Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Chief of Human Resources

🎯 Role Definition

The Chief of Human Resources (CHRO) is the senior executive accountable for all people-related functions across the enterprise. This role defines and executes an integrated HR strategy—covering talent acquisition, learning and development, compensation and benefits, employee relations, diversity & inclusion, HR operations and HR technology—to enable business growth, operational efficiency and a high-performing culture. The CHRO is a strategic partner to the CEO and board, provides data-driven workforce insights, leads organizational design and change management, and ensures compliance in all jurisdictions.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Vice President of Human Resources
Head of Talent / Head of People Operations
Senior HR Business Partner

Advancement To:

Chief People Officer (CPO)
CEO (for HR leaders with strong general management experience)
Board Director / Executive Advisor

Lateral Moves:

Global Head of Talent & Organization
Head of Employee Experience
Head of HR Transformation / HR Technology

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop and execute a cohesive, enterprise-wide HR strategy that aligns with corporate objectives, supports scaling, improves retention, and strengthens employer brand.
Partner with the CEO and executive leadership to translate business strategy into organizational design, workforce plans, and talent priorities that meet short- and long-term goals.
Lead end-to-end talent acquisition strategy including employer branding, sourcing, executive search oversight, campus recruiting partnerships, and candidate experience optimization to attract top-tier talent.
Design and oversee robust performance management frameworks, goal-setting processes, and merit/incentive programs that drive accountability and high performance across the organization.
Create and implement total rewards programs—compensation structure, variable pay, executive compensation, and benefits strategy—ensuring market competitiveness, internal equity and compliance.
Build and scale leadership development and succession planning programs to identify critical roles, prepare internal successors, and accelerate leadership bench strength.
Lead diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) strategy and programs that embed inclusive practices into talent processes, improve representation, and track measurable outcomes.
Own HR operations including HRIS administration (Workday, SuccessFactors or equivalent), payroll oversight, HR shared services, and process optimization to ensure efficient, compliant operations.
Drive HR digital transformation by identifying, implementing and integrating HR technology solutions (HRIS, ATS, LMS, performance platforms) to improve data access and employee experience.
Establish and monitor HR metrics, workforce analytics and dashboards (turnover, time-to-fill, engagement, cost-per-hire, diversity metrics) and provide executive reporting with actionable insights.
Direct employee relations strategy, including conflict resolution, investigations, disciplinary processes, and maintaining a fair, respectful workplace culture.
Ensure legal and regulatory compliance across hiring, classification, labor laws, immigration, benefits, ERISA, GDPR/CCPA and global employment regulations, partnering with legal as needed.
Lead labor and union relations strategy where applicable, including collective bargaining, contract negotiations, grievance handling and labor dispute mitigation.
Manage complex organizational change initiatives—mergers & acquisitions integrations, restructuring, rapid growth scaling—through clear communication, workforce planning and change management best practices.
Oversee global mobility, expatriate policy, and international workforce strategy to support global expansion and cross-border talent needs.
Develop and maintain an employee handbook, HR policies & procedures and governance to ensure consistency and risk mitigation across locations.
Own HR budget planning, resource allocation and vendor management for recruitment, benefits brokers, payroll providers and learning platforms, driving cost-efficiency and vendor performance.
Lead employer brand, internal communications and employee engagement programs (surveys, action plans, recognition programs) to foster retention and positive culture.
Coach and counsel senior leaders and managers on people matters, leadership effectiveness, team dynamics and performance improvement.
Oversee safety, well-being and workplace health initiatives in partnership with EHS and benefits teams, ensuring a safe work environment and robust employee support programs.
Conduct compensation benchmarking, market analysis and pay equity audits to maintain competitive pay practices and mitigate pay disparity risks.
Serve as an executive sponsor for strategic people programs—talent mobility, mentoring, career pathing—and measure program outcomes against business KPIs.
Represent HR at the board level, preparing and presenting workforce strategy, risk assessments, culture metrics and succession readiness to the Board of Directors.
Build a high-performing HR leadership team, define HR operating model, set clear OKRs for HR functions, and coach direct reports to deliver results.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc executive requests for people analytics and scenario planning tied to business decisions.
Drive continuous improvement projects to streamline HR processes and reduce time-to-hire and HR operational costs.
Collaborate with finance to model workforce costs, headcount planning and the P&L impact of people initiatives.
Partner with IT on HR data security, identity access management and integrations between HR systems.
Engage with external networks, industry groups and conferences to keep the organization current on HR best practices, market trends and regulatory changes.
Manage vendor selection and governance for employee benefit programs, wellness providers and talent assessment vendors.
Facilitate cross-functional programs such as internal mobility, cross-training and project-based talent rotation to support skills development.
Lead pulse surveys and action planning cycles to measure and improve employee engagement and manager effectiveness.
Establish protocols for remote and hybrid work policies, ensuring consistent practice across geographies and compliance with local laws.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

