The Opportunity Vaco has partnered with a rapidly growing, multi-state organization seeking a transformational VP of People to lead its people strategy during an exciting phase of growth. This executive will be responsible for strengthening talent acquisition, improving employee retention, enhancing onboarding and employee development programs, building scalable people processes, and serving as a strategic advisor to leadership. The organization has already made significant investments in improving hiring and onboarding practices and is now seeking a leader who can build upon that momentum while helping shape the next phase of growth. This role requires a hands-on HR executive who can balance strategy with execution, build trust across all levels of the organization, and create scalable people systems that support continued expansion without sacrificing culture, employee engagement, or operational excellence. Over time, this leader will play a critical role in developing and sustaining company culture across a growing multi-state workforce.

Location:

This position is located just east of Lafayette, Indiana and requires a strong on-site presence. Candidates should expect to spend a minimum of three days per week on-site, particularly during the onboarding and relationship-building phase of the role. Key Responsibilities Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning Lead and develop the organization's recruiting function and recruiting team. Build scalable, quality-focused hiring practices that improve candidate quality, retention, and long-term workforce success. Develop workforce planning models that align hiring demand with growth projections, geographic expansion, and business objectives. Partner with leadership to identify staffing needs and proactively build talent pipelines. Establish meaningful recruiting metrics focused on quality of hire, retention, and business outcomes rather than activity-based metrics. Onboarding, Retention & Employee Experience Continue enhancing onboarding and new hire integration programs with clear milestones, accountability measures, and success indicators. Identify retention trends using data-driven analysis and develop practical solutions that improve employee engagement and workforce stability. Create meaningful feedback mechanisms, including employee listening strategies and exit interview processes, while ensuring recommendations are grounded in data and business context. Partner with operational leaders to strengthen employee development, training, and performance management practices. HR Leadership & Organizational Development Provide strategic leadership to a growing HR team that may include recruiters, HR support staff, and future people leaders. Establish scalable people processes and infrastructure to support continued organizational growth. Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on talent strategy, organizational effectiveness, succession planning, and employee engagement. Lead change management initiatives in a way that gains organizational buy-in and strengthens culture. Employee Relations, Compliance & Risk Management Oversee employee relations matters, workplace investigations, policy administration, and conflict resolution. Ensure compliance with multi-state employment laws and HR best practices. Partner with legal counsel and external advisors regarding complex employee relations and compliance matters. Create consistent processes for conducting investigations, documenting findings, and managing employee concerns. Oversee HR policies, benefits administration, workers' compensation, and HR compliance initiatives. Culture & Growth Initiatives Champion and cultivate a strong organizational culture across a distributed and expanding workforce. Develop programs that strengthen employee engagement, communication, accountability, and leadership alignment. Create initiatives that help maintain cultural consistency as the organization scales across multiple states and locations. Foster a workplace that balances employee advocacy, operational effectiveness, and business objectives. Required Qualifications 15+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, including senior-level Human Resources or People Operations leadership. Demonstrated success leading recruiting, talent acquisition, employee relations, and organizational development functions. Proven track record improving hiring quality, employee retention, and workforce performance in high-growth environments. Experience leading and developing recruiting and HR teams. Strong knowledge of employment law, workplace investigations, employee relations, and multi-state compliance. Experience implementing scalable people processes and HR infrastructure. Ability to analyze workforce data, identify trends, and make data-driven recommendations. Excellent executive presence and the ability to influence leaders, managers, and employees at all levels. Demonstrated success driving change while building trust, consensus, and organizational buy-in. Preferred Experience Experience supporting large field-based, operations-driven, construction, home services, skilled trades, manufacturing, or blue-collar workforces. Multi-state workforce management experience. Experience supporting organizations undergoing rapid growth and geographic expansion. Strong background in organizational culture development and employee engagement programs. Experience building HR functions and people infrastructure in scaling organizations. Change Management certification or formal Organizational Development experience is highly valued. What Success Looks Like Within the first 12-24 months, this leader will: Strengthen the organization's ability to attract and retain high-performing employees at scale. Enhance recruiting, onboarding, and employee development processes. Build credibility and strong partnerships across leadership and operations teams. Establish data-driven people strategies that support business growth. Develop a scalable culture and employee engagement framework capable of supporting significant future expansion across multiple states. Position the People function as a strategic business partner and a key driver of organizational success. By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions.