Jessica West

About Jessica West

I\'m the Head of People at SensorUp, where I run the entire HR function for a 50-person distributed SaaS company with offices in Calgary, Vancouver, Houston, and Toronto. I work remotely from Santa Fe, NM.My job looks different from most Head of People jobs. I\'ve built the function on an AI-native stack (n8n workflows, Claude API, React apps I code myself) so the administrative tax of HR stops eating the week. That leaves room for the work that actually needs a human: coaching managers, shaping compensation philosophy, partnering with the CEO on org design, and navigating the sensitive stuff nobody teaches you in HR school.What I\'ve done in the last 2+ years at SensorUp- Made 36 end-to-end hires across engineering, product, revenue, and G&A. Cut time-to-hire 35% and $150K in agency spend along the way- Own multi-jurisdictional payroll and employment compliance across US states and Canadian provinces, including state and province registrations and dissolutions as the workforce shifts- Shipped a React-based performance review app with Self-Assessment, Peer Feedback, Manager Assessment, and Gap Map modules, plus an exec-tier version the CEO uses with direct reports- Built an AI-assisted resume screening pipeline in n8n that scores candidates against structured JD criteria- Automated the ATS-to-Slack notification loop so hiring managers never have to ask \"where is this candidate?\" again- Planned and executed workforce reductions and complex employee relations matters, working independently on day-to-day resolution and bringing in outside counsel when things escalate.What I believe:Growth-stage HR isn\'t small-company HR with less budget. It\'s a different job. Most people problems are manager problems. And the next generation of HR leaders will be operators who build, not admins who approve.What I\'m open to:Head of People, VP People, or Director of People Operations roles at growth-stage companies (20 to 200 people) doing something that matters. Remote with occasional travel, no relocation. Climate and mission-driven work are a plus but not a requirement. What I care about is smart people, real scope, and the kind of company where the People function gets to build, not just react.

Experience

1. Head of People

   Sensorup Inc

   Sep 2023 — Present

   Sole HR function for a 50-person distributed organization across 4 offices and 2 countries. Report to the CEO. Own the full people portfolio: talent, performance, compensation, benefits, compliance, employee relations, and regulatory comms. Shipped an AI-native HR stack that replaces traditional vendor spend. n8n + Claude API for resume screening and daily triage. BambooHR + Slack automation for ATS workflows. A React-based performance review app I built myself, with an exec-tier version the CEO uses for direct reports. Made 36 end-to-end hires across engineering, product, revenue, and G&A. Cut time-to-hire 35% and eliminated $150K in agency spend by bringing sourcing in-house and layering AI-assisted screening on top. Sustained ~95% offer acceptance. Own multi-jurisdictional payroll and employment compliance across US states and Canadian provinces. Manage state and province registrations and dissolutions as the workforce footprint shifts. Navigate distinct employment standards, tax authorities, and privacy regimes (PIPA, PIPEDA, state-level equivalents). Own compensation strategy for a workforce with roles averaging $150K–$200K. Built the company-wide comp philosophy and salary bands. Run benchmarking, band construction, and budget negotiation with Finance.🤝 Thought partner to the CEO on compensation, org design, executive hiring, and sensitive external comms. Drafted employee and customer communications around the Feb 2026 EPA GHG Endangerment Finding rescission. Own complex employee relations end-to-end: performance-managed separations, cross-border terminations, formal complaint response, and workforce reductions. Operate independently on day-to-day and bring in outside counsel when matters escalate to regulatory, privacy, or litigation exposure.🧭 Coach the exec team on coaching their own leaders. Extends leverage across the org without expanding headcount.

Education

• The University of New Mexico

  Bachelor of Business Administration - BBA, Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies - Communications Minor

  2003 — 2008

• Central New Mexico Community College

  Certificate in Baking/Cooking, Culinary Arts and Related Services

  2009 — 2010

• Santa Fe Community College

  N/A, Computer and Information Sciences, General

  2020