Workforce & Labor Manager - Power Generation

Brightsmith; Boise (ID); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Brightsmith is seeking a Workforce & Labor Manager to lead recruitment and workforce planning for its expanding heavy industrial EPC projects across the United States. You will own full-cycle hiring for craft and professional roles, forecast labor needs and coordinate crew movements between projects.

You will build pipelines, manage travel, housing and per diem, and establish workforce systems to retain top talent between assignments. Travel is required.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in heavy industrial construction recruitment or staffing.
• 3+ years in workforce planning or field supervision.
• Experience recruiting craft labor at volume during ramp-ups.
• Full-cycle recruitment for engineers and project managers.
• Strong knowledge of civil, mechanical, electrical trades and employment law.

Responsibilities

• Own full-cycle recruitment for craft and corporate positions.
• Build pipelines through schools, job boards, referrals and local outreach.
• Forecast labor requirements with a rolling 12-month plan.
• Coordinate crew movements, housing, rotations and per diem.
• Maintain central workforce catalog and credential tracking.
• Collaborate with project managers and leaders on staffing timelines.

Skills

Recruitment leadership

Workforce planning

Multi-site staffing

Stakeholder communication

HRIS/ATS proficiency

Travel coordination

Job description

Heavy Industrial Construction | Skilled Trades Recruitment | Workforce Planning

We are partnering with an established heavy industrial EPC contractor to appoint a Workforce & Labor Manager who will lead recruitment and workforce planning across its expanding operations.

The company self-performs civil, mechanical, electrical and fabrication work across complex power generation, data center, process and heavy industrial projects throughout the United States. Its project portfolio includes geothermal, conventional power, cogeneration and advanced nuclear infrastructure.

This newly created position will take ownership of the full workforce lifecycle, from recruiting craft and corporate professionals to forecasting labor requirements and coordinating crew movements between projects.

You will be hiring from day one while building the systems that ensure projects are properly staffed, strong craft professionals remain employed between assignments and future workforce shortages are identified early.

Key Responsibilities

Recruiting and Hiring

• Own full-cycle recruitment for craft and corporate positions, from sourcing and screening through offers and onboarding.
• Recruit skilled trades, including civil, mechanical, electrical and fabrication professionals.
• Lead recruitment for engineers, project managers, estimators and other professional positions.
• Partner with project managers, superintendents and department leaders to establish hiring requirements and timelines.
• Build pipelines through referrals, trade schools, apprenticeship programs, job boards, direct outreach and local recruitment near project sites.
• Maintain relationships with high-performing craft employees and prioritise rehiring proven workers between projects.
• Manage staffing agencies, craft labor providers, subcontract crews and external search firms.
• Coordinate compensation, start dates, travel, relocation, rotations, per diem and other offer details.
• Keep multiple vacancies moving during major project ramp-ups while maintaining clear candidate communication.

Workforce Planning

• Build and maintain a rolling 12-month labor forecast by project, craft and month.
• Develop project staffing plans from mobilisation through demobilisation.
• Coordinate crew assignments and movements across multiple project sites.
• Plan workforce requirements at least four weeks ahead to prevent shortages and minimise downtime.
• Identify future craft shortages and convert them into recruitment or training plans.
• Coordinate traveling crews, housing, rotations and per diem arrangements.
• Create rollover plans that retain strong employees between project assignments.

Workforce Systems and Development

• Build and maintain a central workforce catalog covering employee skills, classifications, certifications, project history and availability.
• Track welding qualifications, equipment certifications, OSHA training, CDL status, site access and other credentials.
• Work with superintendents to document performance and capabilities following each project.
• Identify skills gaps and establish training, apprenticeship and certification programs.
• Define career progression from helper and journeyman through foreman and supervisory positions.
• Support estimating teams with accurate crew availability, labor rates, craft lead times and project manpower curves.

What We’re Looking For

• 8+ years of experience within heavy industrial construction, heavy civil construction, engineering and construction recruitment or skilled-trades staffing.
• At least three years in recruitment, workforce planning or field supervision.
• Hands-on experience recruiting skilled craft labor at volume during project ramp-ups.
• Full-cycle recruitment experience for professional roles, including engineers and project managers.
• Strong understanding of civil, mechanical, electrical and fabrication trades.
• Experience staffing multi-state projects using traveling crews.
• Knowledge of employment law and fair hiring practices.
• Strong Excel skills and experience with applicant tracking, HRIS, workforce or construction management platforms.
• Ability to communicate directly and credibly with candidates, craft employees, superintendents and company leadership.
• Willingness to travel regularly between company offices and active project sites.

Experience in power generation, geothermal, nuclear, prevailing-wage projects, apprenticeship programs or construction technology platforms would be particularly valuable.

This is an opportunity to create a workforce function from the ground up while directly influencing how major energy and industrial projects are staffed and delivered.