---
title: 'Head of People at Tin Can'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-people-tin-can-seattle-q0fgdwt0ezgh'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-14'
---

# Head of People at Tin Can

- **Company:** Tin Can
- **Location:** Seattle, WA
- **Compensation:** $180k–$225k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-09-23
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-14
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/tin-can/299c9891-1ba9-4bf1-8f10-fb144cab043c

## Job description

## About Tin Can

Tin Can is building a safer, simpler way for kids to connect — without smartphones. We’re creating screen-free, delightful devices and services that let families call the people who matter most, free from the noise of today’s digital world. We’re building a bold, authentic, nostalgic, and kinda quirky brand that resonates with folks who want something simpler & better for their kids than the tech-infused lives we’re currently living (and who have a sense of humor about it). As we gear up to scale to thousands of families, we’re ready to bring on a Head of People to help make it happen.

## The Role

Every promise we make to families is kept — or broken — by the people we hire. We’re growing fast, and the culture that got us here may not scale on its own. We’re looking for a Head of People who’s been through this stage before, someone who can help institutionalize our culture before growth dilutes it, and build every part of the employee experience (how we hire, onboard, pay, promote, develop, and support people) for the company we’re becoming. You’ll have a seat at the table leading the company. You’ll take over from our fractional head of HR, and evaluate our current systems and practices, then develop the roadmap that builds the People function into an enabler of our growth bringing creativity & problem solving to deliver solutions. This is a role for a strategic leader who stays hands-on: you’ll architect the strategy, and you won’t hesitate to execute pieces (or all) of it yourself while you build the team behind it.

## What You’ll Do

- Own the full employee lifecycle — hiring, onboarding, total rewards, leveling, performance, development, and employee relations — along with the HR systems and tooling that run it, keeping what works and adding what we’ll need next
- Partner with leaders across the company on org design and headcount planning, so our teams grow deliberately, not reactively
- Refine the talent acquisition and hiring process with best practices that allow us to move fast and find the most qualified candidates, then enhance our onboarding so that new hires are set up for success from day one
- Assess our total rewards and advise on our offering — compensation philosophy, bands, benchmarking, and benefits — that allows us to compete for top talent
- Own HR compliance and administration as we add states, countries, employees, and contractors, partnering closely with Legal
- Create a leveling framework, so promotions, hiring, and comp run off the same map
- Stand up a consistent performance management framework and be the steady hand on employee relations: navigate sensitive situations and hard conversations with care, objectivity, and discretion
- Measure the things that matter – identify the human capital KPIs we should be tracking at our stage, and use them to drive decision-making

## What We’re Looking For

- 10+ years of People/HR experience, including building or scaling a People function at a high-growth startup
- A high level of discretion, confidentiality, and ethics; people trust you with the hard stuff
- Proven experience providing thoughtful guidance to a CEO and executive team; you see all sides of a situation and advocate strongly for employees while balancing growth, compliance, and fairness
- Fluency using AI as a multiplier; this is how we work, not a nice-to-have
- You can architect the People strategy and execute pieces (or all) of it yourself; capable of building and leading a small team as we scale
- Comfortable letting people data guide decisions; engagement, attrition, and hiring metrics inform your recommendations, not just your reports
- Working fluency in employment compliance across states and countries; experience supporting international growth, including resourcing outside the US
- You’ve built comp bands, a leveling framework, or a performance management program and know what good looks like
- Based in Seattle and ready to work from our office 4+ days per week; this isn’t a remote role

## Why Join Tin Can

- We’re building tech that protects childhood: We’re on a quest to give kids a more analog childhood — one with real conversations, real connection, and way less screen time. No doomscrolling, data mining, or dopamine traps — just a simpler, better way for kids to stay in touch. This is a rare opportunity to build something that truly matters.
- You’ll own our number one bet: Institutionalizing culture before growth dilutes it is the bet everything else rests on — and every part of how we hire, pay, grow, and support people runs through you.
- Small, high-trust team: Every company says “team,” but at Tin Can it means something different. We’re a small, mission-driven group that genuinely has each other’s backs — professionally and personally. You’ll be joining a tight-knit crew where your ideas and instincts matter from day one.
- Room to explore, not just execute: You’ll have the space to explore new ideas, challenge assumptions, and shape an employee experience that reflects our values of trust, simplicity, and care.

If you’re excited by the idea of building the team that brings a simpler, better childhood to thousands more families, please reach out. We can’t wait to meet someone who’s ready to jump in, keep culture king, and help us grow.

