What are the responsibilities and job description for the People Governance Partner position at Willmeng Construction, Inc.?
About Willmeng
Since 1977, Arizona-based commercial general contractor Willmeng Construction has been committed to staying true to building excellence and preserving the company’s high value to the clients we serve. Willmeng gives back to our community and has been recognized for a multitude of awards for project excellence and company culture including Contractor of the Year by AZRE Magazine, #1 General Contractor by Ranking Arizona, Best Workplace by Inc. Magazine, General Contractor of the Year by NAIOP, and Best Places to Work by Phoenix Business Journal.
Our strategic vision focuses on three fundamental aspects: supporting prelease transactions, maintaining our ability to competitively bid projects small and large, and fostering the “altruistic service” corporate culture established by recruiting highly talented individuals of great character.
The Role
The People Governance Partner is responsible for ensuring the organization's People Operations practices, policies, and documentation comply with federal, state, and local employment law across all states of operation. This role partners closely with the Head of People Operations to identify regulatory changes, manage compliance risk, maintain governance documentation (handbooks, policies, recordkeeping), and support audits, investigations, and reporting. This is a hands-on role — the person will also support broader People Operations functions (employee relations, onboarding compliance, training compliance) as needed, with compliance and governance as the primary focus.
What you will accomplish
Multi-state compliance
- Monitor and interpret employment law changes across current states with employees, regardless of operations (wage & hour, paid leave, pay transparency, final pay timing, meal/rest break rules, etc.).
- Maintain state-specific handbook addenda and policy documentation; flag gaps or unresolved legal questions for Head of People Operations/legal review.
- Track new-state expansion triggers (e.g., first employee in a new state) and initiate compliance onboarding checklists.
Governance & recordkeeping
- Maintain HR compliance calendars (EEO-1, OSHA logs, ACA reporting, I-9 audits, state new-hire reporting, etc.).
- Own document retention practices for personnel files, I-9s, and required postings across all offices.
- Support internal audits of HR practices and prepare documentation for external audits when needed.
Policy & employee relations
- Draft, update, and maintain the employee handbook and standalone policies in coordination with legal counsel.
- Audit compliance regarding employee relations issues, investigations, and disciplinary actions.
- Ensure job classifications (exempt/non-exempt) are reviewed and documented consistently across states.
Training & reporting
- Coordinate mandatory compliance training (harassment prevention, safety, state-specific requirements) and track completion.
- Prepare compliance-related reporting for executive leadership (e.g., open risk items, upcoming regulatory deadlines).
- Support onboarding process compliance (offer letters, new-hire paperwork, I-9/E-Verify) across all states.
Cross-functional support
- Serve as a point of contact for field/office managers on compliance questions.
- Support broader People Ops projects (workforce analytics, comp reviews, onboarding improvements) as capacity allows.
Work environment
- Primarily office-based in Phoenix, AZ, with regular travel to satellite offices/jobsites.
- 10% travel expected.
What we would like you to have
- 3–5 years of HR generalist experience, with meaningful exposure to multi-state compliance.
- Working knowledge of FLSA, FMLA, ADA, EEO, and state-specific leave/wage laws.
- Strong documentation and organizational skills; comfortable owning compliance calendars and recordkeeping.
- Experience maintaining or drafting employee handbooks and policies.
- Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion.
- Experience in construction, engineering, or another field-based/multi-site industry (preferred).
PHR, SHRM-CP, or similar HR certification (preferred). - Regulatory research and interpretation.
- Attention to detail and risk awareness.
- Clear written communication (policies, employee-facing documentation).
- Discretion and sound judgment in employee relations matters.
- Ability to work cross-functionally with legal counsel, field leadership, and executive HR.
You’re inspired by our values
- Altruistic - Our foundation is built upon the authentic, selfless concern we share for the success and wellbeing of others.
- Fair 360 - We illuminate with kindness by seeking to understand before being understood and by caring more than may seem reasonable so we can achieve genuine success for all.
- Strategic - The blueprint that guides the creation of a genuine place of purpose expresses the clarity of our vision, the rigor of our thought and the character of our word.
- Sincere - We present no facades, only genuine elevations of truth, trust, and wholehearted loyalty to the employees we mentor, the clients we serve and the communities we call home.
- Nimble - Our structural integrity is ensured through the balance of resourcefulness, responsiveness, and adaptability and strengthened by being well-rounded in the market to serve at the highest levels.
Compensation
Alongside cash, our total compensation package includes comprehensive benefits and 100% employee ownership. From wellness to work life, our benefits support our employees' total wellbeing.
Benefits
- Employee Stock Ownership Plan
- Discretionary annual bonus
- 401k with employer match
- Employee medical, dental, and vision insurance 100% covered, with options to add dependents at 50% coverage by Willmeng
- Flexible Time Off Policy
- 9 paid company holidays
- 3 consecutive weeks of parental bonding leave, with an additional 3-5 weeks of disability leave for delivery recovery
- Spacious break rooms with healthy meals & snacks provided at no additional cost
- Team-building activities, including volunteer opportunities
Willmeng places nothing more important to the organizational health of the company than its overall focus on culture. By bringing different personalities together and embracing their individual contributions, the culture is rich, strong and uniquely different. With a true family feel and the opportunity to participate in building a genuine place of purpose for clients and employees, Willmeng has the distinct advantage of something exceptional and special in the culture.