Director of People & Talent

Our client is a commercial general contracting firm operating across the Southeast United States, headquartered in Charlotte, NC. At approximately $175M in annual revenue and targeting $350M+, the company is in an aggressive and intentional growth phase. They operate on the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and are guided by a culture of accountability, character, and craftsmanship.
People are the engine of their growth — and the Director of People & Talent is the person responsible for building and protecting that engine.
POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of People & Talent is a senior leadership role responsible for designing and executing the company's people strategy across the full employee lifecycle — from employer brand and recruiting through onboarding, development, retention, and succession. Reporting to the CFO and serving as a strategic partner to the CEO and executive leadership team, this role owns the company's talent competitive advantage.
The Director leads the internal HR function, manages external search partnerships, and owns the company's university and early-career pipeline programs across the Southeast.
CORE ACCOUNTABILITIES

Lead full-cycle recruiting strategy for all positions — field leadership, project management, preconstruction, and corporate support roles
Own the relationship with recruiting partners, directing search engagements and managing the prequalified talent bench for key role categories
Build and maintain a proactive candidate pipeline — reducing reactive, emergency hiring by developing warm relationships before seats go cold
Establish employer brand across LinkedIn, industry networks, and college/trade school partnerships in the Charlotte and Raleigh markets
Define and track recruiting KPIs: time-to-fill, offer acceptance rate, source-of-hire, and bench depth by role category
Execute and extend all offers of employment or support hiring managers through each offer
2. University Relations & Early-Career Pipeline

Own relationships with target university Construction Management and Engineering programs — Clemson, Appalachian State, UNC Charlotte, Western Carolina, and East Carolina University as primary partners
Serve as primary point of contact with department chairs, career services offices, faculty advisors, and student organizations (AGC student chapters, NAHB, etc.) at each partner school
Attend career fairs, campus recruiting events, and industry days annually; represent the company with professionalism and intentionality at every touchpoint
Enhance and manage the internship and co-op program — recruiting, structuring, and converting top students into full-time pipeline
Develop scholarship, advisory board, and guest lecture relationships that elevate company brand on campus before students are actively recruiting
Enhance and continuously improve the onboarding experience — structured 30/60/90-day programs that connect new hires to culture, expectations, and team before Day 1
Partner with operations and project leadership to ensure field and PM-level onboarding reflects how the company delivers work
Track first-90-day and first-year retention as a primary performance metric; use exit and stay interviews to continuously improve
Coordinate with HR & Benefits Coordinator on onboarding logistics, benefits enrollment, and system setup
4. Talent Development & Growth Planning

Build career path frameworks for key role families (PM ladder, Superintendent ladder, Estimating, corporate leadership)
Design and deploy the leadership development program — identifying high-potential employees and creating structured growth plans
Partner with VPs and division leadership to conduct annual talent reviews; identify successor candidates for key seats
Source, evaluate, and manage external training programs, certifications, and development resources
Track internal promotion rates and use data to demonstrate ROI of development investment to leadership
5. Retention & Employee Engagement

Own the voluntary turnover metric — benchmark against SE commercial GC peers and drive continuous improvement
Design and administer employee engagement surveys periodically; present findings and recommended actions to the executive team
Conduct structured stay interviews with high performers and tenure-risk employees; proactively address retention threats
Partner with CEO and CFO on compensation benchmarking, COLA adjustments, and market-rate analysis
Champion a culture of recognition, accountability, and belonging — consistent with company values and EOS operating model
6. Benefits Strategy & Total Rewards

Own the benefits strategy and support the benefits renewal process with CFO and CEO — evaluating carriers, plan design, and cost-competitiveness
Collaborate with CFO and CEO on total rewards strategy, ensuring benefits and compensation work together as a unified talent attraction tool
Oversee HR & Benefits Coordinator's day-to-day benefits administration; ensure accuracy, compliance, and employee satisfaction
7. Workforce Planning & Organizational Design

Partner with CEO and CFO on headcount planning — tying hiring forecasts directly to revenue milestones and EOS Rocks
Maintain the organizational chart and accountability structure; flag structural misalignments or seat-definition gaps to leadership
Support integration of new offices and geographic expansion (Raleigh) from a people and culture standpoint
8. HR Compliance & Policy

Ensure compliance with federal and NC/SC employment law — FLSA, FMLA, ADA, EEO, OSHA documentation requirements
Oversee maintenance and updates of the employee handbook; help communicate policy changes clearly across the organization
Oversee the employee relations function — investigations, PIPs, and termination process in partnership with legal counsel as needed
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

7+ years of progressive HR experience, with at least 3 years in a Director-level or senior HR leadership role
Demonstrated experience in talent acquisition, workforce planning, and employee development — ideally within construction, engineering, or a project-based business
Proven ability to own and grow a university recruiting program; existing relationships with SE construction management programs strongly preferred
Experience managing external search firm relationships and structured recruiting partnerships
Working knowledge of EOS or similar business operating frameworks preferred
Strong command of employment law across NC and SC; multi-state HR experience a plus
Preferred degree in HR, Business, Organizational Psychology, or related field; SHRM-SCP or SPHR preferred (company will sponsor certification if not currently held)

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