S

Sona

Frontline workforce management with AI insights

Vice President of Marketing

Full-Time
No salary listed
Expert
San Francisco, CA, USA+1 moreMore locations: New York, NY, USA
In Person
Growth & MarketingMarketing Generalist & Management, Product Marketing

About the job

Requirements
  • B2B marketing experience at a SaaS company with an enterprise or mid-market sales motion, marketing complex products with long sales cycles and multiple stakeholders.
  • Strong product marketing and category-framing capability, including positioning a multi-product platform for specific buyers in specific verticals.
  • Experience building or scaling a marketing function and supporting growth from 8-figure to 9-figure annual recurring revenue.
  • Strong judgment in US B2B marketing, with experience building brand and pipeline in the US market.
  • People leadership experience developing and stretching a team.
Responsibilities
  • Own global marketing strategy, positioning, and budget, reporting to the CEO.
  • Build the US marketing function from scratch, establishing Sona's brand and pipeline engine.
  • Build top-, middle-, and bottom-of-funnel strategies to ensure the wider go-to-market team meets growth targets.
  • Develop Sona's brand, with a key focus on the US market.
  • Partner closely with global Sales leadership across the UK and US.
  • Define and execute vertical-specific messaging across Sona's sectors, with a key focus on hospitality in the US.
  • Drive pipeline through account-based marketing, field marketing and events, content, and partnerships in close alignment with the VP of Sales and sales team.
  • Lead and develop the existing UK marketing team while scaling the US function.
Desired Qualifications
  • Sector experience in hospitality, or a clear track record of getting up to speed quickly in a new vertical.

About the company

S

Sona

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Website

Sona provides a software-as-a-service platform for workforce management focused on frontline employees in hospitality, retail, and logistics. Its mobile app delivers scheduling, time and attendance, payroll, and team communication to managers and workers, replacing spreadsheets and legacy systems with an integrated toolset. A standout feature is Agentic AI, which analyzes workforce data to provide managers with AI-powered insights and custom reports to spot location-specific trends and performance gaps, helping automate administrative tasks and improve decision-making. Compared with traditional HR and scheduling tools, Sona combines core operations (scheduling, attendance, payroll) with AI-driven analytics in a single mobile-first platform aimed at frontline teams. The company's goal is to help businesses efficiently run frontline operations, improve labor productivity, and scale through SaaS, supported by funds from a Series A to expand AI capabilities and broaden market reach.

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

Series B

Total Funding

$81.7M

Headquarters

London, United Kingdom

Founded

2021

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • April 2026's $45 million Series B funded U.S. expansion and product acceleration.
  • June 2026 LMS launch addresses compliance-heavy care providers with immediate shift-readiness value.
  • Partnerships with Pleo, Grateful, Blend, and Tenzo widen workflow lock-in across operations.

What critics are saying

  • UKG, Dayforce, WorkJam, and Deputy crush pricing and distribution across 2026.
  • Frontline customers churn fast if integrations fail, because Sona sits inside payroll and scheduling.
  • If agentic AI disappoints, Sona becomes another niche WFM vendor, losing enterprise trust.

What makes Sona unique

  • Sona unifies scheduling, HR, payroll, compliance, and analytics for frontline workers.
  • Forge and LMS turn workforce data into custom apps and shift-gating workflows.
  • Hospitality credibility deepens through Richard Tallboy, plus customers like Popeyes UK and Signature Senior Lifestyle.

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Benefits

  • Stock Options
  • Health Insurance
  • Parental Leave
  • Company Social Events
  • Home Office Stipend
  • Professional Development Budget
  • Paid Vacation
  • Paid Sick Leave
  • Flexible Work Hours
  • Hybrid Work Options
  • Remote Work Options
  • 401(k) Company Match

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

-4%

2 year growth

-3%
Sona
Sep 28th, 2026
Sona partners with Hire Intelligence to close the gap between hiring and rostering.

