Head of Human Resources in United State

Position: Head of Human Resources

Location: Chicago, IL (Relocation assistance available); candidates who currently reside in the greater Houston, TX or Colorado Springs, CO areas, open to commuting regularly to Chicago, IL will be considered.

Travel: Travel to various project sites & business locations can reach 30% based on business needs

We're partnering with a rapidly growing Chicago-based general contractor to find an exceptional Head of Human Resources to join their executive team. This is a rare opportunity to move beyond traditional HR and serve as a strategic partner to the CEO, overseeing a value-adding human capital strategy for a company with 150+ employees, with a clear trajectory to grow to more than 500 employees and over $1B in revenue. You won't just support the business; you'll be instrumental in shaping workforce strategy, elevating the company culture, and using data-driven insights to fuel this significant business growth. If you're a experienced HR executive with a passion for building high-performing teams in the construction industry, this is your chance to lead all aspects of HR, from talent management and compensation to labor relations, while making a tangible impact on a thriving organization.

Core profile: alignment with one of these two core profiles is required to get you in the conversation.

• Head human resources officer experience for an organization or business unit: A strategic, visionary, people leader, and an advocate of an organization’s HR function. Demonstrated history of supporting, developing, and executing human resource strategy in support of the overall business plan and strategic direction of the organization,
• Significant human resources functional leadership: A proven HR professional that has led core aspects of the human resources function and is ready now for promotion to the head of HR level. A senior leader that has been in charge of a broad scope of human resources-related activities specifically in the areas of talent management, leadership development, career management, succession planning, organizational and performance management, training, and organizational development, workforce planning, talent acquisition, compensation, and change management.
  
  

Differentiators: these will set you apart in the selection process.

• Entrepreneurial Spirit & Company Culture Alignment: The ideal candidate should have a strong desire to build, grow, and own the outcomes of a business’s success, with a continuous improvement mindset and a willingness to take a hands-on approach to achieve results quickly. They should have an authentic executive presence and be respected, relatable, and approachable across the organization. The candidate should prioritize team success over individual titles and have experience aligning corporate culture with organizational goals to create a positive and collaborative work environment. Can effectively navigate a largely blue-collar workforce.
• HR Transformation Leadership: Experience setting up, maturing, and scaling a high-performance human resources function. Track record of creating and implementing policies, procedures, and best practices. Ability to build and deliver a top-notch employee experience that creates long-term value for the company. Supports and champions change that positions human resources as a business partner in the organization; ensures all people-related initiatives align with business goals and objectives. Develops a future state vision, then establishes goals and objectives, communicates the strategy, executes action plans, and measures progress. Strong people management skills with a demonstrated ability to communicate, motivative, and align employees across all levels of the organization.
• Core HR Operations, Policy & Compliance: This role will oversee all core HR operations and compliance for a multi-state organization with both union and non-union workforces. You'll be responsible for developing and enforcing policies and procedures that ensure legal compliance across different states, including the creation and management of employee handbooks. A key part of your role will be the strategic utilization of the HRIS to manage employee data, automate workflows, and ensure the accuracy of payroll and benefits administration. You will also lead union negotiations, collective bargaining, and grievance resolution, building strong, collaborative relationships with union leaders and employees. This position requires strict adherence to all federal, state, and local labor laws and regulations, including Davis-Bacon Act, OFCCP, and prevailing wage requirements.
• Talent Management Best Practices: Proactively collaborates with business leaders across the organization to develop and embed smart talent management plans and programs that address current and future business needs. The candidate will be responsible for the full scope of talent management, which involves strategically attracting, developing, and retaining top-tier employees. You will manage key initiatives including performance management to set goals and provide feedback, leadership development to grow our people, career management to help them map out their professional paths, and succession planning to ensure we have the right talent in place for the future. You will be instrumental in building a high-performing culture and making sure the company's human capital strategy aligns with its business objectives.
• Learning & Leadership Development: This work involves designing, implementing, and managing programs that enhance employee skills, knowledge, and overall professional growth. This includes identifying organizational and individual learning needs, creating and delivering training programs, and leveraging technology and other resources to ensure continuous learning. The objective is to build a culture of growth that not only improves employee performance and engagement but also builds the critical capabilities required to achieve the company's long-term strategic goals.
• Total Rewards: Design, implement, and manage a comprehensive Total Rewards strategy that goes beyond base pay to attract, motivate, and retain top talent. This includes overseeing all aspects of compensation, benefits, well-being, recognition, and professional development. The objective is to create a compelling and competitive employee value proposition that aligns with business goals and ensures employees feel valued for their contributions.
  
  

Core Accountabilities

Strategic Partnership & Leadership

• Act as a strategic partner to the CEO and C-suite, providing trusted advice and insights on long-term workforce strategies, organizational design, and cultural evolution.
• Translate the company's business plans into actionable HR strategies, then coordinate the execution of these plans and programs across the entire organization.
• Oversee the workforce planning process, implementing policies and procedures to understand future staffing needs. This includes conducting enterprise skills gap and critical talent assessments, talent forecasting, and scenario planning.
• Manage the Human Resources Department's budget and financial performance, collaborating with Finance, Operations, and Project Management to ensure HR strategies are fully aligned with business needs.
  
