Head of Human Resources

Department: Corporate/Administrative

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Rockford, IL

Compensation: $135,000 - $190,000 / year

Description

The Head of HR is a senior, forward-thinking leader responsible for the full talent lifecycle of a 250-person, growing organization. This role leads talent strategy, retention, and leadership development while modernizing HR operations and supporting integration of acquired companies. As a key member of the leadership team, the Head of HR reports to the President and partners closely with the Regional Chief People Officer. 
   What’s in it for you?
We offer an exciting and engaging work environment where every day brings new challenges and opportunities. At Fehr Graham, we don’t just manage projects – we bring them to life! This position will put you in the driver’s seat to steer our transportation projects to success.  If you have a passion for transforming concepts into tangible achievements and hope to accelerate your career, we want you on our team.

Where you’ll work
The position is based in Rockford or Aurora, IL. At Fehr Graham, we pride ourselves on delivering personalized attention and building trust with our clients. We believe in the power of skilled professionals who provide exceptional service. We also believe in work-life balance, and that includes injecting a healthy dose of fun into everything we do. It’s even part of our Core Values! We celebrate milestones and enjoy friendly team-building activities and office outings after work. A happy and engaged work team is a successful one. Each of our offices brings an environment filled with positive energy and enthusiasm. We encourage our teams to connect on multiple levels and support each other’s personal and professional growth.
What you’ll get
You’ll have plenty of opportunities to grow professionally at our progressive firm, which started in 1973. Our people-first organization is focused on giving our employees the opportunity for growth. In addition to a competitive salary, we also offer:

• Medical/dental/vision
• Life insurance
• Disability insurance
• 401K Retirement Plan
• Profit-sharing bonus plan
• Paid time off
• An awesome work environment.  

Learn more about Fehr Graham’s people, culture and projects on our website. 

Equal Opportunity Employer

Fehr Graham provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. 

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Primary Responsibilities:

1. Talent Management:  

• Assess and coach leaders on workforce planning, team capability, succession depth, and retention risk; hold leaders accountable for building high-performing, promotable teams. 
• Build and maintain clear career paths and promotion criteria; use performance, skills, and capacity data to assess readiness and drive transparent, merit-based advancement decisions. 
• Partner with Talent Acquisition to align hiring plans with strategic workforce needs; implement proactive sourcing, internal mobility, and retention strategies to ensure bench strength for key roles. 

  2. Core HR: 

• Assess and evolve the HR operating model to support scale and integration—leveraging centralized parent-company capabilities, harmonizing talent and performance processes, and migrating to common systems across performance management, compensation, and employee relations. 
• Design and implement a modern, flexible job architecture, including consistent role titles, role-based competencies, competitive pay bands, and clear, self-service career pathways. 
• Manage a team that oversees HR Operations; providing clear, consistent guidance to leaders and staff on policies and compliance, employee relations, compensation, benefits, leave management, and HR systems. 

  3. M&A Integration:  

• Partner closely with the Trilon HR Leadership team in preparation for a potential acquisition.  
• Lead the HR integration efforts for acquisitions, collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure a smooth transition.  
• Manage change management processes during integra