Head of People, Studio

About BuzzFeed, Inc.

BuzzFeed, Inc. (Nasdaq: BZFD) is home to the best of the internet with a mission to spread joy and truth. Across entertainment, news, food, pop culture, and commerce, our brands drive conversation and inspire what audiences watch, read, and buy now — and into the future. Born on the internet in 2006, BuzzFeed, Inc. is committed to improving it: providing trusted, quality, brand-safe entertainment to hundreds of millions of people; making content on the internet more inclusive, empathetic, and creative; and inspiring our audience to live better lives. 

🐝🎥 BuzzFeed Studios: Where Stories Come to Life

BuzzFeed Studios brings stories to life for hundreds of millions around the world, creating entertainment across screens of all shapes and sizes. From social media to digital video, animation, podcasting, vertical micro-drama, television, and feature film, the studio leverages insights from its global audiences to create culturally relevant, high-quality content built for today's audiences. BuzzFeed Studios boasts an enormous social following and a vast portfolio of brands from BuzzFeed Celeb to Tasty, BuzzFeed Unsolved,  Cocoa Butter, the Animation Lab, and countless more.

Business Area: Content 

Job Category: Studio

Salary: $175,000.00- $200,000.00 USD

Union Status: Non-Union 

BuzzFeed Inc. is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. We reserve the ability to adjust the final compensation for this role based on the final candidate's experience, skillset, certifications, and geography.

The Community You Will Join

We are looking for an experienced and people-first Head of People to serve as the senior HR leader across our studio and production company. This is a broad, high-impact role that spans the full employee lifecycle — from talent acquisition and onboarding to total rewards, compliance, and culture. You will be both a strategic architect and a hands-on operator, equally comfortable advising leadership on org design and headcount strategy as you are ensuring day-to-day people operations run smoothly. This role is ideal for a seasoned HR leader who thrives in a creative, fast-moving environment and understands the unique dynamics of a studio and production business.

A Typical Day

Employee Relations & HR Business Partnering

• Serve as a trusted People Partner to leaders across Editorial, Production, Business Operations, Legal, and Finance — advising on performance management, conflict resolution, org design, and headcount planning.
• Lead HR investigations and propose appropriate resolutions, engaging internal or external legal counsel as needed.
• Oversee employment policy development, ensuring the Company Handbook, Code of Conduct, and all HR policies reflect current law and company values.
• Stay current on federal, state, and local employment law, proactively updating policies and practices to maintain compliance.
• Design and manage the annual performance review cycle, including merit increases, promotions, and off-cycle compensation adjustments.
• Develop and implement an employee leveling framework with clear compensation banding that scales with company growth.

Studio & Production Workforce Management

• Partner with production leadership to manage the contingent workforce, including freelancers, crew, and project-based talent — overseeing engagement, onboarding, and compliance.
• Advise on guild and union relations, ensuring adherence to applicable collective bargaining agreements (SAG-AFTRA, WGA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters) and timely resolution of labor-related matters.
• Draft, review, and manage employment and engagement agreements in collaboration with Legal and Business Affairs, including loan-out agreements, deal memos, and independent contractor arrangements.
• Maintain production workforce records, ensuring proper classification of all workers (employee vs. contractor) in compliance with federal and state regulations.
• Support production HR needs on active projects, including cast and crew onboarding, set HR policies, and workplace conduct standards.

Talent Acquisition

• Own end-to-end recruiting across all departments — staff, production, and executive-level roles — from job description to offer.
• Manage the Applicant Tracking System and careers page to ensure a best-in-class candidate experience.
• Partner with Marketing and social teams to build and amplify the company's employer brand in the creative and entertainment space.
• Provide compensation benchmarking and salary range guidance to hiring managers to ensure competitive and equitable offers.

