INTERIM HEAD OF HUMAN RESOURCES - CONTRACT TO PERM
Lead People Strategy at a High-Growth Energy Company
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Location: Dallas, TX
Travel: Up to 25% to field sites and operating locations
Our client is a high-growth, publicly traded energy and industrial services company undergoing significant organizational expansion and transformation. The company has delivered exceptional recent growth, with sales increasing more than 100% and EBITDA more than 200% over the past three years. The organization is strengthening its leadership team and strategic capabilities as it enters its next phase of growth. Its leadership and board bring significant expertise across private equity, corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, finance, operations, and organizational transformation.
This is a unique opportunity for an accomplished HR executive to join a growth-oriented organization and help shape its people strategy, culture, leadership capabilities, and HR infrastructure.
The Head of Human Resources will serve as the organization's senior HR leader and a strategic partner to the CEO, executive leadership team, and field operations. his is a hands-on player-coach leadership role overseeing a team of three and the full spectrum of human resources. The successful candidate will combine strategic vision with strong operational execution, building scalable HR systems and processes while remaining closely connected to employees, leaders, and field operations.
The Head of HR will have significant influence over workforce planning, talent acquisition, employee relations, organizational development, performance management, compliance, leadership development, and change management.
A key priority will be evolving the HR function to support continued growth, including partnering with internal technical and business teams on a Workday implementation and transitioning capabilities currently supported by external consultants.
Key Responsibilities
Compensation & Benefits
- Oversee and continuously improve payroll, benefits, compensation, and related HR programs.
- Partner with business and technical teams to support successful Workday implementation.
- Transition HR processes and capabilities from external consulting support to sustainable internal ownership.
- Ensure programs are competitive, scalable, compliant, and aligned with business objectives.
Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning
- Lead talent acquisition and staffing strategies across corporate, office, warehouse, and field-based roles.
- Partner with business leaders to anticipate workforce needs and develop effective staffing plans.
- Manage external recruiting and HR vendors as appropriate.
- Support workforce planning, upskilling, succession planning, talent management, and leadership development.
Employee Relations
- Serve as a trusted advisor to leaders and employees on complex people matters.
- Lead employee relations matters, workplace investigations, conflicts, grievances, disciplinary actions, and terminations.
- Conduct thorough, objective, and well-documented investigations.
- Ensure fair and consistent application of HR policies across office and field teams.
- Develop strong relationships with the blue-collar field workforce and reinforce a positive, accountable workplace culture.
Performance & Talent Management
- Lead performance management processes, including evaluations, feedback, talent reviews, and performance improvement plans.
- Strengthen organizational and leadership development practices.
- Help leaders build high-performing teams and develop talent throughout the organization.
Training & Development
- Support business-wide training and development initiatives.
- Identify organizational capability gaps and develop practical solutions.
- Build and develop the internal HR team, establishing clear expectations, accountability, and professional growth.
Compliance & Risk Management
- Ensure compliance with applicable employment laws and regulations, including OSHA, FLSA, EEO, ERISA, WARN, FMLA, ADA, and other relevant requirements.
- Partner with leadership to align HR practices with the organization's safety culture and operating priorities.
- Maintain appropriate policies, processes, documentation, and controls.
HR Strategy & Organizational Development
- Partner directly with the CEO on HR strategy, organizational development, culture, and change management.
- Translate the company's business roadmap into scalable people strategies, systems, and processes.
- Advise senior leaders on organizational design, workforce transformation, work redesign, automation, digital strategies, and other complex people issues.
- Use HR data and metrics to identify trends, inform decisions, and drive actionable organizational solutions.
- Build an HR function capable of scaling with the company's continued growth and transformation.
What We're Looking For
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field; MBA preferred.
- 10+ years of progressive HR experience across multiple HR disciplines and business functions.
- At least 2 years leading an HR organization with direct reports.
- Demonstrated success scaling organizations and evolving HR functions through periods of growth, transformation, or significant change.
- Broad expertise across:
- Payroll and benefits
- Compensation
- Organizational design
- Workforce planning
- Talent acquisition
- Talent and leadership development
- Performance management
- Change management
- Employee/labor relations
- Learning and development
- Strong knowledge of employment and regulatory requirements, including OSHA, FLSA, EEO, ERISA, WARN, FMLA, and ADA.
- Experience supporting office, warehouse, and field-based workforces, preferably in industrial environments.
- Oil & gas, energy, industrial services, or a related industry experience preferred.
- Technically capable with HRIS and payroll platforms; Workday and implementation experience is a plus.
- Demonstrated ability to build trust and strong relationships at every level of an organization.
- High degree of urgency, accountability, discretion, and sound judgment.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment while maintaining quality and accuracy.
Preferred Certifications
Candidates should possess or be able to obtain one or more of the following:
- SHRM-CP / SHRM-SCP
- PHR / SPHR
This position is based in Dallas, Texas, with travel of up to 25% to corporate offices, operating locations, including Midland, and field/job sites.
Field environments may include indoor and outdoor worksites, varying weather conditions, and exposure to industrial environments and hazards, including heavy machinery and rotating equipment.
This is an opportunity to join a company experiencing significant growth and organizational transformation and play a central role in building the people infrastructure required for its next stage.
This is not a maintenance HR role. The Head of HR will have the opportunity to build, modernize, and scale the HR function while working directly with the CEO and senior leadership team.
The ideal candidate will be a strategic, hands-on HR leader who is energized by growth, comfortable operating in an evolving environment, and capable of moving seamlessly between executive-level strategy and day-to-day execution.