About the Head of People Role at Exa

Exa is building a search engine for the AI era, powering Agents, Fortune 500s, and AI labs with its Search API. Fresh off a $250M Series C led by a16z at a $2.2 billion valuation, the company is a largely SF-based team of ~100 from Harvard, MIT, Meta, Google Research, ex-founders, and dropouts. The Head of People role sits inside the People function and is tasked with building and scaling that function during a pivotal growth stage, partnering closely with the founders and Chief of Staff to shape organizational strategy, attract world-class talent, and craft an exceptional employee experience.

This is described as both highly strategic and deeply operational. You will own Exa's people strategy across talent acquisition, employee experience, performance management, compensation, benefits, organizational development, and culture, while still rolling up your sleeves to solve day-to-day problems, coach managers, and support employees directly. Exa wants someone who can build systems from scratch, advise executives, and preserve the speed, ambition, and low-ego culture that define the company as it grows.

Quick Stats

* Typical process: 5 to 6 rounds, roughly 3 to 5 weeks

* Format: Recruiter/founder video calls, a leadership panel, and likely an onsite in San Francisco

* Core focus: People strategy, org design, scaling from scratch, compensation philosophy, executive influence, culture, immigration and compliance

* Difficulty: Hard. This is a founder-facing role where you must prove both C-suite advisory judgment and hands-on execution in a fast-moving, high-agency environment

What Exa Looks For

* 10+ years across People, Talent, or HR with startup experience required

* Demonstrated success building and scaling people programs and org infrastructure in high-growth tech

* Proven ability to influence and advise executive leadership with strong business judgment

* Strong analytical skills and comfort using people data to drive decisions, plus knowledge of employee relations, comp, and compliance

Round 1: Recruiter / Chief of Staff Screen (~30 to 45 min)

What to Expect

Because this role partners closely with the founders and Chief of Staff, the first conversation is likely led by the Chief of Staff or a recruiter acting on the founders' behalf. Expect a fast-paced call covering your background, why Exa, and a quick read on whether you have genuinely built a people function at a high-growth startup versus inherited a mature one. They will also confirm logistics: SF-based expectations, the $200K to $300K plus equity range, and your motivation for joining a category-defining company at ~100 people.

Example Questions

* "Walk me through your career and the point where you built a people function from the ground up."

* "Why Exa, and why this stage of company for you right now?"

* "How would you describe the difference between running People at 100 people versus 500?"

* "What are your compensation expectations, and how do you think about equity at a Series C startup?"

Tips

* Lead with a crisp two-minute pitch that ties your scaling experience directly to Exa's ~100-person, post-Series C moment.

* Show you understand Exa's product and mission (a search engine for AIs) so your "why Exa" feels specific, not generic.

* Rehearse this quick-hit screen with Nora's Standard Mode to tighten your narrative and pace before the real call.

Round 2: Founder Interview: People Strategy & Vision (~60 min)

What to Expect

Expect at least one deep conversation with a founder. This is the round where you prove you can be a trusted strategic advisor. The founders will probe how you would develop and execute a people strategy that supports Exa's mission, values, and business objectives, and how you would preserve the high-agency, low-ego culture while scaling. Be ready to discuss organizational design, workforce planning, and how you balance rigor and performance with an exceptional employee experience.

Example Questions

* "If you joined next month, what would your first 90 days at Exa look like?"

* "How do you scale a company past 100 people without diluting a high-agency, low-ego culture?"

* "How do you think about org design and workforce planning when the business is changing rapidly?"

* "Tell me about a time you disagreed with a founder or CEO on a people decision. What happened?"

Tips

* Come with a lightweight but concrete 30/60/90 plan that shows both strategic thinking and hands-on execution.

* Speak in terms of business outcomes, not HR processes; founders here value direct feedback and speed.

* Nora's Behavioral Mode is ideal for practicing founder-facing stories about influencing leadership and navigating disagreement.

Round 3: Functional Deep Dive: Talent, Comp & Systems (~60 min)

What to Expect

This round tests the operational core of the posting. Expect a working-session feel with the Chief of Staff, a leader who owns recruiting, or a founder. You will go deep on building scalable systems across recruiting, onboarding, compensation and rewards philosophy, performance management, and people analytics. Be prepared to whiteboard how you would stand up a comp philosophy, a performance review cycle, or a hiring machine that keeps pace with rapid growth.