Sona partners with Hire Intelligence to close the gap between hiring and rostering. Sep 28, 2026, 11:59:46 AM The partnership connects Hire Intelligence's job distribution and recruitment marketing analytics with Sona's AI workforce management platform, so hired candidates move straight into onboarding and rostering. Sona, a leading workforce management platform for frontline teams, has partnered with Hire Intelligence to help organisations close the gap between hiring a candidate and getting them scheduled, paid and working. The partnership brings together Hire Intelligence's programmatic job distribution and recruitment marketing analytics, which spans job boards, social channels and ATS systems, with Sona's expertise in scheduling, HR and payroll for frontline teams. By connecting the two platforms, organisations can move candidates from application through to their first shift without re-keying data or losing time to manual handoffs between recruitment and operations. Ewan Stark, CEO of Hire Intelligence, said: "Sona has built an exciting and highly capable platform, and there is a very natural fit between our two technologies. An ATS sits at the heart of the recruitment process. Hire Intelligence supercharges it by connecting employers to the wider world of recruitment advertising while capturing the data needed to understand what is actually delivering results. Bringing Hire Intelligence into the Sona ATS means customers can extend their reach, understand performance and optimise recruitment spend from the outset. They don't have to build that capability afterwards - it is there from day one. We're delighted to be partnering with Sona and particularly excited about the opportunity to grow the partnership across both the UK and US." Russ Kenyon, Head of Partnerships at Sona, said: "This partnership gives our ATS customers broader candidate reach and a much cleaner applicant flow, without adding any extra work for their recruitment teams. Those are exactly the kind of efficiencies that matter: a seamless hiring and onboarding process, running straight into Sona's HR platform." About Sona Backed by Google's Gradient Ventures, Sona is the next-generation workforce management solution for frontline organisations. Sona combines scheduling, HR and payroll with AI-driven decision-making to give leaders real-time visibility and help teams operate at their best. About Hire Intelligence About Hire Intelligence Hire Intelligence is a programmatic job distribution and recruitment marketing analytics platform, connecting job boards, social media and ATS systems through Apply Gateway. The platform gives employers real-time data and automation to optimise recruitment marketing spend and understand true cost per hire, processing tens of millions of job applications every year. Want to see what Sona can do for your operations? Book a demo to chat about your goals and see where its platform can make a difference.

Sona
Jun 22nd, 2026
Why we launched Sona LMS.

Why Sona launched Sona LMS. Jun 22, 2026 2:00:10 PM Discover why Sona launched a Learning Management System that connects training, compliance and shift readiness, helping care providers reduce friction and ensure every shift is covered. For years, frontline teams in care have faced a persistent challenge: ensuring that staff are not just trained, but genuinely ready to take on shifts safely and compliantly. Traditional LMS platforms track course completion, but in reality, completion does not always translate to workforce readiness. This disconnect can create risk and a considerable administrative burden. Sona LMS is built to integrate learning directly into workforce operations, connecting training with the rota, HR and payroll. Why this matters now The pressures on care providers are immense. High turnover, constant induction requirements and the need to maintain compliance make it difficult to ensure every shift is staffed with trained personnel. When training is managed separately from scheduling, staff may appear available for shifts despite expired certifications, leaving providers exposed to risk and audit challenges. Sona LMS bridges this gap by making training completion actionable, so that workforce readiness is monitored in real time and staff are truly shift-ready, while also reducing administrative overhead. Why Sona built LMS as a native module Sona has always believed that technology works best when it serves the workflow rather than adding more layers of complexity. Scheduling, HR and payroll already reside within Sona, so building the LMS as a native module ensures that learning is seamlessly woven into the same employee record. This integration eliminates the need for duplicated data entry and prevents errors that often occur when systems are disconnected. * Completed training updates shift eligibility automatically. Expired certifications block shifts before the rota is published. Course completion, compliance and career progression are all visible in real time. The operational problem Sona wanted to solve Many providers have an LMS, but having one does not necessarily mean it is effective. When learning exists in isolation from the rest of workforce management, teams end up performing repetitive administrative tasks: re-entering information, chasing compliance evidence, manually managing induction and onboarding and ultimately risking unsafe shift assignments. Sona LMS removes these inefficiencies by embedding learning directly into workforce operations. What is live today Sona LMS is now available, offering a comprehensive set of features that address the real challenges of workforce training and compliance. * Shift gating: Completed skills unlock shift eligibility; expired certifications automatically block shift assignments. AI-powered course creation: Upload a policy document and Sona generates lessons, quizzes and assessments in minutes. Care pathways & onboarding: Probation, competency progression and care certificate pathways managed in real time. Reporting & audit readiness: 20+ reports across completions, compliance and career development, complete with AI commentary. Engagement & gamification: XP, streaks, leaderboards, peer badges and AI video support. Mobile-first UX: Accessibility settings for colour-blindness, dyslexia and text-to-speech. What this means for care providers With Sona LMS, compliance becomes a real-time, actionable process rather than a retroactive check. Staff are onboarded efficiently, administrative effort is reduced and managers have visibility into readiness and career progression. Looking ahead Workforce pressures will continue, but providers now have a system that reduces friction and ensures that staff are truly ready for every shift. Sona LMS is not a standalone product; it is part of a single, integrated platform designed to make training actionable and meaningful. Want to see what Sona can do for your operations? Book a demo to chat about your goals and see where its platform can make a difference.

