VP of HR & Risk Management

Korn Ferry has partnered with our client on their search for the role, VP of HR & Risk Management.

Company Overview

A long-standing, Upper Midwest-based contractor with more than a century of operating history, this firm delivers integrated construction and engineering solutions for complex, large-scale industrial and infrastructure projects. Its capabilities span preconstruction, design-build, construction management, general contracting, and specialized mechanical services, supporting sectors such as energy, mining, manufacturing, transportation, and water infrastructure. The company is known for its safety-first culture, high-quality execution, and exceptionally durable client relationships, often spanning multiple decades, positioning it as a trusted partner in demanding, asset-intensive environments.

Purpose of the Position

The Vice President of Human Resources & Risk Management is a newly created leadership role designed to align the company’s people, labor, safety, andrisk strategies with its long-term business objectives. As the organization continues to grow, this role will provide strategic oversight to ensure operational excellence, workforcestability, and proactive risk mitigation. The position will serve as a key partner to executive and operational leadership in building a high-performing, safety-focused culture acrossa unionized construction workforce. This leader will be responsible for strengthening organizational capability, enhancing labor and employee relations, and driving consistent processes that support both field operations and corporate functions.

Key Responsibilities

Executive Leadership & Strategic Alignment

• Lead and integrate Human Resources, Field Resources, Safety, and Risk Management functions under a unified operating structure aligned with business objectives.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leadership on workforce planning, labor strategy, organizational effectiveness, and enterprise-wide risk.
• Develop and execute people and risk strategies that support operational growth, project execution, profitability, and workforce stability across company.
• Foster a culture of accountability, operational excellence, proactive risk management, and continuous improvement.

Human Resources Leadership

• Provide oversight of all HR and workforce risk, including talent acquisition, employee relations, compensation, benefits, performance management, training, compliance, and succession planning.
• Ensure HR policies and practices comply with federal, state, and local employment laws, labor agreements, and construction industry regulations.
• Lead workforce planning initiatives for both field and corporate personnel to meet current and future business needs.
• Develop and maintain leadership development and talent pipeline programs to strengthen organizational capability and succession readiness.
• Drive employee engagement initiatives that support retention, productivity, and company culture.

Labor Relations & Field Resources Management

• Lead labor relations strategy for a unionized workforce, including collective bargaining support, grievance resolution, labor agreement administration, and union partnership management.
• Build and maintain productive relationships with union leadership, trade representatives, and field operations teams.
• Oversee field workforce planning and labor allocation to ensure projects are appropriately staffed to meet operational and client requirements.
• Partner with operations leaders to anticipate labor needs, mitigate work force shortages, and improve field workforce utilization.
• Support the development of the next generation of operational and field leadership aligned with company values and business objectives.

Safety & Risk Management

• Provide executive oversight of company-wide safety and risk management programs with an emphasis on prevention, accountability, and operational consistency.
• Promote a proactive safety culture that prioritizes employee wellbeing, regulatory compliance, and incident prevention across all job sites and offices.
• Partner with operations leadership and Safety Director to ensure effective implementation of safety standards, training, and corrective action processes.
• Monitor and analyze risk trends, claims data, and safety performance metrics to identify improvement opportunities and reduce organizational exposure.

Incident & Claims Management

• Lead the organization’s incident and claims management processes, including workers’ compensation, general liability, and other construction-related claims.
• Oversee incident response protocols, investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective action implementation.
• Ensure timely communication and coordination with internal stakeholders, insurance carriers, legal counsel, and external partners regarding claims and risk events.

Compliance & Governance

• Ensure compliance with standards, labor laws, union agreements, and applicable employment regulations.
• Establish and maintain policies, procedures, and reporting practices that support legal compliance and operational consistency.
• Oversee audits, regulatory reporting, and risk mitigation initiatives related to workforce and operational exposure.

Operational Partnership & Performance

• Collaborate closely with operations, finance, and executive leadership to align workforce strategy with business performance objectives.
• Lead initiatives that improve organizational efficiency, reduce workforce-related risk, and strengthen overall business performance.

Year One Success Factors

• Establish a unified HR, labor relations, safety, and risk management strategy that aligns workforce initiatives with the company’s operational and growth objectives.
• Build relationships with union leadership, field management, and employees to improve workforce stability, communication, and labor partnership effectiveness. Implement or enhance standardized processes, reporting, and accountability measures across HR, safety, incident management, and claims administration functions.
• Drive measurable improvements in safety performance, risk mitigation, employee retention, and workforce engagement across both field and corporate teams.

The Candidate

Experience and Professional Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Industrial Relations, Risk Management, or related field required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 8-10 years of progressive leadership experience in Human Resources, Labor Relations, Risk Management, or related functions.
• Demonstrated experience supporting and leading a unionized workforce, including labor relations strategy, collective bargaining support, grievance resolution, and union partnership management.
• Strong working knowledge of federal and state employment laws, labor regulations, OSHA requirements, workers’ compensation, and construction-related compliance standards.
• Experience overseeing workplace incident management, claims administration, and enterprise risk mitigation programs.
• Strong ability to influence and collaborate effectively across executive leadership, operations, field leadership, and union representatives.
• Experience driving organizational change, workforce planning, and culture transformation initiatives.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills with the ability to balance operational priorities and workforce considerations.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills.
• Proven ability to establish credibility and trusted relationships across both field and corporate environments.
• High degree of business acumen with the ability to align people strategy and risk management initiatives to operational and financial objectives.
• Ability to travel to field locations, project sites, and regional offices as needed.

SE#510792253