Chief People Officer

Chief People Officer

The Chief People Officer (CPO) serves as a strategic leader and steward overseeing all facets of human resources (HR) and people operations within the agency. The CPO is responsible for driving the development and execution of innovative people and culture strategies that enhance organizational effectiveness, strengthen workforce engagement, and support operational excellence. With a focus on cultivating a high-performing, inclusive, and employee-centered workplace, the CPO combines visionary leadership and human capital expertise to lead, evolve, and manage the agency's overall people strategy in alignment with its mission, values, and vision.

Duties & Responsibilities

Leadership and Strategy

Provides executive leadership and strategic direction to the Human Resources (HR) Department, establishing department goals, objectives, and performance metrics aligned with the agency's strategic priorities.

Represents the agency in interactions with the Board of Directors, regulatory agencies, external partners, and community stakeholders related to workforce matters.

Directs all HR functions, including employee and labor relations, talent acquisition, total rewards, HR administration and support services, training and organizational development, and HR Department of Transportation (DOT) compliance.

Oversees employee and labor relations, including contract administration, collective bargaining, grievance resolution, and fostering productive relationships with unions and employee groups.

Directs talent acquisition efforts to attract, recruit, and onboard high-quality candidates, ensuring a fair, transparent, and inclusive hiring process.

Leads total rewards strategy, including compensation, benefits, recognition, and performance management programs that attract, retain, and motivate employees.

Directs and manages HR administration and support services, ensuring efficient and effective delivery of programs, processes, onboarding, and systems that support a diverse workforce.

Oversees training, professional development, and succession planning initiatives that enhance workforce capability and support career growth.

Drives organizational development strategies, including leadership development, change management, and workforce planning to meet evolving agency needs.

Ensures compliance with federal and state employment laws, regulations, and DOT requirements applicable to safety-sensitive positions.

Annually reviews and updates employee policies and procedures to maintain compliance, reflect best practices, and ensure consistency with agency values and operational requirements.

Serves as a trusted advisor to the General Manager / Chief Executive Officer and executive leadership team on workforce trends, organizational effectiveness, and human capital strategies.

Collaboratively develops Employee Engagement strategies to help the workforce connect their work to organizational success and positively communicate their engagement through an employee feedback process and surveys.

Manages all HR activities, communications, reports, requests, and documents created and received by the team.

People Power Management

Maintains appropriate staffing levels and reviews progress to ensure the quality and quantity of work meet standards and deadlines for deliverables to meet program goals and objectives.

Recruits staff to include interviewing, hiring, assigning work, training, coaching, and counseling to ensure consistent application of Employee Guidelines, processes, and procedures.

Conducts performance reviews and holds employees accountable for optimal performance of their responsibilities.

Fosters a safety-first culture, prioritizing prevention, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Takes action to advance the goals of Equal Employment Opportunity, Small Business Enterprise, Title VI and ADA Plans, thereby ensuring RTD's hiring programs, work environment, contracting and procurement practices, and transit services / programs are fair, equal, and non-discriminatory.

Additional Duties

Provides leadership and direction to accomplish the agency's strategic goals and objectives for HR.

Informs and advises the General Manager / Chief Executive Officer regarding current trends, problems, and activities to facilitate both short, mid, and long-term strategic plans as well as improve organizational performance.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, public administration, or related field.

Seven (7) years of C‑Suite or senior / executive‑level management experience.

Minimum of Ten (10) years of human resources experience.

Five (5) years of managing second‑level management experience.

Five (5) years of working in a public sector or other highly regulated entity.

Experience engaging with a Board of Directors.

Human Resources Certification required (SHRM‑CP, SHRM‑SCP, SPHR, PHR, etc.).

Previous experience with labor relations and contract negotiations.

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree in human resources, business administration, public administration, or related field preferred.

Ten (10) or more years of progressively responsible executive or senior leadership experience overseeing multiple HR functional areas in a complex or unionized environment.

Experience working within a politically sensitive environment.

Or : An equivalent combination of education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Key Competencies & Characteristics

Experienced change manager with proven background leading a diverse, multi‑faceted human resource organization with multiple human resource functions including hiring, recruiting, retention, benefits, risk, development, training, and compensation in a public sector, unionized, and non‑represented environment.

Demonstrated commitment to the values of RTD, ethics, integrity, and confidentiality.

Ability to communicate and interact with elected and public officials at all levels of government, business, and industry, and work effectively with a wide range of diverse constituencies and stakeholders.

Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to develop and deliver effective professional presentations to governing bodies, regulators, employees, and the general public.

Demonstrated ability to lead the development of an employee feedback process, provide leadership and management to the process, and support the performance evaluation of a diverse workforce of over 3,000 employees.

Proven experience leading negotiations with collective bargaining, working with organized labor in similar public entities.

Proven experience developing and implementing employee workforce solutions derived through employee feedback.

Demonstrated experience interpreting organizational focus and strategies to determine innovative solutions supporting strategic plan implementation.

Demonstrated comprehensive knowledge of policies, procedures, federal and state human resource laws.

The hiring range is $200,744 $282,551.50, based on demonstrated education and experience; the full salary range extends to $311,154.

We are considering all applications for this position up until the position close date of November 20, 2025. For consideration, please be sure to apply before the posting end date.

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