I'm Jean Gallagher McCauley, a People, Talent, and Operations executive based in Scottsdale, Arizona, working remotely with companies across the US and North America. I partner with venture-backed startups and scaling companies that need senior People leadership without hiring another full-time executive.
That might mean building a recruiting function for 30 hires, redesigning an org that has outgrown its structure, or leading a restructuring. The work is fractional leadership or a focused project, scoped to what the business actually needs.
The roles are approved, but the recruiting infrastructure isn't ready for the volume.
I build the system behind the hiring: role architecture, interview stages, scorecards, sourcing, ATS workflows, and recruiting metrics. Whether it's 10 hires or 30, the goal is a repeatable hiring engine instead of solving every role from scratch.
Responsibilities are blurry. Titles don't make sense. Decision-making is inconsistent. You've added people faster than structure.
I help founders clarify roles, reporting lines, workforce plans, and the People infrastructure the next stage needs.
I step in fractionally across Talent, People, and Operations: overseeing recruiting, designing the org, running a critical initiative, or leading the team through significant change.
The scope is built around the business, not a traditional HR job description.
Workforce planning, restructurings, reductions in force, and leadership changes, where the decisions need to be both thoughtful and executable.
An insurtech MGA needed to hire a senior team fast, with no recruiting infrastructure in place. I built the system behind the plan: role architecture, candidate profiles, structured interview stages, scorecards, sourcing strategy, and AI-enabled outbound.
I led People and operational work through a restructuring across five countries, covering workforce modeling, org redesign, communication planning, and execution. It shaped how I approach this work now: start with the business problem, define what the future org needs to do, and design backward.
I've been the first People leader at multiple venture-backed companies, building the function through rapid growth, leadership change, and organizational complexity.
When I advise a founder, I'm not bringing an outside framework. I've sat in the seat.
You may be saying something like this. Those are the problems I work on.
"We have 25 roles to fill and no recruiting infrastructure."
"We've grown quickly and our org structure no longer makes sense."
"We need senior People leadership, but we're not ready to hire a VP."
"Our recruiting process is completely different depending on who is hiring."
"We need someone to come in and own this project."
"We know AI could make this more efficient, but we don't know where to start."
"We need to restructure and want someone who has actually done this before."
Not sure which fits? Most engagements start with a scoping call. We'll talk through where you are and what's in the way, and I'll recommend the right path. Book a scoping call →
A step-by-step guide for founders and HR leaders running workforce reductions.
Covers headcount modeling, communication planning, legal considerations, and transition support. Built from real experience leading restructurings across five countries.
Fractional engagements start at $4,000 per month. Focused projects like a Talent Infrastructure Sprint, Org Design + People Infrastructure, or Restructuring + Workforce Strategy start at $3,500.
Earlier than most do. Around 10 employees, someone should own structure and hiring process. Waiting until 40 or 50 usually means cleanup instead of building.
Fractional fits when you need senior judgment and part-time execution, not a full-time salary and equity package. Many companies use it to build the foundation before making the full-time hire.
Yes. I'm based in Scottsdale, Arizona, and work with companies across the US and North America.
Most companies come with a problem, not a scope.
We need to hire faster. The organization isn't working. Nobody owns this. We've grown and the infrastructure hasn't caught up.
That's enough to start. On a scoping call we'll talk through what's happening, what the business needs next, and whether I'm the right person to help build it.