Chief Human Resources Officer (Herndon)

The Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) is the principal executive responsible for leading Akima’s enterprise human resources organization, aligning human capital strategy with the overall business and long-term strategic growth directions of the corporation. Serving as a key member of the executive leadership team, the CHRO will leverage a mastery of HR systems, predictive analytics, and competitive federal market trends to drive organizational design, workforce agility, and operational excellence across a multi-billion dollar enterprise portfolio.

Operating within a unique Alaska Native Corporation (ANC) ecosystem, the CHRO serves as a principal architect of corporate culture and employee success during phases of rapid scaling and portfolio consolidation. The ideal candidate will develop an intimate understanding of the distinct business drivers across each Akima operating group and operating companies, ensuring that human resource delivery seamlessly adapts to varied military and civilian government environments.

Responsibilities

• Executive Leadership & Strategic Alignment
  • Provide visionary leadership and governance over Akima’s decentralized operating portfolio by optimizing a highly matrixed Enterprise Shared Services (ESS) HR model spanning talent acquisition, compensation, benefits, compliance, and employee relations.
  • Partner with executive leadership to design and implement organizational change-management strategies that support subsidiaries transitioning through rapid growth, spinning up under ANC 8(a) sole-source frameworks, and successfully consolidating upon graduation into large-business tiers.
  • Establish and report on rigorous, data-driven HR metrics and workforce analytics to provide the CEO and Board of Directors with actionable insights into retention, labor utilization, pricing models, and operational deficiencies.
• Talent Acquisition & Capture Management
  • Architect and oversee an enterprise-wide talent acquisition infrastructure optimized for the high-volume, rapid-response hiring cycles inherent to federal contracting capture management (e.g., major GWACs, IDIQs, and single-award contracts).
  • Build proactive talent pipelines and strategic sourcing networks specialized in attracting and retaining highly cleared personnel (Secret, Top Secret, Polygraph) and specialized technical/scientific professionals in a hyper-competitive market.
• Compliance, Labor Relations & Total Rewards
  • Serve as the final authority on federal, state, and local labor compliance, with an expert operational emphasis on the Service Contract Act (SCA), Davis-Bacon Act (DBA), Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) mandates, and DCAA-compliant labor tracking.
  • Provide executive oversight to labor relations subject matter experts (SMEs); actively monitor and direct strategies regarding interaction, negotiations, and compliance with labor unions and complex Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).
  • Direct the design and implementation of comprehensive, cost-effective health, welfare, and compensation architectures that maintain corporate profitability while balancing strict SCA fringe benefit requirements and market-competitive executive equity.
• Cultural Stewardship & Shareholder Development
  • Serve as the executive champion in close coordination with parent NANA organization to design, implement, and track professional development pathways, mentorship frameworks, and leadership pipelines specifically for Iñupiat shareholders.
  • Cultivate a resilient, mission-focused company culture that bridges geographically dispersed field sites, remote workforces, and corporate offices, fostering high employee morale and alignment with foundational ANC community values.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 20 years of human resources experience with progressive leadership responsibility strictly within the federal government services sector.
• At least 5 years of senior executive (SVP/CHRO/VP) experience managing human resources within a comparably sized, multi-subsidiary, or matrixed shared-services GovCon organization ($1B+ in annual revenue).
• Demonstrable, hands‑on operational mastery of the Service Contract Act (SCA) and Davis-Bacon Act (DBA), including deep knowledge of wage determinations, fringe benefit accounting, and Department of Labor (DOL) audit procedures.
• Proven experience leading HR due diligence, structural valuation, and complex post‑acquisition workforce integrations, specifically harmonizing disparate payroll, benefits architectures, and corporate cultures into a unified platform.
• Advanced familiarity with GovCon compliant Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and HRIS software ecosystems (e.g., Deltek Costpoint, Workday, Cognos) to ensure seamless cross‑platform compliance reporting.
• Substantive experience interfacing with organized labor unions, navigating grievance processes, and structuring competitive collective bargaining frameworks.
• A Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field is required. An MBA or Master’s degree in HR/Organizational Development is highly preferred. SPHR or SHRM‑SCP certifications are a strong plus.

Desired Characteristics

• Possesses a deeply ingrained sense of purpose and alignment with the socio‑economic goals of an Alaska Native Corporation (ANC). Demonstrates authentic respect for the Iñupiat heritage and values, translating corporate profits into meaningful benefits and long‑term sustainability for the NANA shareholder community.
• Exhibits an executive orientation focused on actively solving structural problems rather than merely diagnosing them. Thrives in a high‑velocity, rapid‑growth environment where quick decision‑making must match the speed of aggressive federal capture and proposal timelines.
• Possesses the emotional intelligence, diplomacy, and interpersonal sophistication to lead by influence across a highly matrixed environment. Demonstrated ability to establish mutual respect, trust, and alignment with corporate leadership, individual subsidiary presidents, federal clients, and field workforces.
• A collaborative leader who balanced strategic vision with a willingness to \roll up their sleeves\ to build, fix, and optimize operational frameworks alongside their team when necessary.
• Sets the highest standard for personal integrity, transparency, accountability, and ethical labor standards, ensuring the enterprise HR apparatus remains beyond reproach during federal compliance audits.

Other Considerations

• The primary work location is Akima's corporate headquarters in Herndon, VA. This role requires a regular, visible executive presence at the corporate office to foster collaboration across the enterprise.
• Due to the expansive geographical footprint of Akima’s operations—spanning multiple domestic time zones, remote locations, and international defense installations, the CHRO must maintain executive availability during non-core hours to support unscheduled mission‑critical priorities, emergency responses, or immediate contract transitions.
• The successful candidate will be expected to architect and continually refine enterprise‑wide policies that strike a productive balance between remote/hybrid work allowances for corporate offices and the rigid, on‑site execution requirements of field contracts.
• Occasional travel is required (approximately 15–25%) to conduct operational reviews at key regional hubs, participate in critical labor/union negotiations, attend NANA shareholder engagement events, or interface directly with federal procurement customers.

Job ID

2026-23861

Work Type

On‑Site

Pay Range

$210,000 - $399,000 plus incentives

Benefits

• Regular - The company offers a comprehensive benefits program, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401(k) and a range of other voluntary benefits.
• Paid Time Off (PTO) is offered to regular full‑time and part‑time employees.

Company Description

Work Where it Matters Akima is not just another global enterprise and federal contractor. As an Alaska Native Corporation (ANC), our mission and purpose extend beyond our exciting federal projects as we support our shareholder communities in Alaska.

Akima, the work you do every day makes a difference in the lives of our 15,000 Iñupiat shareholders, a group of Alaska natives from one of the most remote and harshest environments in the United States.

For our shareholders, Akima provides support and employment opportunities and contributes to the survival of a culture that has thrived above the Arctic Circle for more than 10,000 years.

For our government customers, Akima delivers agile solutions in the core areas of facilities, maintenance, and repair; information technology; logistics; protective services; systems engineering; mission support; furniture, fixtures & FF&E; and construction.

As an Akima employee, you will be surrounded by a challenging, yet supportive work environment that is committed to innovation and diversity, two of our most important values. You will also have access to our comprehensive benefits and competitive pay in addition to growth opportunities and excellent retirement options.