This executive role partners directly with the President and firm leadership to align people decisions with business performance in engineering consulting. The Chief People Officer will translate the connection between people's expertise, relationships, and capacity and the work won, delivery quality, and profitable growth into workforce plans, stronger retention, effective leadership, and an employee experience that attracts and retains talented individuals. The role combines executive partnership with hands-on leadership of the HR team, shaping people priorities within the firm while collaborating with regional and Trilon HR leaders and Centers of Excellence in Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, and Talent Management. This position also leads the people side of AI adoption and organizational change, helping employees build the skills and confidence to adapt to new ways of working.
Responsibilities
Advise the President and firm leadership on organization design, culture, succession, and people risk, building trust, constructively challenging assumptions, and turning decisions into action
Translate the business plan, project backlog, and pursuit pipeline into workforce plans that align skills and capacity with utilization, project delivery, and growth
Partner with Trilon Talent Acquisition on critical hiring needs, and close capability gaps through development, internal mobility, flexible staffing, and appropriate automation
Build succession plans for leadership, technical, and client-facing roles
Align firm priorities with regional and Trilon people programs while tailoring execution to local business needs
Own the firm
Use turnover trends, stay and exit interviews, and employee feedback to understand why people stay or leave
Partner with leaders to address root causes and measure the impact of retention and engagement actions
Strengthen the employee value proposition and ensure it is delivered through meaningful work, career opportunities, competitive rewards, flexibility, and day-to-day leadership
Equip managers to hold regular career and stay conversations, recognize contributions, and follow through on employee feedback
Hold leaders accountable for engagement and retention commitments
Lead performance management and career development, including technical career paths, licensure support, and opportunities for internal mobility within the firm and Trilon
Build leadership and project manager capability in coaching, feedback, accountability, and leading through change
Equip managers to address performance issues and support employee growth
Develop successors for critical roles
Build, lead, and develop an effective HR team with clear priorities, accountability, and a strong service mindset
Oversee reliable HR operations, employee relations, policies, and compliance in partnership with Trilon HR and Legal
Millions of jobs, with real people getting hired every day
200,000+
New jobs added daily
7,000,000+
Verified job listings
1,000,000+
Tailored applications submitted
Lead people planning and integration for acquisitions, including leadership alignment, cultural integration, employee communication, and retention of critical talent
Partner with Trilon Total Rewards on competitive, equitable compensation, incentives, and benefits that support attraction, retention, and firm performance within Trilon frameworks
Use people analytics to identify risks, recommend action, and assess results
Connect turnover, hiring, engagement, workforce capacity, and rewards spending to business performance
Apply HR technology and AI where they improve recruiting, onboarding, employee service, analytics, or HR productivity
Partner with technology and operational leaders to assess how AI changes roles, skills, and workflows; guide workforce planning, learning, and adoption
Lead people-focused change management and internal communications, with Marketing support
Help employees understand the firm
Partner with technology, Legal, and Trilon HR on responsible AI use, privacy, fairness, and employee trust
Requirements
10+ years of progressive HR leadership, with experience leading a people function or serving as the senior HR partner to a business leader
Demonstrated success improving retention and employee engagement, with measurable results and clear examples of personal ownership and business impact
Experience translating workforce planning or leadership development into stronger organizational performance
Strong business and analytical judgment, including the ability to connect workforce decisions to revenue growth, project delivery, utilization, and profitability
Experience supporting a complex workforce across multiple locations, entities, or a matrixed organization is highly relevant
High emotional intelligence and the credibility to influence senior, operational, and technical leaders
Able to challenge constructively, navigate resistance, and hold people accountable while maintaining strong relationships
Broad HR expertise across employee relations, organizational development, talent management, compensation, and US employment practices, with sound judgment on when to engage specialist partners
Demonstrated success leading organizational change and improving HR processes and technology
Able to guide the workforce implications of AI adoption in partnership with technical experts
Preferred experience includes:
Engineering consulting, AEC, or another professional services business with a technical workforce
Growth through acquisitions or a private equity-backed environment
Benefits
Outstanding holiday and paid-time-off programs
401(k) Plan and Match
Career Path Development Program (Management & Technical Career Tracks)
Mentorship Program
Tuition Reimbursement
Parental Leave
Competitive health and dental insurance premiums
Variety of voluntary benefit options
Short-Term Disability/Long-Term Disability
Company-furnished life insurance
Employee Assistant Program (EAP)
Flexible Spending Account
About the Company
DRMP is an award-winning multidiscipline firm that delivers infrastructure solutions to meet the needs of public, private, and industrial clients, transforming communities and strengthening connectivity across the Southeast since 1977. The company has over 700 employees and 23 strategically located offices. With expertise in six core markets
DRMP is ranked among Engineering News-Record
alternative delivery, construction services, federal, surveying and mapping/geospatial, and transportation
and has earned both local and national recognition for project excellence. At DRMP, employees are supported, challenged, and valued through professional development, career advancement opportunities, and work that contributes to the communities served.
Founded in 1977, DRMP is a multi-discipline civil engineering and surveying firm that develops innovative and sustainable design solutions for infrastructure in the public, private and industrial sectors.
