Strategic People Initiatives Manager

Circle (NYSE: CRCL) is one of the worlds leading internet financial platform companies building the foundation of a more open global economy through digital assets payment applications and programmable blockchain infrastructure. Circles platform includes the worlds largest regulated stablecoin network anchored by USDC Circle Payments Network for global money movement and Arc an enterprise-grade blockchain designed to become the Economic OS for the internet. Enterprises financial institutions and developers use Circle to power trusted internet-scale financial innovation. Learn more at .

What youll be part of:

Circle is committed to visibility and stability in everything we do. As we grow as an organization were expanding into some of the worlds strongest jurisdictions. Speed and efficiency are motivators for our success and our employees live by our company values: High Integrity Future Forward Multistakeholder Mindful and Driven by Excellence. We have built a flexible work environment where new ideas are encouraged and everyone is a stakeholder.

What youll be responsible for:

We are looking for a highly strategic execution-driven Strategic People Initiatives Manager to join our People & Talent this pivotal role you will operate as a force multiplier for People Leadership leading cross-functional programs owning operational planning and driving clarity and alignment across our most critical talent initiatives.

You will lead M&A people workstreams manage HR budgeting cycles with precision coordinate OKR development and tracking across the People org and take ownership of high-impact projects that advance Circles talent strategy. This role requires exceptional business acumen structured thinking and the ability to work across functions with senior-level stakeholders.

This is an ideal role for a builder who thrives in ambiguity has strong systems-thinking capability and knows how to turn strategy into disciplined execution.

What youll work on:

M&A Leadership & People Workstreams

• Serve as the operational lead for People-related M&A activities including diligence integration planning and execution.

• Partner with Legal Finance Compliance and HR functional leads to align scope timelines and integration requirements.

• Develop and manage M&A playbooks checklists and communication plans to ensure consistent repeatable excellence.

• Track integration progress identify risks or gaps and escalate issues with clear recommendations for resolution.

HR Budget Ownership & Fiscal Management

• Own the annual budgeting process for the People organization ensuring accuracy alignment and timely delivery.

• Partner with Finance to manage forecasting headcount planning and cost modeling across HR functions.

• Build scalable frameworks for tracking spend vendor contracts and budget performance.

• Support People Leadership in presenting budget insights tradeoffs and recommendations to senior executives.

People OKR Strategy Governance & Tracking

• Lead OKR development cycles for the People organization partnering with People Leadership to define priorities and measurable outcomes.

• Establish tracking mechanisms reporting cadences and accountability frameworks to ensure progress toward objectives.

• Synthesize program updates and risk areas into executive-ready insights and reporting packages.

• Create continuous improvement loops to strengthen focus alignment and execution discipline.

Strategic Talent Initiatives & Special Projects

• Manage cross-functional initiatives that advance Circles talent culture and organizational effectiveness strategies.

• Drive high-visibility projects such as capability-building programs talent infrastructure improvements policy modernization or culture interventions.

• Conduct research analysis and benchmarking to inform recommendations and strategic decision-making.

• Partner with HRBPs TA L&D ER and Legal on initiatives impacting the employee experience leadership capability and organizational performance.

Operational Excellence & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Establish and maintain project plans governance frameworks and communication models that bring alignment and clarity across teams.

• Partner closely with People Leadership to streamline operations anticipate needs and remove execution barriers.

• Serve as an integrator across HR functions to ensure initiatives are coordinated data-informed and delivered with quality.

• Drive cross-functional collaboration with Finance Legal Compliance IT and business operations teams to ensure organizational readiness and adoption.

Data Insights & Executive Reporting

• Build dashboards and reporting mechanisms that track progress across People initiatives M&A workstreams and OKRs.

• Analyze data to identify themes risks and opportunities translating insights into action.

• Prepare executive-level briefings board materials and strategy updates that communicate impact and priorities with clarity.

What youll bring to Circle:

• 7 years of experience in HR program management HR operations strategic initiatives business operations or related transformational roles.

• Strong experience leading complex cross-functional programs; M&A integration experience strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated success owning budgeting cycles forecasting or financial planning in partnership with Finance teams.

• Proven ability to build and manage OKRs or similar strategy execution frameworks.

• Exceptional analytical organizational and planning skills; able to drive clarity and momentum across multiple workstreams.

• Strong executive communication abilities concise structured and influence-oriented.

• Ability to shift seamlessly between strategic thinking and hands-on execution.

• High degree of professionalism discretion and judgment when handling sensitive and confidential work.

• Comfort working in fast-paced ambiguous and evolving environments.

• Proficiency with G-Suite HRIS dashboards/analytics tools and project management systems preferred.

• Bachelors degree required; MBA or other advanced degree preferred.

Circle is on a mission to create an inclusive financial future with transparency at our core. We consider a wide variety of elements when crafting our compensation ranges and total compensation packages.

Starting pay is determined by various factors including but not limited to: relevant experience skill set qualifications and other business and organizational needs. Please note that compensation ranges may differ for candidates in other locations.

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race religion color national origin gender sexual orientation age marital status veteran status or disability status or any other protected status required by the laws in the locations where we hire. Additionally Circle participates in the E-Verify Program in certain locations as required by law.

Should you require accommodations or assistance in our interview process because of a disability please reach out tofor support. We respect your privacy and will connect with you separately from our interview process to accommodate your needs.

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