Head of People Operations
Willmeng Construction
Description
About Willmeng
Arizona-based Willmeng Construction is a 100-percent employee-owned general contractor that has been dedicated to helping our people build their “Genuine Place of Purpose” since 1977. We prioritize our exceptional company culture, which has us ranked in the Top 5 of the Phoenix Business Journal’s Best Places to Work for more than a decade and made us the only Arizona construction firm on the Inc. Best Workplaces list for three consecutive years. We have earned multiple appearances on AZ Big Media’s Most Admired Companies list, and ranked No. 1 for Healthiest Employers for two consecutive years.
Our people and our culture have also created an atmosphere that encourages going above and beyond for our clients and our community. Our team’s dedication to its craft has earned us NAIOP (CREDA) Arizona General Contractor of the Year six times, while at the same time donating more than $1 million annually to community organizations.
Our strategic vision focuses on supporting prelease transactions, competitively bidding projects of all sizes, and fostering our altruistic service culture by recruiting highly talented individuals of great character who want to make a genuine impact on our communities.
The Role
The Head of People Operations leads the compliance & governance, and People Operations Business Partner (POBP) functions, reporting to the Chief People & Business Officer. This leader is accountable for building the infrastructure, team, and processes needed to support a growing, multi-state construction workforce — including the compliance rigor required as the company scales into federal contracting. This role requires firsthand knowledge of the construction industry and prior experience leading HR/People Operations at a similarly sized or larger construction firm with multi-state operations.
What you will accomplish
People operations leadership
- Lead and develop a People Operations team across compliance/governance, and POBP functions.
- Set and execute functional strategy and priorities in partnership with the Chief People & Business Officer.
- Build scalable People Operations infrastructure to support continued company growth across current and new geographic markets.
Compliance & governance
- Own ultimate accountability for multi-state employment law compliance.
- Ensure governance practices (policies, handbooks, recordkeeping, audits) meet the standards required for a construction employer of this size, inclusive of Federal contracting.
- Oversee compliance requirements tied to federal contracting as that line of business grows (e.g., OFCCP obligations, affirmative action planning, prevailing wage/Davis-Bacon considerations) - partnering with legal counsel and subject-matter specialists as needed.
POBP function
- Lead the POBP team in delivering consistent, high-quality People support to field and office leadership across all locations.
- Ensure POBPs are equipped to handle workforce management, employee relations, performance management, and organizational design conversations with operational leaders.
- Serve as an escalation point for employee relations matters and organizational change initiatives.
Strategic & executive partnership
- Advise the Chief People & Business Officer and executive leadership on workforce strategy, organizational design, and people-related risk.
- Represent People Operations in company-wide planning related to growth, new market expansion, and federal contracting readiness.
- Present People Operations performance and risk metrics to executive leadership.
Work environment
- Primarily office-based in Phoenix, AZ, with regular travel to satellite offices/jobsites.
- 25% travel expected.
What we would like you to have
- 10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, including prior experience leading HR/People Operations at a construction firm of similar size or larger.
- Direct construction industry experience is required.
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Design, or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience operating across multiple states with varying employment law requirements.
- Proven experience building and leading teams, including compliance, and POBP functions.
- Strong executive presence and experience advising senior leadership on people strategy and risk.
- Strategic HR leadership and organizational design.
- Multi-state and federal compliance acumen.
- Team building and people leadership.
- Executive communication and influence.
- Data-driven decision making.
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.