Example Questions

* "How would you design a compensation and equity philosophy to attract and retain top talent at our stage?"

* "Walk me through how you would build a performance management and career growth framework from scratch."

* "What people metrics would you track first, and how would you use them to drive decisions?"

* "How would you scale recruiting to hire exceptional, high-bar talent quickly without lowering standards?"

Tips

* Bring specific frameworks and examples of programs you have actually built, including what you would keep or change.

* Tie every system back to speed and quality, since Exa prizes maintaining velocity while it grows.

* Use Nora's Technical Mode to rehearse the comp, performance, and analytics deep dives out loud until they are fluent.

Round 4: Leadership Panel: Coaching, Employee Relations & Compliance (~60 min)

What to Expect

Because the Head of People coaches managers, handles employee relations, and owns compliance and immigration, expect a panel or a set of back-to-back conversations with cross-functional leaders. They will assess your emotional intelligence, your judgment in messy people situations, and your ability to partner with managers on team effectiveness. Given the posting's bonus emphasis on U.S., European, and Singapore employment law plus immigration and visa sponsorship, be ready for scenario questions on compliance and international employees.

Example Questions

* "Tell me about a difficult employee relations issue you handled and how you resolved it."

* "How do you coach a strong technical leader who is struggling as a first-time manager?"

* "How would you approach managing visa sponsorship and supporting international employees as we scale?"

* "How do you keep compliance thoughtful and consistent without slowing the business down?"

Tips

* Use STAR structure for employee relations and coaching stories, and be honest about tradeoffs and lessons learned.

* If your international and immigration experience is a strength, name specific jurisdictions; if it is a gap, show how you would ramp fast.

* Practice these situational and values-fit scenarios in Nora's Behavioral Mode so your reasoning stays calm and structured under pressure.

Round 5: Offer & Compensation Discussion (~30 min)

What to Expect

If the process goes well, expect a final conversation on the offer with the founders or Chief of Staff. The posted range is $200K to $300K with equity, so there is real room to negotiate on both base and equity depending on your experience, prior scale-up track record, and the scope you will own. Expect candid, direct discussion consistent with Exa's culture, and be ready to speak to total compensation rather than base alone.

Example Questions

* "What are you looking for in terms of base and equity for this role?"

* "How do you weigh cash versus equity at a Series C company like ours?"

* "Is there anything about the scope or the offer that would make this a clear yes for you?"

* "What would it take for you to join Exa over your other options?"

Tips

* Anchor to the posted band with data on your track record building and scaling people functions from scratch.

* Negotiate the whole package (base, equity, and scope) rather than fixating on a single number.

* Run the back-and-forth in Nora's Salary Negotiation Mode so you can advocate confidently without underselling yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1) How many rounds are there?

Exa has not published its exact process for this role, so this is a realistic structure for a founder-facing Head of People search at a Series C startup: a recruiter or Chief of Staff screen, a founder strategy interview, a functional deep dive on talent and comp, a leadership panel on coaching and compliance, and a final offer conversation. Expect roughly 5 to 6 touchpoints, some of which may be combined into an onsite.

2) What topics are most common?

* Building and scaling people programs and org infrastructure from scratch, plus advising founders on org design and workforce planning

* Compensation and equity philosophy, performance management, employee relations, immigration and compliance, and people analytics

3) How long does the process take?

For a strategic leadership role at a company of this size and stage, plan for roughly 3 to 5 weeks from first screen to offer, though a fast-moving, high-agency team like Exa can compress this when there is strong mutual interest.

4) How should I prepare?

* Study Exa's mission, product (a search engine for AIs), Series C context, and its stated high-agency, low-ego culture so your answers feel specific.

* Prepare a 30/60/90 plan and concrete examples of people systems you have built, especially at high-growth startups.

* Ready STAR stories on influencing executives, coaching managers, employee relations, and international or immigration work.

* Practice with Nora AI: use Standard Mode for the screen, Behavioral Mode for founder and panel stories, Technical Mode for the comp and analytics deep dive, and Salary Negotiation Mode for the final offer conversation.