Senior Director, People & Culture

Join McKissack & McKissack's team! We have an immediate opening for a Senior Director, People & Culture in Washington, D.C. or Chicago, IL. Apply now for this exciting opportunity!

McKissack & McKissack offers opportunities to grow your career while working on transformative projects in program and construction management, architecture, and interior design. We combine technical expertise and creative vision to deliver exceptional results. Our culture values diversity, professional development, and performance. We seek team players who are humble, hungry, and smart, with strong academic or professional experience, integrity, and a client-focused mindset.

Join a team that invests in your success and rewards ambition, integrity, and collaboration.

McKissack & McKissack is seeking a Senior Director of People & Culture to build, strengthen, and scale our people function as the firm continues to grow. This is a highly hands‑on role for a leader who has stood up or rebuilt HR departments in startup, high‑growth, or evolving consulting environments, particularly within construction, engineering, or professional services. This role is about creating structure, clarity, and consistency where they are still forming, while staying deeply connected to day‑to‑day realities of the business.

The ideal candidate is comfortable working closely with leadership, managers, and employees alike and is willing to step in wherever needed to keep the organization moving forward.

• Personally own and execute the full scope of the people function, including HR operations, employee relations, compliance, and performance management and talent development
• Act as a visible, approachable leader who is comfortable working alongside teams, solving real issues as they arise
• Balance strategic thinking with day‑to‑day execution, ensuring people programs are practical, clear, and consistently applied
• Design and implement core HR systems, processes, and policies that support a growing construction consulting organization
• Build structure that supports both office‑based and project‑based teams
• Create scalable solutions without over‑engineering, prioritizing what is needed now while planning for growth
• Develop career paths, progression frameworks, and role clarity that resonate in a consulting and project‑driven environment
• Lead a performance management process that sets clear expectations, supports accountability, and drives professional growth
• Partner with managers to strengthen people leadership and supervisory effectiveness
• Strengthen a culture rooted in accountability, teamwork, problem‑solving, and mutual respect
• Use workforce data, feedback, and direct employee engagement to identify retention risks and implement solutions
• Build trust by being present, consistent, and responsive to employee needs
• Ensure compliance with all employment laws and HR best practices across multiple jurisdictions
• Oversee benefits administration, employee relations, and HR operations in partnership with external vendors
• Leverage HR metrics and analytics to support workforce planning and decision‑making
• Manage and optimize HR systems, including Deltek Vantagepoint
• Partner effectively with a PEO provider (e.g., Insperity) while maintaining strong internal ownership of the people function

• 10–15 years of HR experience, with significant time spent in a startup, scale‑up, or evolving organization
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field (Master’s preferred)
• Strong working knowledge of employment law, compliance, and HR best practices
• Experience using HR metrics and workforce data to inform decisions
• Demonstrated experience building or significantly reshaping an HR function, not just operating within an established one
• Experience in construction consulting, engineering, architecture, or professional services strongly preferred
• Comfort supporting a workforce that includes technical professionals, project teams, and field‑adjacent roles
• Highly hands‑on and execution‑oriented, comfortable stepping in wherever needed
• Practical, grounded approach to HR that values clarity, fairness, and follow‑through
• Able to earn…