Chief People Officer - Global HR & Growth

Crucial Hire; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 225,000 - 275,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Retirement plan with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

Crucial Hire is seeking a Head of Human Resources to lead the people function for ~300 employees across Chicago and Europe. You report to the CEO, sit on the executive strategy team, and shape structure, pay, benefits, culture and people risk.

This is a hands-on executive seat with a lean HR team and a focus on scaling via international expansion. You will drive compensation, benefits, and employee relations across multiple countries, including EU changes, while partnering with Finance on the HR

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive HR experience, including senior leadership of a broad HR function.
• Advised a CEO and executive team directly on organization, talent and business decisions.
• Led a multidisciplinary HR team covering both strategy and operations.
• Hands-on depth in compensation, benefits, talent, employee relations and HR operations.
• Experience with international or multi-location workforces, including U.S. and European employment practices.

Responsibilities

• Trusted advisor to the CEO and executive team on organization design, workforce planning, succession and leadership.
• Compensation strategy: salary structures, benchmarking, merit and promotion cycles, and a new profit‑funded incentive plan.
• Benefits strategy across the U.S. and Europe: plan design, funding, renewals and broker relationships, plus retirement plan governance.
• Employee relations, compliance and people risk across multiple countries, including European employment law changes coming in 2027.
• International growth: employment contracts, visas and entity setup for new markets.
• Integration of an acquired subsidiary: employment terms, policies, benefits and HR systems.
• Talent: senior hiring, the performance framework, and leadership and manager development.
• Engagement and culture: employee listening, the annual survey and leadership action plans.
• HR budget, systems, data and the annual HR calendar, in partnership with Finance.
• Workplace strategy for the Chicago headquarters with Operations: office capacity, seating and attendance.
• Lead, mentor and grow the HR team.

Skills

Business leadership

Executive communication

People management

Change management

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Job description

Crucial Hire is seeking a Head of Human Resources to lead the people function for ~300 employees across Chicago and Europe. You report to the CEO, sit on the executive strategy team, and shape structure, pay, benefits, culture and people risk.

This is a hands-on executive seat with a lean HR team and a focus on scaling via international expansion. You will drive compensation, benefits, and employee relations across multiple countries, including EU changes, while partnering with Finance on the HR