Vice President Human Resources - Financial Services

Job Description

We are looking for an experienced Vice President, Human Resources to join a global corporation in the financial services sector. This position is office based 5 days per week located in the Des Moines, IA area.

The Vice President of Human Resources will play a central role in shaping the organization’s growth by aligning workforce strategy with innovation, product development, and long-term scalability. This position requires someone who can translate business objectives into practical, measurable people initiatives while fostering a culture that attracts and retains high-performing professionals.

Key Responsibilities:

• Create and implement a people strategy that supports scaling engineering, architecture, and product teams in a competitive talent market.
• Advise executive and technical leadership on organizational structure, role clarity, and capability building as the company grows.
• Build leadership pipelines within technical functions, ensuring depth of expertise and continuity in critical roles.
• Develop retention programs tailored to highly skilled professionals whose expectations around flexibility, growth, and impact differ from traditional workforces.
• Oversee recruitment strategies designed to attract top-tier technical talent in complex and niche skill areas.
• Introduce advanced people analytics and intelligent HR systems to improve hiring accuracy, workforce forecasting, and performance insights.
• Guide leaders through periods of change related to new technologies, evolving product strategies, or organizational expansion.
• Establish performance and feedback systems that resonate within engineering and product environments.
• Partner with finance and executive teams on headcount planning, compensation strategy, and benefits design aligned with market realities.
• Ensure sound employee relations practices and full compliance with employment regulations while maintaining credibility with both leadership and staff.

Key Requirements:

• At least 10 years of progressive HR leadership experience.
• Experience working in financial services sector is required.
• Demonstrated success scaling teams during periods of growth, transformation, or digital evolution.
• Strong background in organizational effectiveness, workforce modeling, and leadership development.
• Experience leveraging HR systems, automation tools, and data insights to drive strategic decisions.
• Ability to operate as a credible advisor to senior executives.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence across highly analytical and results-oriented teams.
• Professional HR certification (PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP) preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.