Chief People Development Officer

Aprio•Atlanta, GA

11d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Chief People Development Officer (CPDO) is a strategic architect of Aprio's transformation from a people and capability standpoint. This role is not about program administration but owning the firm's people development strategy. The CPDO will serve as a critical thought partner to the Chief People Officer on workforce strategy, bringing deep expertise in capability and skills to inform how Aprio builds, develops, and deploys its talent in a profession being reshaped by automation and AI. The CPDO reports to the Chief People Officer and is a key driver of Aprio's Value Creation Plan, specifically the Unmatched Talent pillar.

Requirements

Demonstrated ability to connect development strategy to business outcomes in measurable terms, leading with business impact before program design.
Experience building or scaling an L&D function in a high-growth, acquisition-active, or transformation-era organization.
Credibility and fluency in workforce strategy conversations, comfortable presenting to and pushing back on senior business leaders.
A track record of building AI or emerging-technology learning programs.
Comfort with ambiguity and iteration; ability to make decisions with incomplete information and adjust quickly.
Strong relationship-building capability in a matrixed organization where influence matters more than authority.
Willingness to collaborate with other People + Culture leaders.
Bachelor's degree required.
12+ years of progressive experience in learning, talent development, or workforce strategy.
At least 5 years in a senior leadership role with enterprise-wide scope.
Proven experience designing and implementing learning strategy in a professional services, regulated industry, or high-growth environment.
Demonstrated experience with AI learning programs, digital learning platforms, and emerging instructional design methodologies.
Strong financial acumen — budget ownership, ROI modeling, and the ability to make resource trade-off decisions with confidence.

Nice To Haves

Master's in Education, Organizational Development, Business, or a related field preferred.
Experience supporting or leading the learning dimension of M&A integration is a meaningful differentiator.

Responsibilities

Define the capability model Aprio needs to execute its business strategy for the next three to five years, considering the impact of AI, automation, and evolving client expectations.
Advise and inform the CPO's workforce composition decisions, focusing on skills and capabilities for onshore/offshore mix, technology displacement, and new role creation, and translating these into learning and development architecture.
Serve as an internal subject matter expert on skills, capability gaps, and readiness for strategic initiatives like M&A integration, new service line development, and market expansion.
Develop and implement a firm-wide AI learning strategy to build employee fluency, confidence, and practical capability to work with AI tools, as an ongoing program tied to adoption and business outcomes.
Design reskilling and upskilling pathways to address displacement and role-evolution risks for staff at all levels.
Ensure learning programs are adaptive, modular, and measurable, keeping pace with business changes.
Develop proactive development solutions driven by business transformations.
Design and execute a comprehensive learning strategy for diverse talent segments: campus hires, experienced staff, and senior leaders.
Build and oversee curriculum across technical, leadership, and professional development domains, ensuring relevance to Aprio's specific practices, segments, and client context.
Experiment with and establish new modes of learning.
Establish rigorous learning measurement beyond completion rates to demonstrate impact on performance, retention, and business outcomes using OKR methodology and defined KPIs.
Build and sustain leadership development programs to create a robust internal pipeline from emerging leaders to partner-track candidates.
Partner with HRBPs and business leaders on individual development planning for high-potential and key talent, connecting development to career paths.
Design compelling career development frameworks as a retention lever.
Own the learning technology stack, including selection, implementation, and evolution of platforms.
Manage the L&D P&L, including budgeting, resource allocation, and ROI measurement.
Make investment cases for initiatives in business terms.
Ensure all programs meet relevant regulatory and compliance requirements (AICPA, PCAOB, and other applicable standards).

Benefits

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance on the first day of employment
Flexible Spending Account and Dependent Care Account
401k with Profit Sharing
9+ holidays and discretionary time off structure
Parental Leave – coverage for both primary and secondary caregivers
Tuition Assistance Program and CPA support program with cash incentive upon completion
Discretionary incentive compensation based on firm, group and individual performance
Incentive compensation related to origination of new client sales
Top rated wellness program
Flexible working environment including remote and hybrid options