Total Rewards, Payroll & Benefits

• Process semi-monthly payroll and supplemental payments (commissions, spot bonuses, residuals) accurately and on time.
• Lead the annual benefits strategy — evaluating health insurance plans, retirement benefits, and ancillary programs — and manage Open Enrollment end-to-end.
• Manage the company's 401(k) plan, including required nondiscrimination testing and plan administration.
• Track and forecast fully-loaded employee costs across locations to support budget planning.
• Administer all leaves of absence — including FMLA, state PFL, SDI, and short/long-term disability — in compliance with applicable laws.
• Survey employees on total rewards satisfaction and propose adjustments to remain competitive in the market.

People Technology, Compliance & Analytics

• Maintain and optimize the company HRIS, ensuring data integrity, system access, and reporting capabilities.
• Manage all compliance needs including work authorization, E-Verify, EEOC reporting, California Pay Reporting, and SUTA filings.
• Build and deliver people analytics dashboards covering headcount, attrition, DEI, time-off usage, and compensation trends.
• Oversee employee document management — offer letters, PIIAs, separation agreements — and ensure secure, organized recordkeeping.
• Provide first-level support for company-wide systems (Google Workspace, MDM tools, corporate cards) and manage asset procurement and provisioning for employee workstations.

Employee Lifecycle & Culture

• Design and run a best-in-class onboarding experience — covering equipment provisioning, systems access, training, and cultural immersion.
• Coach employees on career development, internal mobility, and advancement pathways.
• Manage all departures — voluntary and involuntary — including exit interviews, separation paperwork, and offboarding logistics.
• Run employee engagement surveys and lead action planning in partnership with leadership to drive a high-performance, inclusive culture.

Facilities & Office Operations

Provide oversight of the Facilities function, with day-to-day operations led by a dedicated direct report. Key responsibilities include:

• Set the strategic direction for facilities and office operations, ensuring alignment with company culture, headcount growth, and real estate needs.
• Serve as executive escalation point for landlord relationships, lease matters, and significant capital or vendor decisions.
• Review and approve facilities budgets, including office space, A/V infrastructure, and food & beverage programs.
• Partner with direct report to ensure all office locations are safe, functional, and reflect a best-in-class employee experience.

IT & Systems Oversight

Provide oversight of the IT function, with tactical execution managed by a dedicated team member. Key responsibilities include:

• Set direction for the company's IT infrastructure, systems, and technology strategy in partnership with senior leadership.
• Oversee company-wide systems administration, including Google Workspace, MDM tools, and corporate device management — with day-to-day support handled by direct report.
• Review and approve IT budgets, including hardware procurement, software licensing, and vendor contracts.
• Ensure IT policies and security protocols are current, enforced, and aligned with company risk and compliance requirements.

Who You Are

• Experience working on multiple concurrent projects in a complex organizational environment, under tight timelines. 
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills and experience effectively communicating at all levels, whether to the President or to an individual contributor
• Highest level of integrity and management of confidential information
• An ability and willingness to work at both the highest level and in the trenches. 
• A love of making high quality, accurate materials from decks to spreadsheets.
• Business acumen and savviness to navigate through our organization structure
• Track record in project and business management with true experience is analysing deals, negotiating terms and seeing contracts through to completion. 
• Extensive experience in entertainment - understanding workflows and protocols, the politics of the industry and possessing a network of resources. 
• A high energy, high functioning, dedicated approach to your work.

Use of artificial intelligence or an LLM such as ChatGPT during the interview process may be grounds for rejection of your application.

Life at BuzzFeed, Inc.

We celebrate inclusion and are committed to equal-opportunity employment. We are proud to be an equal-opportunity workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, and will not be discriminated against based on age, race, gender, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, or any other protected category.

You can expect:

• A supportive, inclusive atmosphere on a team that values your contributions.
• Opportunities for personal and professional growth through work experience, offerings from our in-house Learning Team, our Employee Resource Groups, and more.
• An attractive and equitable compensation package, including salary.
• A well-rounded benefits program featuring paid time off, unlimited sick time, comprehensive medical benefits, a family leave policy, access to mental health platforms, retirement plans, health and wellness discounts, and much more.