VP Human Resources | Cherokee Federal
Cherokee Nation Businesses, Tulsa, OK, United States
Cherokee Federal is the government contracting division of Cherokee Nation Businesses (CNB), one of the largest tribally owned enterprise groups in the United States. Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Cherokee Federal is a team of tribally owned companies delivering mission‑critical solutions across national security and intelligence, information technology, health sciences, DoD logistics, engineering, and construction — serving more than 60 federal agencies around the globe. Through its portfolio of Tribal 8(a) and full‑and‑open competition companies, Cherokee Federal brings unique contracting advantages, deep past performance, and strong financial backing to every mission it undertakes. Profits from CNB’s operations flow directly back to the Cherokee Nation, supporting tribal citizens and communities — giving every employee’s work a broader sense of purpose and mission.
ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY As Cherokee Federal continues to grow its contract portfolio and workforce, we are seeking a Vice President of Human Resources to serve as a key member of the senior leadership team — with direct influence across the C‑suite and a genuine voice in the people decisions that shape the business. The VP of HR will be both a strategic architect and a hands‑on operator — building the HR infrastructure, processes, and team needed to support a complex, multi‑entity government contracting enterprise. This is a high‑visibility role for a leader who wants to make a real impact at an organization with a compelling mission and a strong global footprint rooted in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Responsibilities WHAT YOU’LL OWN Build, mentor, and grow the HR team to scale with the business. Establish clear roles, career paths, and a culture of accountability and continuous development within the function.
Talent Acquisition Build and operate a scalable, data‑driven talent acquisition and engagement engine aligned to business development, capture, and contract demand. Develop forward‑looking pipelines in cleared and mission‑critical skill areas, leveraging digital channels, employer brand, and proactive outreach to attract and convert high‑quality candidates. Create a competitive advantage through speed, access, and sustained engagement with talent pools across a globally distributed workforce.
Culture & Employee Experience Champion a collaborative, inclusive, and high‑performance culture. Design and lead a modern employee experience strategy that leverages HR technology, data, and feedback loops to drive engagement, retention, and performance. Create a seamless employee lifecycle from onboarding through development — using systems and insights to proactively identify risks, improve satisfaction, and strengthen connection to mission and organization.
Compliance & Risk Management Ensure HR practices align with federal, state, and local employment law, with working knowledge of applicable labor compliance requirements including SCA and federal contractor obligations.
Process & Systems Lead the evolution of Oracle HRIS into a strategic workforce platform — enabling real‑time visibility into talent, predictive workforce planning, automation of HR processes, and data‑driven decision‑making across the enterprise. Drive adoption of HR technology to enhance employee lifecycle experience, engagement, and operational efficiency.
Strategic HR Partnership Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on organizational design, workforce planning, succession planning, and the people strategy required to successfully integrate acquisitions and new business onboarding.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Design and implement the company’s people strategy in alignment with business growth, new contract awards, and headcount expansion
Lead HR integration efforts related to mergers, acquisitions, and new business onboarding — aligning cultures, harmonizing policies, and ensuring a seamless employee experience through organizational change
Drive full‑cycle talent acquisition across professional, technical, program, and corporate functions — building pipelines across all markets where Cherokee Federal operates globally
Partner with Marketing to activate a digital employer brand and candidate engagement strategy
Build and maintain compliant HR policies, an employee handbook, and operating procedures consistent with federal, state, and local employment law across all jurisdictions where Cherokee Federal operates
Oversee benefits administration, total rewards philosophy, and annual compensation review cycles benchmarked to regional and industry norms
Manage the full performance management lifecycle — goal‑setting, mid‑year check‑ins, year‑end calibrations, and performance improvement processes
Partner with operations and program leadership to ensure right‑size staffing across the enterprise, including labor category alignment where applicable
Lead employee relations matters — investigations, conflict resolution, and disciplinary processes — with consistency, fairness, and legal rigor
Collaborate with legal counsel on employment matters as needed
Report HR metrics to the executive team — headcount trends, attrition, time‑to‑fill, engagement results, and compliance posture
Qualifications WHAT YOU BRING 15+ years of progressive HR experience, with at least 5 years in a senior HR leadership role
Background in professional services, consulting, staffing, technology services, engineering, or a related project‑oriented delivery environment strongly preferred
Demonstrated track record of building HR functions and teams in a scaling or growth‑stage organization
Experience in M&A, with the ability to integrate teams, align cultures, and build organizational resilience
Proven success building and leading talent acquisition functions across a distributed, high‑growth workforce — with the ability to attract specialized talent in competitive markets
Working knowledge of federal contractor HR compliance (FAR, SCA, OFCCP) is a meaningful plus — but not a barrier to entry for strong candidates from adjacent industries
Hands‑on experience with Oracle HCM or similar HRIS — optimizing, refining, and managing the system to support a complex, growing workforce
Strong command of federal and multi‑state employment law and HR compliance best practices
Proven ability to partner with and influence at the C‑suite level — a collaborative style with a bias toward action
SHRM‑SCP or SPHR certification preferred
Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s in HR, Business, or related field preferred
#J-18808-Ljbffr
ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY As Cherokee Federal continues to grow its contract portfolio and workforce, we are seeking a Vice President of Human Resources to serve as a key member of the senior leadership team — with direct influence across the C‑suite and a genuine voice in the people decisions that shape the business. The VP of HR will be both a strategic architect and a hands‑on operator — building the HR infrastructure, processes, and team needed to support a complex, multi‑entity government contracting enterprise. This is a high‑visibility role for a leader who wants to make a real impact at an organization with a compelling mission and a strong global footprint rooted in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Responsibilities WHAT YOU’LL OWN Build, mentor, and grow the HR team to scale with the business. Establish clear roles, career paths, and a culture of accountability and continuous development within the function.
