VP of People and Culture

Job Description

Harding, Shymanski & Co., P.S.C. (), is a public accounting and advisory firm now in its 51st year, with offices in Evansville, Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky. We're looking for a strategic people leader to shape our employee experience. The VP of People and Culture will lead HSC's people strategy: attracting, developing, and retaining the talent that drives our growth. This is an executive-level position.

We offer a highly competitive compensation package that reflects the experience, skills, and value you bring, along with a comprehensive benefits program. In addition, you will have the opportunity to work on engaging, intellectually stimulating assignments in an environment that prioritizes continuous improvement, flexibility, and long-term career growth.

Our Vision — and What Success Looks Like

HSC's leadership believes our culture and our people are what set the firm apart, and that belief underpins every other priority we have. We want this role to continue to make HSC a best-in-class people organization. That means:

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• Exceptional career development: clear career paths, understood expectations, consistent feedback, and intentional growth for every team member.
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• Empowered, disciplined, accountable, and collaborative teams with open communication.
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• Goal setting, growth mindset, advisory mindset, and effective use of AI and technology embedded across the whole firm.
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• People who feel valued and understand how their work matters to their team, our clients, our communities, and HSC as a whole.
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• Excellent recruiting at every level, from associates to experienced and high-potential hires, competing effectively for the talent we need.
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We want to define what "best-in-class" looks like in measurable terms and track our progress over time, connecting talent outcomes to firm growth. Building that scorecard, and reporting on it, is part of this role.

Total Rewards Include

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• Competitive salary and opportunity for bonus
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• Health insurance including Medical, Vision, and Dental, Long-Term Disability, FSA, EAP
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• Life insurance at no cost to employees
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• 401(k) Plan with Day 1 eligibility
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• Generous company 401(k) match and potential profit-sharing contribution after 1 year
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• PTO, holiday time, parental leave
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• Winter Break: the firm closes between Christmas and New Year's Day
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• Company-paid parking spot near the office
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• Financial wellness education, physical wellness activities, tuition reimbursement
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Key Responsibilities

People Strategy & Culture Leadership

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• Own and advance HSC's People Engagement & Attraction strategic priority, building programs and initiatives that strengthen culture and engagement firmwide.
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• Translate strategic priorities into an execution roadmap with clear milestones, owners, and measurable outcomes; report progress concisely.
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• Serve as a strategic advisor to firm leadership on culture, workforce planning, and organizational design.
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• Build and lead career pathing, career advising, and performance review programs that support internal growth and retention.
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Talent Acquisition & Onboarding

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• Own the recruiting and onboarding process end to end, partnering with department leaders on staffing needs.
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• Build a strong employer brand and a healthy talent pipeline, including creative sourcing for hard-to-fill roles.
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• Deliver a candidate and new-hire experience that reflects HSC's culture from first contact through the first year.
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Employee Relations & Engagement

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• Promote a positive, inclusive workplace and address employee relations matters promptly and fairly.
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• Use engagement data to drive continuous improvement in the employee experience.
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Performance Management & Development

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• Own performance appraisal systems and guide managers on coaching and development conversations.
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• Lead leadership development programming and professional development pathways that build a bench of future leaders.
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Total Rewards

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• Ensure compensation, incentive pay, and benefits are competitive in the market and equitable internally.
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• Partner with benefits providers and firm leadership to evolve total rewards as HSC grows.
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HR Compliance (a plus, not the core focus)

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• Maintain HR policies and practices in compliance with applicable federal and state employment law.
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• Serve as a resource to leadership on employment law questions, partnering with outside counsel on complex matters as needed.
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Team Reporting Structure

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• Leads and develops the People/HR team, setting goals and providing timely, constructive performance feedback.
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• Handles discipline and termination decisions per firm policy.
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Required Skills and Abilities

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• Proven ability to build and execute a people strategy at the executive level.
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• Exceptional relationship-building, communication, and influence skills, including comfort advising senior leadership and partners.
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• Clear, concise, and decisive communicator who distills complex or evolving issues into what leadership needs to know and what it needs to decide.
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• Strong change management and organizational design experience.
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• Data-informed approach to workforce planning and engagement decisions.
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• Working knowledge of employment law fundamentals; deep compliance expertise is a plus, not a requirement.
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• Ability to prioritize and operate effectively in a fast-paced professional services environment.
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Qualifications

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• Bachelor's degree in HR, business, organizational development, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
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• 8+ years of progressive HR or people-leadership experience, including experience leading a team.
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• Demonstrated experience building people strategy or culture initiatives at the organizational level.
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• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, or equivalent certification is a plus, not required.
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• Experience in professional services or another partner-driven organization is a plus.
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Awards & Recognition:

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• Recognized as a Best of Accounting firm for client satisfaction.
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• Named among the Top 200 Firms by Inside Public Accounting in 2025.
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• Certified as a Great Place to Work in 2026.
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