VentureBurn
Apr 1st, 2026
Sona raises $45M to expand AI platform for frontline work.

Sona raises $45M to expand AI platform for frontline work. 2 April 2026 Key Takeaways * Sona raised $45M in Series B funding, led by venture firm N47. * The AI workforce platform now has over $100M in total funding. * Sona provides AI-driven scheduling, HR, payroll, and operations tools for frontline industries. Sona, an artificial intelligence startup for frontline businesses, raised $45m in a Series B round to help fund development of its platform. The new round was led by venture fund N47 alongside existing investors Felicis, Northzone, Gradient Ventures and Italian Founders Fund. With this new funding Sona has now raised over $100 million in total, and the company looks set to accelerate its user base on a global scale and grow deeper across the U.S. AI built for the frontline workforce. Unlike many lines of enterprise software, which are designed primarily for office-based personnel working in finance, HR, or software development, Sona is designed first and foremost for frontline employees. Its first customers are people in hospitality, retail, healthcare, logistics and social care, covering hundreds of millions of people, many of whom are still managing their businesses with disjointed legacy tools. Sona is trying to address this issue by creating an AI-native workforce management platform that consolidates multiple key business operations together. The platform merges scheduling, HR, payroll, compliance, and analytics tools. By developing their own proprietary software, the company are able to analyse huge amounts of operational data (such as bookings, staffing levels, weather conditions, and historical measures of operation) to effectively forecast demand, plan staffing levels accordingly, and run operations in real time. The company claims that these sound efficiencies also enable businesses to cut labour costs and provide better customer service at a time when many industries are experiencing labour shortages and rising costs. Solving a massive market problem. Workers in frontline industries face outdated enterprise applications. Companies continue to depend on spreadsheets, manual scheduling and siloed applications that don't pull all the key workforce information together. Sona's founders believe artificial intelligence can dramatically improve how these organizations operate. The AI tool predicts the staffing needs by looking at the workload, both from historical data and in real time. Then, it automatically creates a well-balanced plan. Essentially, it makes sure that there are enough workers at the right places, at the right time, minimising under- and overstaffing. A further feature is an AI assistant offering managers real-time operational insights and guidance so that decisions can be made quickly. Strategic growth. Investors anticipate that Sona has the potential to become the dominant platform for frontline business. Matthew Cowan, General Partner at N47, said this investment shows increased confidence in AI-powered workforce applications. He explained that many of today's workforce management systems were built 30 years ago and often can't cope with today's complexity of work. Sona's platform will essentially be replacing these more traditional facilities, as they now provide one integrated infrastructure where business will operate the scheduling, HR, payroll and analytics. Sona is also keen on further penetrating the US market. The company holds a growing presence in New York and intends to utilise the newly raised funds to scale its sales and grow its partnerships and enterprise customers in North America. The worldwide workforce management market is still expanding swiftly. As more companies implement cloud-based applications, they turn to modern AI-powered analytics tools to manage their workforce with greater efficiency. By deeply integrating AI into its core offerings and channelling its services specifically toward frontline workers, Sona aims to function as the backbone of operations for any industry that utilises shift workers. I'm a crypto writer with 4+ years of experience passionate about turning big, technical ideas into content anyone can understand. From blockchain to stablecoins to everything in between, I enjoy helping readers stay informed in a space that never stops moving. Disclaimer VentureBurn is a media platform covering the latest in cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, venture capital, and the startup ecosystem. Opinions expressed on VentureBurn are for informational purposes only and do not constitute investment advice. Before making any high-risk investments in digital assets or emerging technologies, readers should conduct their own due diligence. All transactions and financial decisions are made at your own risk, and any losses incurred are solely your responsibility. VentureBurn does not endorse or recommend the buying or selling of any digital assets and is not a licensed investment advisor. Please note that VentureBurn may participate in affiliate marketing programs.