## About Tin Can

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Tin Can builds a screen-free, Wi-Fi-enabled landline for kids that allows them to call approved contacts without the distractions of a smartphone.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Seed stage)
- **Headquarters**: Seattle, Washington, United States
- **Founded**: 2024
- **Founders**: Chet Kittleson, Max Blumen, and Graeme (last name not publicly available)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Consumer Services / Kids’ Communication Hardware
- **Target customers**: B2C – parents of children aged 4–13 who want a safe, screen-free phone option
- **Mission**: “Bring back the freedom of the old-school landline, updated for today’s families.”

## Products & Services
- **[Tin Can Device](https://tincan.kids/)**: A custom-designed, Wi-Fi-connected landline handset with no screen, no apps, no camera, and no browser. It plugs into a wall and connects over Wi-Fi. Parents manage contacts and quiet hours via a companion mobile app.
- **[Can2Can Plan](https://tincan.kids/)**: Free unlimited calling between two Tin Cans, no subscription required.
- **[Party Line Plan](https://tincan.kids/)**: $9.99/month subscription that allows the child to call any regular phone number (grandparents, parents’ cells, etc.) in addition to other Tin Cans. Includes 911 emergency calling.
- **Parent App**: iOS/Android app for approving contacts, setting quiet hours, and managing Do Not Disturb schedules.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Total Funding**: $5.75 M
  - Pre-Seed (May 2025): Led by PSL Ventures (9 investors)
  - Seed (Oct 2025): $3.5 M led by Data Tech Fund and PSL Ventures (8 investors)
- **Notable Investors**: PSL Ventures, Data Tech Fund, Greylock (participated in a prior round)
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Used by families in 30+ U.S. states with zero paid marketing (organic word-of-mouth)
  - Headcount grew from ~2 to 27 employees (+1,167% YoY)
  - Received 40 early prototypes hand-installed in one Seattle neighborhood; demand spread rapidly

## Competitive Advantages
- **True screen-free experience**: No apps, no texts, no browser – pure voice calling. Eliminates the risks of smartphones (social media, addictive apps, stranger danger).
- **Parental control without complexity**: Parents manage everything via a simple app; kids get independence without internet access.
- **Wi-Fi landline model**: Works with existing home Wi-Fi, no need for a cellular plan or smartphone.
- **Emergency calling**: 911 always available, even without a subscription.
- **Free Can2Can network**: Encourages peer-to-peer calling among friends who also have Tin Cans.

## Strategic Focus
- Scaling production of the fully custom hardware (designed from the ground up)
- Expanding the user base beyond the initial 30 states through word-of-mouth and targeted marketing
- Building out the team (active job postings for engineering, design, marketing, and customer experience)
- Maintaining a mission-driven culture focused on intentional technology for kids

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Mission-driven startup focused on real human connection and “keeping childhood full of imagination, not notifications.” Team is passionate about intentional tech.
- **Work environment**: Hybrid/in-office options available. HQ is in Seattle with an in-office workspace; some roles are remote or hybrid.
- **Growth opportunity**: Early-stage company (27 employees) with rapid growth – employees can have outsized impact.
- **Perks**: Not detailed publicly, but typical startup perks (equity, flexible schedule) likely. The company emphasizes a “no surprises” approach to its product.
- **Team composition**: Small, cross-functional team with specialists in customer service, design, engineering, and operations.

## Sources
1. [tincan.kids](https://tincan.kids/)
2. [tincan.kids - About page](https://tincan.kids/pages/about-tin-can)
3. [Built In - Tin Can Careers](https://builtin.com/company/tin-can)
4. [LinkedIn - Tin Can](https://www.linkedin.com/company/tincankids)
5. [Jobs page - Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/tin-can)

## Other roles at Tin Can

- [Brand Designer](https://feeny.ai/job/brand-designer-tin-can-seattle-65jawa207ste) — Seattle, WA
- [IT & Systems Administrator](https://feeny.ai/job/it-systems-administrator-tin-can-seattle-4b548gnrvfds) — Seattle, WA
- [Software Engineer, Growth](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-growth-tin-can-seattle-92ex3dtn35zn) — Seattle, WA
- [Senior Software Engineer, Test](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-test-tin-can-seattle-a28h12g7a2rb) — Seattle, WA
- [Software Engineer, Communities](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-communities-tin-can-seattle-r0my5ze0et0r) — Seattle, WA
- [Performance Marketing Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/performance-marketing-manager-tin-can-seattle-46tndfaagav4) — Seattle, WA
- [Director of Customer Experience](https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-customer-experience-tin-can-seattle-yrfk1jmffstc) — Seattle, WA
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