  

Team & Department Management

• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing HR team that is focused on continually improving the human resources function. This includes evaluating the team's structure, providing opportunities for professional and personal growth, and ensuring the team is capable of meeting all business objectives.
• Improve the overall HR function by enhancing and developing programs, policies, practices, and processes. Ensure accountability for all human resources initiatives to improve the operational effectiveness of the company.
• Use data-driven insights to inform executive decision-making and measure organizational health. This involves optimizing HR systems, ensuring data integrity, and leveraging HR metrics to drive process efficiency.
• Act as a strategic partner to address the organization's operational and people issues, ensuring the HR department is directly supporting business goals.
  
  

Talent Management & Culture

• Support and direct the organization's talent management strategy, including succession planning, identifying capability gaps, and improving bench talent. This involves working closely with senior leadership to build necessary processes and capabilities.
• Oversee and implement talent development programs to build high-performing leaders and foster employee growth. This includes executive education, coaching, mentoring, performance management, and career development initiatives to support talent mobility and organizational effectiveness.
• Lead initiatives to enhance corporate culture, employee engagement, and retention by protecting positive contributions and identifying issues that hold the company back.
• Drive change management initiatives to support company growth, scalability, and operational excellence.
• Implement robust talent acquisition programs, policies, and procedures to effectively identify, attract, select, and retain qualified individuals through sourcing, assessment, and onboarding.
  
  

Employee & Labor Relations

• Using fair and consistent practices, oversee employee relations, investigations, conflict resolution, and policy enforcement, while also providing guidance on these best practices to business teams.
• Act as a trusted advisor and consultant for employees and leaders and take a thoughtful and creative approach to identifying solutions that align with the company’s philosophy and work environment.
• Build strong, collaborative relationships with union leaders, employees, and internal stakeholders.
• Direct union negotiations, collective bargaining, grievance resolution, and arbitration with a solutions-focused approach.
  
  

Compensation, Rewards & Compliance

• Design and manage a competitive total rewards program that includes compensation, benefits, and incentive structures tailored to the unique needs of the construction industry. This strategy should encompass all investments made in the workforce, from pay and benefits to non-monetary elements like learning, development, and flexible work options.
• Oversee all aspects of benefits administration, including wellness programs and annual open enrollment processes, to ensure the offerings are comprehensive, competitive, and well-managed.
• Assess the competitiveness of all compensation and benefits programs by regularly benchmarking them against relevant companies and markets to ensure they are motivating and aligned with overall business goals.
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations across a highly distributed U.S.-based work environment, including specific laws like the Davis-Bacon Act, OFCCP, and Prevailing Wage requirements. This also involves overseeing federal compliance reporting, certified payroll obligations, and security clearance processes.
  
  

What Qualifications You Need

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, organizational leadership, or other business focused degree; MBA and HR specific certifications such as SPHR, SHRM-SCP or other globally recognized HR certifications are highly desirable.
• Typically, 15 - 20+ years of total experience and progressive career growth within highly diverse, scaling organizations.
• Minimum of 10 ideally 15 or more, years of experience providing executive leadership, management, and oversight of human resources teams of 5 or more.
• Minimum of 10+, years of experience working with remote teams, including building deep, enjoyable long-distance work relationships with teams located across multiple time zones within the United States.
• 15+ years of direct leadership or indirect oversight of core HR functions such as talent acquisition, talent management, performance management, leadership development, learning and development, compensation, benefits, employee rewards, and employee relations.
• Construction industry experience is required. The ideal candidate will have experience leading HR within design-build, general contractor, specialty contractor, EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction), or AEC (Architecture, Engineering, Construction)
• Prior HR leadership experience within a company that employees 300 – 500+ people; and has revenues in excess of $500M, preferably $1B+ is required. The ideal candidate will have led HR and people operations for a company that experienced a period of rapid growth.
• Proficiency in HR technology systems (HRIS, ATS, payroll software, etc.).
• Experience identifying, defining, implementing, and monitoring metrics and KPIs related to human resource function performance and success; tracks data on an ongoing basis and makes objective data-driven decisions.
• Deep knowledge of employment laws, compliance, and HR best practices. Strong understanding of Davis-Bacon, OFCCP, SCA, EEO, and prevailing wage laws.
• Multi-state, multi-site workforce management experience required. Multi-state, multi-union workforce management a plus
• Labor relations expertise, including collective bargaining, union negotiations, union and non-union workforce management, and dispute resolution a plus.
• Experience with mergers and acquisitions (M&A), or De Novo market expansion including workforce integration and cultural alignment a plus.
  
  

About Our Client

Our client is a rapidly growing general contractor firm based in Chicago. With a team of 150 people, they have built a reputation for excellence through an unwavering commitment to quality and innovative project management. The company specializes in both commercial and residential projects, and has become a trusted partner for clients seeking dependable, high-quality construction services. They are committed to building not just structures, but lasting relationships built on trust and superior craftsmanship.