Chief People Officer

The client seeks a Chief People Officer to report to the Chief Executive Officer and serve as a key member of the Executive Management Team, leading strategic talent and culture efforts across a diverse, unionized, and multi-tiered organization. This role will partner with senior leaders to design, communicate, and execute a strategy that attracts, develops, motivates, and retains high-performing talent in support of the organization’s mission of community development and affordable housing. As the organization navigates a pivotal transition and finalizes its first collective bargaining agreement, the Chief People Officer is expected to play a central role in shaping long-term organizational stability and central office operations. The Chief People Officer will serve as a strategic resource to the executive leadership team, including building and leading an emerging human resources function to attract and develop skilled talent. The role will be the primary point of contact on labor relations, managing disputes, grievances, and compliance, and partnering with department heads on ongoing management, education, and development. Responsibilities also include presenting key talent, people analytics, HR, and related legal matters to the Board of Directors, as well as developing and implementing HR and talent initiatives informed by organizational priorities and external trends, aligned with the organization’s values and goals. The Chief People Officer will oversee human resource risk management by ensuring HR policies, programs, and processes are administered effectively and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The position will involve proactively identifying and mitigating workforce and labor risks in partnership with legal counsel, overseeing employee investigations, and ensuring documentation meets legal standards. Additional duties include leading and maintaining the union relationship through interpretation and enforcement of collective bargaining agreements, grievance resolution, and management of legal and employee settlement matters, while overseeing HR policies and programs across union and non-union employees, including talent acquisition, performance management, learning and development, and progressive discipline, as well as supporting succession and career development planning. Confidential