Director of People and Culture

Dowbuilt • Seattle, WA

32d • $140,000 - $175,000

About The Position

We’re hiring a Director of People & Culture to lead people and culture strategy, project-manage HR policy/compliance and governance, develop and manage the departmental budget, and oversee performance, talent acquisition and workforce planning. This role ensures that the company attracts, develops, supports and retains top field and professional talent while maintaining compliance across multiple states. In partnership with the Directors of Total Rewards and Employee Relations/Compliance, the people team leads from a place of operational excellence, reinforcing a value based, quality-driven culture.

The Director of People & Culture balances strategic leadership with hands-on execution of employee relations matters. This role is accountable for ensuring that People and Culture policies and initiatives are practical, compliant, and aligned with the realities of a field-driven construction environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in organizational development, industrial-organizational psychology, HR or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
• 8+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, including senior leadership roles.
• Must demonstrate success leading HR functions for a multi-state organization with 300–700+ employees.
• Deep knowledge of employment law, wage and hour compliance, and HR best practices.
• Proven ability to partner with executive leadership and influence at the highest level.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to balance people strategy and operational realities.
• Ability to think strategically and successfully develop + implement tactical action plans.
• Reputation for an unrelenting pursuit of excellence; communicating with emotional intelligence, diplomacy, compassion and flexibility.
• Proficiency with MS Office Suite; experience with web-based solutions such as Smartsheet, Egnyte, and Slack is highly preferred

Nice To Haves

• SHRM-SCP or SPHR professional certification preferred
• Prior experience in construction or a project-based, field-driven industry strongly preferred.
• Proficiency with Payroll and HRIS – ADP and BambooHR with evaluation and implementation experience highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Partner with executive team to champion organizational change initiatives, including growth, restructuring, and process improvements.
• Uphold company values and reinforce them through a flexible, customer-service focus and mindset.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO and executive team on people and culture matters.
• Coach executives and senior leaders on people leadership, decision-making, and organizational effectiveness.
• Partner with Employee Development Manager as needed to ensure performance management systems are tied to company goals, project outcomes, and highlight individual accountability.
• Participate in leading development programs for current and emerging managers and executives across the organization.
• Work closely with the executive team on succession planning for key leadership and critical roles.
• Manage internal mobility and internal candidate hiring to meet workforce needs.
• Partner with regional leadership and TA Manager to develop and oversee workforce strategy aligned with company growth plans and geographic expansion.
• Partner with executives, principals and operations leaders to build scalable org structures for field and project management teams.
• Support Employee Development Manager to refine job architecture, role clarity, and career paths across field, project management, and executive leadership roles.
• Partner with Regional Principals and Business Development Manager to ensure workforce plans are tied to regional project pipelines, backlog, and seasonal labor demands.
• Lead full-cycle recruiting as needed and serve as backup to the Talent Acquisition Manager.
• Develop national talent acquisition strategy for field, project management, and executive roles.
• Maintain recruitment systems, policies, and best practices for candidate experience, compliance, and reporting.
• Ensure hiring processes are efficient, consistent, legally compliant, and aligned with company values.
• Partner with Marketing to strengthen employer branding in existing and emerging markets.
• Oversee background checks and drug and alcohol testing, including compliant adverse action processes.
• Partner with TA Manager to draft and deliver relocation offers that balance business needs and retention.
• Oversee referral and signing bonus programs in accordance with company policy.
• Partner with legal counsel to manage nonimmigrant and immigrant work visa processes for hard-to-fill roles.
• Recommend and manage third-party executive search firms for specialized, C-Suite or hard-to-fill roles.
• Lead, coach, and develop the talent acquisition team, including performance and engagement.
• Manage talent acquisition budgets and recruitment spend.
• Provide quarterly staffing metrics and insights to the board.
• Deliver interview best-practices training and continuously refine hiring capabilities.
• Partner with Employee Development Manager to oversee programs that enhance engagement, retention, and employee experience across field and office teams.
• Oversee onboarding, performance management, and feedback processes to ensure they are effective and consistently applied.
• Ensure that leaders are trained properly to proactively address performance, conduct, and employee relations issues promptly and professionally.
• Monitor engagement and turnover trends and develop targeted retention strategies.
• Provide hands-on support with employee relations, investigations, terminations, leaves of absence, and disciplinary actions in partnership with Director of Employee Relations and Compliance.
• Develop and update policies, and project manage employee handbook + state addendum changes and roll-out; develop and refine HR SOPs to maintain accuracy and legal compliance.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws across all operating states.
• Lead audits and mitigate employment-related risk.
• Work with outside counsel to manage employment related legal claims and costs. Advise West Coast President on strategy.

Benefits

• 100% paid medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance for full-time employees (35% Medical coverage and 30% Dental + Vision for dependents), first of the month following DOH
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with employer profit sharing contribution
• 8 paid holidays each year, no waiting period
• Paid Time-Off (PTO)
• Mentorship and career development opportunities
• Annual discretionary bonus

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director