandingHR OperationsOnboardingPayrollCompensationHR TechLabor Law ComplianceRetention

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

What experience level is required for the HR Director role?

Candidates need 8–12 years of progressive HR leadership in startups or high-growth businesses, ideally scaling from ~50 to 200+ employees.

Is this HR Director position remote or on-site?

The position is on-site.

What key responsibilities will the HR Director handle?

You'll own people strategy and organization design, lead talent acquisition and capability building, standardize HR systems and operations, and build scaling infrastructure from 50 to 200+ employees.

What salary or compensation is offered for this role?

This information is not specified in the job description.

What makes a strong candidate for this HR Director position?

Strong candidates have proven experience building HR functions in high-growth startups, expertise in talent acquisition and organizational design, hands-on HR operations skills, change management abilities, and a data-driven commercial mindset.

Substack

Digital publishing platform for subscription-based content

About Substack

Substack is a digital publishing platform that connects writers and readers. It allows creators, such as authors, journalists, and chefs, to share their work through newsletters, blogs, podcasts, and videos. Creators can set their own subscription fees, ranging from $5 to $27 per month, enabling them to earn money directly from their content without relying on traditional publishing or advertising. Substack handles administrative tasks, billing, and technical support, allowing creators to focus on their writing. The platform also helps creators grow their audience, as a significant portion of new subscriptions comes from within the Substack network. Substack earns revenue by taking a percentage of the subscription fees, aligning its success with that of its creators. The goal of Substack is to empower creators to monetize their work while providing the necessary tools for managing and expanding their subscriber base.

San Francisco, CaliforniaHeadquarters
2017Year Founded
$97.5MTotal Funding
ANGELCompany Stage
Consumer Software, EntertainmentIndustries
1,001-5,000Employees

Risks

Enterprise offering may lead to competition with established solutions, straining resources.
Elon Musk's acquisition interest could cause market speculation and investor instability.
Integration with Polymarket may expose Substack to reputational risks and regulatory scrutiny.

Differentiation

Substack empowers creators with a subscription-based model, bypassing traditional revenue streams.
The platform offers built-in marketing, aiding creators in growing their subscriber base.
Substack's tools support diverse content, including newsletters, blogs, podcasts, and videos.

Upsides

Spotify integration broadens podcasters' reach, potentially boosting subscribers and revenue.
Mobile editor launch enhances accessibility, increasing content output and engagement.
Enterprise offering partnership with The Free Press opens new revenue streams for Substack.

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