SVP and Chief Human Resources Officer

Acrnet; Norfolk (VA); On-site; USD 240,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

CMA CGM America seeks a Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer for the Shipping business unit in North America. Responsible for all HR activities across the U.S. and Canada for ~1,500 associates (union and non-union).

Balances strategic priorities with hands-on execution in a cost-conscious, high-growth environment. The role requires building an HR function as a trusted business partner, leading talent, labor relations, and organizational development while aligning with regional

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, including unionized environments.
• Proven success leading labor strategy and collective bargaining.
• Experience building and leading geographically dispersed HR teams.
• Strong business acumen and cost-conscious mindset.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for regional HR management across the NA region.
• Develop and implement a high-performing HR strategy and service model.
• Lead labor negotiations and manage relations with unions and employee representatives.
• Advise leadership with insights and guidance for growth and integration.
• Enhance employer branding to attract/retain talent.
• Lead HR due diligence for mergers and acquisitions and systems integration.
• Build and develop a dispersed HR team of ~30 professionals.

Skills

HR leadership

Labor relations

Executive communication

Change management

Talent development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, HR, law, or related

Tools

HRIS

Payroll systems

Job description

About CMA CGM

CMA CGM Group is a global leader in shipping and logistics, headquartered in Marseille, France. Founded in 1978, the Group operates a fleet of more than 650 vessels serving 420 ports worldwide and manages an extensive network of warehouses across 160 countries. With annual revenues exceeding $55 billion, CMA CGM delivers end-to-end supply chain solutions through its core businesses in container shipping, logistics, and port terminal operations.

CMA CGM America is the nation’s leading ocean carrier for exports, operating 42 weekly services connecting 21 major U.S. ports to markets worldwide. The organization handles over 5 million TEUs annually and is investing significantly in fleet expansion, terminal modernization, and green shipping technologies. Guided by its purpose—“We imagine better ways to serve a world in motion”—CMA CGM is committed to innovation, sustainability (targeting carbon neutrality by 2050), and operational excellence across its 160,000-strong global workforce.

Position Overview

The Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer is the senior-most HR executive for CMA CGM’s Shipping business unit in North America and a member of the NA Executive Leadership Team. This leader is responsible for all HR activities across the U.S. and Canada for approximately 1,500 associates (union and non-union). The role requires building the HR function into a trusted business partner while balancing strategic priorities with hands-on execution in a cost-conscious, high-growth environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership for regional HR management, including Talent Acquisition, Workforce Planning, Total Rewards, Talent Development, HRIS, and Payroll. Execute global HR policies and guidelines while upleveling the skill set and service delivery of the HR function.
• Partner with North American executive leaders to develop and implement a high-performing HR strategy and service model that supports business objectives. Strengthen employee engagement, attraction, and retention through compelling benefits and development offerings.
• Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive labor strategy. Foster collaborative relationships with unions and employee representatives and steer collective bargaining negotiations in alignment with regional leadership.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to the leadership team, providing insights, constructive challenge, and guidance to prepare the organization for continued growth.
• Assess and enhance the employer brand to position CMA CGM as an employer of choice.
• Lead end-to-end HR due diligence and integration for mergers and acquisitions, ensuring smooth workforce transitions, communications, systems integration, and realization of operational synergies.
• Build and develop a geographically dispersed HR team (COE and HRBP resources totaling approximately 30 professionals), assessing capabilities and driving skill development, coaching, and succession planning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, human resources, law, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive, high-level HR leadership experience, including recent hands-on operational leadership in a unionized environment.
• Demonstrated success leading business-wide labor strategy and collective bargaining negotiations.
• Proven ability to lead and develop geographically dispersed teams across multiple locations and cultures.
• Strong business acumen with a cost orientation and entrepreneurial mindset; experience in high-growth organizations preferred.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder-management skills; comfort influencing at executive and board levels.
• Experience working for a non-U.S. headquartered company preferred; French company experience and/or French language skills are a plus.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally (approximately 30%).
• Interest in growing with the organization into roles of increasing scale and scope.

Leadership Characteristics

The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker and trusted advisor who can balance long-term people strategy with immediate operational needs. They possess a growth mindset, strong process orientation, and the ability to deal effectively with ambiguity. They create a trusting environment, embrace diversity, and inspire teams to exceed goals while remaining closely aligned with business outcomes.