HR Strategy & Workforce Planning — proven ability to translate business goals into actionable people strategies and headcount models.
HRIS & HR Technology — deep experience implementing and optimizing systems such as Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, Oracle HCM, Greenhouse or Lever, and LMS platforms.
Talent Acquisition & Executive Search — expertise in high-volume hiring, executive recruiting, campus partnerships, and recruitment analytics.
Compensation & Benefits Design — skill in total rewards strategy, executive pay structuring, incentive plan design and market benchmarking.
Labor Relations & Employment Law — experience managing union environments, collective bargaining and compliance with FLSA, EEOC, GDPR, CCPA, and local employment statutes.
Performance Management & Succession Planning — design and execution of performance frameworks, calibration processes and succession pipelines.
HR Analytics & Reporting — ability to define KPIs, build dashboards (e.g., turnover, retention, diversity metrics) and deliver actionable insights to executives.
Mergers & Acquisitions — hands-on experience with HR integration, due diligence, harmonization of pay/benefits and cultural integration strategies.
Change Management — structured change management methodology (ADKAR, PROSCI) for reorganizations and transformation initiatives.
Project and Budget Management — ability to lead cross-functional HR programs, manage budgets, and deliver ROI on people investments.

Soft Skills

Strategic Leadership — visionary thinker who can set direction and mobilize teams toward long-term goals.
Executive Presence & Board Communication — comfortable presenting workforce metrics and risk to boards and C-suite stakeholders.
Influencing & Stakeholder Management — persuasive communicator able to partner with leaders to drive decisions and adoption.
Coaching & Talent Development — skilled at coaching senior leaders and building talent pipelines.
Strong Ethical Judgment & Confidentiality — maintains trust and handles sensitive information with discretion.
Cultural Intelligence & Inclusion Mindset — empowers diverse teams and drives inclusive policies.
Resilience & Adaptability — thrives in fast-paced, ambiguous environments and leads through change.
Analytical Problem-Solving — translates complex data into clear recommendations and action plans.
Conflict Resolution — mediates disputes and fosters constructive employee relations.
Collaborative Mindset — builds cross-functional alignment and operational partnerships (Finance, Legal, IT).

Additional desirable credentials: SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CIPD, MBA or Master’s in HR/Organizational Psychology.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Psychology, Industrial Relations, or a related field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree (MBA, MA/MSc Human Resources, Organizational Development) or advanced certifications (SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CIPD).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Human Resources Management
Business Administration / Management
Organizational Psychology / Industrial-Organizational Psychology
Labor Relations / Employment Law
Industrial/Organizational Behavior

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 12–20+ years in HR with progressive leadership responsibilities; minimum of 7–10 years in senior HR leadership roles (VP/Head of HR) or equivalent.

Preferred:

15+ years of broad HR experience with demonstrable success leading HR teams in high-growth, matrixed, multi-site or global organizations.
Experience as an HR executive (CHRO/CPO/Head of People) or proven track record of partnering at the C-suite level.
Prior experience with M&A integrations, global workforce management, and HR technology implementations.

Certifications and evidence of continuous learning in contemporary HR practices, DEI initiatives, HR analytics, and change management are strongly preferred.