Chief Human Resources Officer

The Goodwin Group; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

A highly respected nonprofit organization in Atlanta is seeking a Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) to join their executive leadership team. The CHRO will lead the people and culture strategy, ensuring compliance and operational excellence across a complex workforce. With over 15 years of progressive HR leadership, including 7 in a senior role, the ideal candidate will be experienced in crisis leadership, workforce planning, and labor strategy. This position offers a unique opportunity to impact a mission-driven organization.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive HR leadership experience including 7+ years in a senior executive HR role.
• Experience in large, complex, multi-site organizations.
• Strong executive presence and ability to advise the CEO and Board.
• Experience in regulated, grant-funded environments.
• Strong executive presence and advisor to CEO/Board.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a multi-year people and culture strategy.
• Align talent strategy with operational demands.
• Ensure compliance with employment regulations.
• Partner with Finance and Operations on workforce cost modeling.
• Lead talent development and executive succession planning.

Skills

Crisis leadership

Workforce planning

Financial acumen

Labor strategy

Data-driven decision making

Data-driven HR analytics

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree (MBA, MHRM)

SPHR, SHRM-SCP, or equivalent certification

Tools

HRIS

Payroll systems

Workforce analytics tools

Job description

We are conducting a confidential executive search for a Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) on behalf of a highly respected, mission-driven nonprofit organization in Atlanta. The CHRO will serve as a key member of the executive leadership team, reporting directly to the President & CEO. This executive also serves as a trusted advisor to the CEO and Board of Directors, leading the enterprise-wide people and culture strategy for a large, complex, multi-site organization. The workforce includes salaried, part-time hourly employees, and a significant volunteer population.

The CHRO will oversee all aspects of human capital management across a distributed, highly regulated workforce. This leader will align workforce strategy with organizational priorities—ensuring regulatory compliance, operational excellence at scale, and a strong, intentional culture that drives employee engagement and community impact.

This role requires a seasoned executive with experience in union environments, federal and state grant compliance, executive governance, crisis leadership, and enterprise-wide HR transformation.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a multi-year people and culture strategy aligned with mission and long-term sustainability.
• Lead workforce planning across a complex mix of salaried, part-time hourly, seasonal employees, and volunteers.
• Align talent strategy with diverse funding structures and operational demands.
• Partner with Finance and Operations to ensure workforce cost modeling supports fiscal stewardship.
• Establish metrics to measure engagement, retention, and organizational effectiveness.

Executive & Board Partnership

• Serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO on culture, executive talent, succession planning, and organizational design.
• Support executive onboarding and leadership development initiatives.
• Partner with Board committees on compensation governance and workforce risk oversight.
• Oversee executive compensation philosophy and compliance.

Regulatory & Labor Leadership

• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment regulations and funding requirements.
• Lead HR operations within a highly regulated, audit-driven environment.
• Oversee collective bargaining agreement administration and labor strategy.
• Direct complex employee relations matters and workforce transitions with integrity and compliance.

Culture, Operations & Transformation

• Design and implement enterprise engagement strategies and leadership development programs.
• Foster an inclusive, high-performance culture aligned with organizational values.
• Modernize performance management, succession planning, and talent development frameworks.
• Lead HR technology optimization and service delivery modernization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MHRM, or related field) considered a plus.
• SPHR, SHRM-SCP, or equivalent executive HR certification preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, including 7+ years in a senior executive HR role (CHRO, Chief People Officer, or VP of HR).
• Experience leading HR in large, multi-site organizations with complex workforce structures.
• Demonstrated success operating within highly regulated, compliance-driven environments.
• Experience managing executive transitions, organizational redesign, and enterprise workforce transformation initiatives.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to advise the CEO and Board effectively.
• Deep expertise in workforce planning, compensation governance, and organizational design.
• Enterprise systems thinker with strong financial acumen.
• Demonstrated crisis leadership and workforce continuity planning experience.
• Data-driven decision maker with HR technology fluency and modernization experience.

Other

This position description outlines the general scope and responsibilities of the role. All qualified applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, disability, veteran status, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

While we sincerely appreciate all interest, only those selected for interview will be contacted.