Chief Human Resources Officer

Crucial Hire; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 275,000 - 315,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Executive benefits

Job summary

Crucial Hire is seeking a CHRO to own the full people function, driving strategy, structure, and execution across recruiting, development, performance, and workforce planning. You will partner with executive leadership to shape how the business performs and scales through its people.

This role requires building and modernizing HR processes in a growth environment, with a focus on leadership development, succession, and data-driven workforce analytics to inform decisions and accelerate enterprise

Qualifications

• 12–20+ years in HR / Talent leadership.
• Experience in professional services or partnership-driven environments.
• Proven track record of building or transforming HR functions.
• Strong executive presence and ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Comfort operating in environments that require modernization and cultural sensitivity.

Responsibilities

• Own the full people function—strategy, structure, and execution across recruiting, development, performance, workforce planning, and organizational effectiveness.
• Partner with executive leadership to shape performance and scaling through people.
• Build modernization, integration, and elevated HR processes with data-driven decision making.
• Lead talent strategy, org design, and succession planning to support growth.

Skills

Executive leadership

HR transformation

Talent strategy

Organizational design

People analytics

Stakeholder management

Change management

Job description

Chief Human Resources Officer

Title

Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) / Head of HR - Growth & Transformation

Executive Leadership

About the Company

Build what’s next - not maintain what exists.

Some HR leadership roles inherit mature systems, polished processes, and fully built infrastructure.

This one doesn’t.

We’re partnered with a well-established, multi-office professional services organization at a point where its people function must evolve to match the complexity and ambition of the business.

The foundation is there.

The opportunity is to modernize, integrate, and elevate - without losing what already works. This is a role for someone who sees inefficiency and immediately starts building a better way.

About the Role

You’ll own the full people function—strategy, structure, and execution—spanning recruiting, development, performance, workforce planning, and organizational effectiveness.

You’ll partner directly with executive leadership to shape how the business performs and scales through its people.

You’ll be stepping into an environment where parts of the HR function are still highly manual—creating a real opportunity to build, modernize, and lead.

You’ll be expected to make decisions without perfect information—and stand behind them.

This is not a maintenance role.

This is a build, fix, and elevate role.

Responsibilities

Talent Strategy & Organizational Design

• Build and integrate an end-to-end talent strategy aligned to business growth
• Strengthen leadership capability, succession planning, and internal mobility
• Align talent decisions to performance, profitability, and long-term scale

Executive Partnership

• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership
• Influence decisions across structure, performance, and organizational direction
• Translate business priorities into clear, actionable people strategies

Recruiting & Talent Acquisition Leadership

• Oversee hiring strategy across senior and specialized roles
• Build scalable recruiting processes that improve speed, quality, and experience
• Strengthen external pipelines and partnerships

Talent Development, Performance & Retention

• Evolve performance management and career development frameworks
• Build leadership development and succession programs
• Improve retention through clarity, accountability, and growth pathways

Workforce Planning & Analytics

• Introduce data-driven decision-making across the people function
• Build reporting, dashboards, and KPIs that leadership actually uses
• Align headcount and capability planning with business demand

People Operations & Infrastructure

• Modernize HR processes, systems, and workflows
• Replace manual, fragmented approaches with scalable solutions
• Establish structure without slowing the business down

Qualifications

• 12–20+ years in HR / Talent leadership
• Experience in professional services or partnership-driven environments
• Proven track record of building or transforming HR functions
• Strong executive presence and ability to influence senior stakeholders
• Comfort operating in environments that require both modernization and cultural sensitivity

Required Skills

• You’ve modernized HR in environments that were behind the curve
• You know how to introduce structure without overengineering
• You can influence strong personalities and competing priorities
• You balance long-term strategy with immediate execution

This Role Is Not For You If

• You’ve only operated in highly structured, fully built environments
• You prefer optimization over transformation
• You avoid ambiguity or hands‑on involvement
• You rely on process instead of judgment

Compensation & Benefits

$275K – $315K base + bonus

Comprehensive executive-level benefits

Equal Opportunity Statement

We’re committed to building strong, diverse teams and an environment where people can do their best work.

If you’ve been in environments where you’ve had to build, fix, and elevate - and you’re ready to take full ownership of that challenge - this is a seat worth exploring.

Confidential inquiries welcome.