CHRO

Meridian Group; United States; On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Meridian Group is seeking a senior, business-oriented Chief Human Resources Officer to lead its people strategy and build the HR infrastructure needed to support continued growth.

Reporting to the CEO, the CHRO will partner with executive leadership and operating managers to align talent, leadership development, workforce planning and labor relations with business objectives. This role requires hands-on execution in a field-based, multi-location environment.

Qualifications

• 15+ years HR leadership experience in a multi-location, field-based environment.
• Demonstrated labor relations and union experience.
• Proven ability to recruit and develop senior leadership talent.
• Strong analytics with HR KPIs, dashboards and workforce planning.
• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Willingness to travel regularly to company offices and sites.
• Experience implementing HRIS, ATS and LMS systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive people strategy aligned with growth objectives.
• Provide strategic counsel to the CEO and executive team on talent, organization, workforce and culture matters.
• Build a scalable HR operating model and governance framework.
• Oversee talent management, leadership development, succession planning and internal mobility.
• Lead labor relations strategy and maintain effective relationships with unions and management.
• Establish HR analytics, reporting and KPI dashboards for executive leadership.
• Ensure compliance with employment laws and HR policies across locations.

Skills

Leadership

HR Strategy

Labor Relations

Talent Acquisition

Workforce Planning

HR Analytics

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/Business

Master's degree / SHRM-SCP / SPHR

Tools

HRIS (Workday/PeopleSoft)

Job description

A well-established, growing organization is seeking an accomplished, business-oriented Chief Human Resources Officer to lead its people strategy and build the HR infrastructure needed to support continued growth.

This is an important leadership opportunity for an experienced HR executive who can serve as both a strategic advisor and a hands-on business partner. The CHRO will work closely with the CEO, executive leadership team and operating leaders to ensure the organization has the talent, leadership capabilities and workforce strategies necessary to support its continued development.

The successful candidate will bring experience working in a complex, operational environment with a significant field-based workforce. Experience with organized labor, recruiting hard-to-find talent, leadership development, workforce planning and HR analytics will be particularly valuable.

About the Organization

Our client is an established, growing organization with operations across multiple locations and a workforce that includes both field-based and professional employees.

The company has a strong operating foundation and is entering a period of continued growth and organizational development. As the business evolves, leadership recognizes the need to further develop its people strategy, HR infrastructure, leadership capabilities and workforce programs.

This is an opportunity for a senior HR leader to help shape that next stage of development while building a Human Resources function that is viewed as a true business partner.

The Role

Reporting to the CEO, the CHRO will have responsibility for the full Human Resources function and will partner closely with executive leadership, business unit leaders and operating management.

The role will require a combination of strategic perspective and practical execution. The successful candidate will be expected to establish greater structure and consistency across HR while maintaining a strong understanding of the needs of the business and its workforce.

Key Responsibilities

Business Partnership & People Strategy

• Develop and execute a comprehensive people strategy aligned with business objectives and growth plans.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO, executive leadership team and operating leaders on talent, organization, workforce and culture matters.
• Translate business plans and workforce requirements into actionable talent strategies.
• Build a scalable HR operating model capable of supporting continued growth.
• Help reinforce a culture of accountability, safety, performance, collaboration and continuous improvement.

Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

• Develop a proactive recruiting strategy for critical field, technical, professional and leadership positions.
• Build sustainable talent pipelines for difficult-to-fill positions.
• Partner with business leaders on workforce planning based on growth, staffing requirements, turnover and anticipated talent needs.
• Establish recruiting metrics and processes to improve hiring effectiveness.
• Strengthen the organization's employment brand and candidate experience.

Training, Development & Succession

• Build a structured training and development strategy across the organization.
• Develop career and development pathways for employees at various levels.
• Establish leadership development and manager training programs.
• Lead talent reviews, succession planning and high-potential identification for critical positions.
• Create opportunities for internal mobility and career advancement.

Talent Management & Employee Experience

• Lead talent management across the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, performance management, engagement, retention, succession, compensation and recognition.
• Implement practical performance management processes that reinforce accountability and development.
• Partner with leaders to identify organizational and talent issues and develop appropriate solutions.
• Oversee sensitive employee relations matters with sound judgment and consistency.

Labor Relations

• Provide leadership for labor relations and organized workforce strategy.
• Maintain effective relationships with union representatives and internal operating leaders.
• Bring practical experience with collective bargaining agreements, work rules, grievances and other labor matters.
• Partner with Operations and Legal to ensure consistent and compliant labor practices.
• Balance workforce availability, productivity, employee relations and business requirements.

HR Analytics & Workforce Reporting

• Establish HR KPIs and workforce dashboards that provide leadership with visibility into workforce trends and risks.
• Monitor metrics including headcount, turnover, vacancies, recruiting performance, retention, absenteeism, training and succession coverage.
• Provide regular workforce reporting to executive leadership, highlighting trends, risks and recommended actions.
• Use workforce data to improve decision-making and HR effectiveness.
• Continue to improve HR systems, processes and reporting capabilities.

HR Operations & Organizational Infrastructure

• Provide executive oversight of compensation, benefits, HR operations, policies, compliance, HR systems and employee relations.
• Ensure compliance with applicable employment laws and labor requirements.
• Support workforce-related due diligence and integration activities associated with acquisitions or new operations.
• Manage HR resources, vendors and programs while continually improving service levels and organizational effectiveness.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will bring:

• 15+ years of progressive Human Resources experience, including significant leadership responsibility.
• Demonstrated HR leadership experience in construction, infrastructure, industrial services, specialty contracting or another comparable operational environment.
• Meaningful labor relations and union experience.
• Proven success recruiting field, technical, professional and leadership talent in competitive labor markets.
• Experience developing training, leadership development, career development, talent review and succession planning programs.
• Strong analytical orientation with experience developing HR KPIs, workforce analytics and executive-level reporting.
• Broad HR expertise across talent acquisition, employee relations, performance management, compensation and benefits, compliance, organizational development and HR operations.
• Ability to operate strategically while remaining hands-on and credible with leaders and employees at all levels.
• Exceptional communication, relationship-building, influencing and problem-solving skills.
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Development or a related field.
• Ability to travel regularly to company offices and operating locations.

Preferred:

• Experience supporting a multi-location or multi-business-unit organization undergoing growth and organizational change.
• Experience in a field-based, project-driven or highly operational environment.
• Experience implementing or optimizing HRIS, applicant tracking, learning management, performance management and workforce analytics systems.
• Master's degree and/or senior HR certification such as SHRM-SCP or SPHR.

What Success Looks Like

• A clear workforce strategy aligned with the organization's business objectives.
• Stronger talent pipelines and more proactive workforce planning.
• Improved recruiting effectiveness for critical positions.
• Constructive and proactive labor relationships.
• Stronger management and leadership capabilities.
• Defined development and succession plans for critical positions.
• Reliable workforce data and HR KPIs available to executive leadership.
• An HR function recognized throughout the organization as a practical, accountable business partner.

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity for a proven HR executive to join an established organization at an important point in its growth and have a meaningful influence on its people strategy and organizational development.

The CHRO will have significant access to senior leadership and the opportunity to strengthen the talent systems, recruiting capabilities, leadership programs, labor strategies and workforce infrastructure necessary to support the organization's continued growth.

For the right leader, this role offers the opportunity to combine enterprise-level HR leadership with meaningful operational impact.