Chief People Officer / HR Director

The Chief People Officer (CPO) or HR Director (depending on experience) is a strategic leader responsible for shaping and executing the firm’s people strategy. This role oversees all aspects of human resources, including strategic HR initiatives, talent acquisition, employee engagement, compensation, performance management, professional development, benefits, inclusion, and compliance with labor and other relevant laws, ensuring alignment with the firm’s goals and values. The CPO partners with firm leadership to align HR initiatives with business objectives and fosters a high-performance, inclusive culture to attract and retain high-caliber talent.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Organizational Alignment

• Collaborates closely with partners, senior management, the firm’s General Counsel, and the People Operations staff to execute strategic initiatives.
• Develop and lead a comprehensive people strategy that supports the firm’s long-term business goals and growth trajectory.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the executive [CB1] team, providing guidance on workforce planning, succession, and organizational design.
• Lead firmwide change management initiatives, including restructuring, expansion, and cultural transformation.
• Oversee the onboarding and integration process for equity partners, including developing policies and procedures to support a seamless transition.
• Oversee the implementation, integration, and optimization of HR systems and platforms, including process automation to enhance efficiency and employee experience.

Talent Strategy & Development

• Oversee all aspects of talent acquisition, including recruitment strategies for attorneys, legal professionals, and administrative staff, ensuring alignment with the firm’s values and goals.
• Design and implement leadership development programs to cultivate future firm leaders.
• Drive employee engagement and retention strategies tailored to the legal industry’s unique demands.
• Develop and manage systems for onboarding and offboarding processes, ensuring consistency, compliance, and alignment with firm culture and expectations.

Employee Relations

• Develop and mediate employee disputes to ensure all applicable laws and regulations are followed.
• Lead comprehensive investigations into employee relation issues, ensuring compliance with company policy and legal standards.
• Oversee all core HR functions, including performance management, benefits (insurance, 401(k), fringe benefits), payroll, onboarding, off boarding, leave administration, and compliance with federal, state, and local labor regulations.
• Supervise and approve the engagement of independent contractors, including contract terms, payments, and compliance with firm policies and applicable laws.

Benefits

• Administer employee benefit programs including health, dental, vision, life insurance, and retirement plans.
• Oversee annual open enrollment, including communications, vendor updates, and system configuration.
• Collaborate with benefits vendors and brokers to ensure plan implementation is accurate.
• Ensure compliance with federal and state regulations (e.g. ERISA, HIPAA, ACA, COBRA).
• Analyze benefits utilization and trends to support recommendations for plan improvements or cost-saving opportunities
• Ensure that accurate benefits records and documentation are maintained for audits and reporting.
• Oversee specific executive life insurance policies, ensuring accurate and timely payment to protect firm interests and continuity.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure firmwide compliance with federal, state, and local labor laws, including wage and hour regulations, leave policies, and workplace safety.
• Oversee internal audits and investigations, partnering with legal counsel when necessary to mitigate risk.
• Maintain and update firm policies to reflect evolving legal standards and best practices.
• Manage the firm’s business insurance portfolio, including EPLI, malpractice, general liability, cyber, crime, and other policies; manage policy renewals, claims, and vendor relationships.
• Vet and source insurance brokerages to ensure alignment with industry standards, firm size, and risk profile.
• Oversee the firm’s ethics and compliance program, including training, tracking, and reporting protocols in coordination with General Counsel or relevant leadership.

Culture & Leadership

• Champion inclusion across all levels of the firm.
• Lead initiatives that promote a respectful, collaborative, and high-performing workplace culture.

Executive Reporting

• Develop and present HR metrics and strategic insights to firm leadership, including workforce trends, engagement scores, and other benchmarks.
• Collaborate with departmental leaders, such as accounting and legal[CB2] , to ensure HR initiatives are financially sound, on budget, and legally compliant.

Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop the People Operations team by fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, empathy, and continuous improvement.
• Promote a positive and inclusive team environment that values diverse perspectives and encourages open communication.
• Employ a people first approach to leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in human resources, business administration, or related field.
• 10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, with several years in a leadership or director role, preferably in a professional services or legal environment.
• Proven success in strategic HR planning, organizational development, and executive-level advising.
• Deep knowledge of employment law, HR best practices, talent acquisition, employee engagement, and HR platforms is expected.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, leadership, and stakeholder management skills for building relationships across all levels of the firm.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and strategic thinking abilities are critical.

This job description reflects management's assignment of essential functions; it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Kahana Feld provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Job Type

Full-Time, Exempt

Supervisory Responsibilities

All People Operations Staff.

Work Location

Hybrid

Work Schedule

8:30am - 5:30pm Monday-Friday. Occasional weekends and holidays.

Salary Scale

$125,000-$250,000

Physical Requirements

Primarily sedentary work. Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Repetitive motion. Substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading. Work is performed in an office environment and requires the ability to operate standard office equipment and keyboards. Must have the ability to walk short distances, and/or drive a vehicle to deliver and pick up materials. Work can be performed with or without accommodations.

Travel

10-20% domestic travel by car and plane.