Talent Acquisition Build and operate a scalable, data‑driven talent acquisition and engagement engine aligned to business development, capture, and contract demand. Develop forward‑looking pipelines in cleared and mission‑critical skill areas, leveraging digital channels, employer brand, and proactive outreach to attract and convert high‑quality candidates. Create a competitive advantage through speed, access, and sustained engagement with talent pools across a globally distributed workforce.
Culture & Employee Experience Champion a collaborative, inclusive, and high‑performance culture. Design and lead a modern employee experience strategy that leverages HR technology, data, and feedback loops to drive engagement, retention, and performance. Create a seamless employee lifecycle from onboarding through development — using systems and insights to proactively identify risks, improve satisfaction, and strengthen connection to mission and organization.
Compliance & Risk Management Ensure HR practices align with federal, state, and local employment law, with working knowledge of applicable labor compliance requirements including SCA and federal contractor obligations.
Process & Systems Lead the evolution of Oracle HRIS into a strategic workforce platform — enabling real‑time visibility into talent, predictive workforce planning, automation of HR processes, and data‑driven decision‑making across the enterprise. Drive adoption of HR technology to enhance employee lifecycle experience, engagement, and operational efficiency.
Strategic HR Partnership Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on organizational design, workforce planning, succession planning, and the people strategy required to successfully integrate acquisitions and new business onboarding.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Design and implement the company’s people strategy in alignment with business growth, new contract awards, and headcount expansion
Lead HR integration efforts related to mergers, acquisitions, and new business onboarding — aligning cultures, harmonizing policies, and ensuring a seamless employee experience through organizational change
Drive full‑cycle talent acquisition across professional, technical, program, and corporate functions — building pipelines across all markets where Cherokee Federal operates globally
Partner with Marketing to activate a digital employer brand and candidate engagement strategy
Build and maintain compliant HR policies, an employee handbook, and operating procedures consistent with federal, state, and local employment law across all jurisdictions where Cherokee Federal operates
Oversee benefits administration, total rewards philosophy, and annual compensation review cycles benchmarked to regional and industry norms
Manage the full performance management lifecycle — goal‑setting, mid‑year check‑ins, year‑end calibrations, and performance improvement processes
Partner with operations and program leadership to ensure right‑size staffing across the enterprise, including labor category alignment where applicable
Lead employee relations matters — investigations, conflict resolution, and disciplinary processes — with consistency, fairness, and legal rigor
Collaborate with legal counsel on employment matters as needed
Report HR metrics to the executive team — headcount trends, attrition, time‑to‑fill, engagement results, and compliance posture
Qualifications WHAT YOU BRING 15+ years of progressive HR experience, with at least 5 years in a senior HR leadership role
Background in professional services, consulting, staffing, technology services, engineering, or a related project‑oriented delivery environment strongly preferred
Demonstrated track record of building HR functions and teams in a scaling or growth‑stage organization
Experience in M&A, with the ability to integrate teams, align cultures, and build organizational resilience
Proven success building and leading talent acquisition functions across a distributed, high‑growth workforce — with the ability to attract specialized talent in competitive markets
Working knowledge of federal contractor HR compliance (FAR, SCA, OFCCP) is a meaningful plus — but not a barrier to entry for strong candidates from adjacent industries
Hands‑on experience with Oracle HCM or similar HRIS — optimizing, refining, and managing the system to support a complex, growing workforce
Strong command of federal and multi‑state employment law and HR compliance best practices
Proven ability to partner with and influence at the C‑suite level — a collaborative style with a bias toward action
SHRM‑SCP or SPHR certification preferred
Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s in HR, Business, or related field preferred
#J-18808-Ljbffr