PR Newswire
Apr 1st, 2026
Sona raises $45M Series B to bring AI workforce management to frontline businesses

Sona, an AI platform for frontline businesses, has raised $45 million in a Series B round led by N47, with participation from Felicis, Northzone, Gradient and Italian Founders Fund. The funding brings total capital raised to over $100 million and will accelerate US expansion. The company provides AI-powered workforce management tools for real economy industries including hospitality, retail, healthcare and logistics. Its platform combines scheduling, HR, payroll and business intelligence, serving clients like Popeyes and Tao Group. Sona recently launched Forge, an enterprise AI application builder that allows businesses to create custom software integrated with their core data. CEO Steffen Wulff Petersen said AI has compressed the company's ten-year product roadmap into a one-year plan, enabling Sona to become the operational foundation for frontline organisations.

Sona
Feb 12th, 2026
New integrated partnership launched with Grateful

New integrated partnership launched with Grateful. 12 February 2026 Sona, a leading Workforce Management (WFM) platform for frontline teams, has partnered with Grateful to create a cutting edge integration. Sona and Grateful now work together to streamline how teams are managed and rewarded, using technology designed for fairness and ease. "We're excited to reflect on our partnership with Sona, a next-generation workforce management platform (much like ourselves) built for hospitality teams.This partnership brings together two perspectives rooted in hospitality: Sona, empowering teams with smarter workforce tools, and Grateful, championing transparency and fairness in how people are recognised and rewarded.Together, we're focused on helping businesses support their people with technology that works the way hospitality works, real time, real world, and built for those on the go.Watch this space for more exciting partner initiatives throughout 2026." Mason Potter Co-Founder Both Sona and Grateful are built around the same principle: empower people with smart technology, and outstanding customer experiences will follow. "Launching this partnership between Sona and Grateful is a proud moment for me. It represents the coming together of two purpose driven platforms with a shared vision of building smarter human solutions for the customers we serve. By aligning our expertise and values, we're laying the foundation for innovation that goes beyond normal functionality, it will instead bring tangible impact for every organisation we support." Russ Kenyon Head of Partnerships, Sona About Sona: Backed by Google's Gradient Ventures, Sona is the next-generation workforce management solution for large Social Care providers, where consumer grade design is matched by AI-driven decision making. Sona combines end-to-end WFM functionality - including Scheduling, Time & Attendance, HR and Payroll - with truly intelligent AI capabilities that enable real-time actionable insights geared towards driving growth and increasing employee satisfaction. About Grateful: Grateful is simplifying and streamlining the tipping and management process with innovative products. From QR/NFC applications to EPOS integration and upcoming Tap & Tip POS terminals, Sona is constantly developing solutions to improve the service industry.