Chief People Officer
Leap Brands is recruiting for a private equity firm of a rapidly growing, retail company with a dynamic, consumer-facing presence across multiple markets. With locations spanning 150+ locations in 10+ states, we are redefining customer experiences in the retail sector. Our mission is to foster a culture of excellence, innovation, and customer-centricity while delivering outstanding growth for our stakeholders.
To support our continued expansion, we are seeking an experienced and visionary Chief People Officer (CPO) to join our executive team. The CPO will play a pivotal role in driving our people strategy, fostering a high-performance culture, and ensuring our workforce is aligned with our business objectives.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Strategic Leadership
- Develop and execute a comprehensive HR and people strategy that aligns with the company’s growth objectives.
- Partner with the CEO, executive team, and private equity sponsors to shape and sustain a high-performance, people-centric culture.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the leadership team on organizational design, talent management, and employee engagement.
2. Talent Acquisition and Retention
- Oversee the design and implementation of recruiting strategies to attract top talent across retail and corporate functions.
- Build scalable talent pipelines to support the company’s growth and expansion into new markets.
- Implement robust succession planning for leadership and critical roles.
3. Learning and Development
- Establish leadership development programs and training initiatives to elevate the capabilities of employees at all levels.
- Foster a culture of continuous learning and career development.
- Create programs that promote operational excellence and align teams with organizational goals.
4. Culture and Employee Engagement
- Champion initiatives to reinforce company culture, mission, and values across diverse markets and teams.
- Develop and implement employee engagement strategies to drive job satisfaction, retention, and productivity.
- Serve as a visible and accessible leader who actively listens to employee feedback and fosters inclusion.
5. Total Rewards and HR Operations
- Lead the design and implementation of competitive compensation, benefits, and recognition programs that attract and retain top talent.
- Ensure HR policies and practices comply with local, state, and federal labor laws.
- Leverage HR technology and analytics to enhance HR operations and provide insights into workforce performance.
6. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
- Lead DEI efforts to build a diverse and inclusive workforce across all levels of the organization.
- Partner with internal and external stakeholders to promote equity and belonging.
7. Change Management
- Lead people-related integration efforts for new store openings, acquisitions, and market expansions.
- Drive organizational change initiatives to support growth while minimizing disruption.
Qualifications:
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field (MBA or advanced degree preferred).
- Experience:
- 10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience in a high-growth, multi-location retail, hospitality, or consumer-facing environment.
- Experience in private equity-backed or entrepreneurial organizations is highly desirable.
- Proven ability to scale HR functions and infrastructure in a rapidly expanding organization.
- Demonstrated expertise in talent acquisition, employee engagement, organizational development, and culture transformation.
- Strong business acumen with the ability to align people strategies with business objectives.
- Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills.