Head of People Operations
Listed on 2026-08-19
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HR/Recruitment
Regulatory Compliance Specialist, HR Manager, HR Generalist / Talent Management
Head Of People Operations
Phoenix
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…
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