Meet Jessica Ramirez, Our New Vice President of Human Resources
Culture is an incredibly important part of what makes Xos the organization it is today. A key component in the development and maintenance of a strong company culture is human resources. Compensation, performance management, professional training and development, and recruitment and onboarding are all essential elements of business culture covered by human resources. To that end, we’re thrilled to welcome our new Vice President of Human Resources, Jessica Ramirez. Jessica recently joined us to lead our growing HR function. Learn more about Jessica and her background below.
Tell us about your background and experience. How did you get into HR?
I chose to go into HR early in my career after realizing that it would provide me with a wide range of opportunities to work closely with all segments of a business, such as developing people, creating policies, mentoring leaders — the list goes on. Throughout my career, I’ve supported a variety of industries including warehouse/distribution, ecommerce, and manufacturing. I started off working at Royal Truck Body, a body manufacturing company, leading HR functions. Then I went on to Whiplash Fulfillment, a 3PL company, where I led a team of HR professionals across 19 North America facilities. Prior to my departure at Whiplash, we were acquired by Ryder. What I realized is that, across all industries, people priorities are all the same. All organizations are looking to create human capital strategies that will enhance employee engagement and evolve company culture. And this is what I love about human resources.
Why Xos?
First and foremost, Xos’ mission around decarbonizing commercial transportation strongly resonates with me. Secondly, and equally important, is Xos is a team of passionate doers. We have a strong leadership team and take a people-centric approach, and as an HR professional, I can tell you these are great ingredients to have in a company. Lastly, I’m grateful to have an opportunity to make an impact through the team I lead and providing support to our leaders and people. This is what fuels my passion.
What are the biggest priorities during your first 3–5 months at Xos?
My biggest priority in the first few months is scaling and standardizing our people processes through building a best-in-class HR team through a robust service-model approach. I’ll be focusing on strengthening our total rewards strategy that encompasses not just traditional health and wellness benefits, but also career mobility, performance recognition, leadership training, and employee development.
This also includes working closely with the leadership team at Xos on all things talent management, from recruitment to retention, to developing employees, to managing performance. The end goal is to create a high-performing team and strengthen our company culture.
What advice would you give to someone who is considering applying for a job with Xos?
I would say that if you are someone who thrives in an environment where you get to build something meaningful, work with a team of great thinkers and high performers, and want to make an impact and have a purpose along the way, then Xos is the place for you. The diverse backgrounds and experiences of the talented people on our team are truly what sets us apart from the rest. It’s our competitive advantage.
Where can we find you when you’re not at work? What does a typical Saturday look like for you?
A typical weekend for me looks like attending my girls’ soccer games, spending a day at the library with them, cheering on my husband at his cycling races, glamping at the beach, or just jumping on our e-scooters and trailing the neighborhood. Whatever it is, if it’s a weekend, you’ll find me outdoors.
What excites you about the future of Xos?
The future of Xos looks very bright. We are only going to grow more. That growth includes adding new people to our Xos community, growing our talent capabilities, growing our culture, and growing through the products we develop. This means putting more of our trucks on the road so people can continue doing their part to build a cleaner, more sustainable world.
Whether it’s internal or external, both environments have a strong growth trajectory. It’s a very exciting time to be at Xos!
Do you have a favorite quote?
Yes, it’s a quote from Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, and it comes from his book titled, Winning. He says, “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” This is near and dear to my heart because it’s a form of servant leadership. And being a leader is about recognizing that you serve the people you lead.
We are so lucky to have Jessica on board leading our Human Resources team. If you’re interested in career opportunities at Xos, check out our open roles at https://boards.greenhouse.io/xosinc.
