Chief Human Resources Officer

Role overview

East 57th Street Partners is working with a private equity sponsor to hire a Chief Human Resources Officer for a platform business in the Charlotte metro area, North Carolina. This is an on-site leadership role for a newly created executive-level People position, designed to establish the HR function from the ground up and support the company’s next stage of growth.

The business is a long-standing founder-built company that has recently been acquired. With a full investment horizon still ahead, the priority is to preserve the legacy of the organization while also accelerating an acquisition-led expansion strategy supported by organic growth. The CHRO will play a central role in building the leadership team, integrating people and culture across acquisitions, and helping drive value creation through the hold period.

This opportunity is suited to a hands-on operator who can build scalable people processes quickly and partner closely with the CEO and private equity sponsor in a fast-moving, M&A-focused environment.

What the role covers

• Own the full People function, including talent, organizational design, culture, compensation, and HR operations.
• Set up and lead the HR organization end to end.
• Support executive and leadership hiring to strengthen the management team.
• Lead HR due diligence and people integration for acquisitions.
• Build total rewards, performance, and talent frameworks that can scale.
• Work alongside the CEO and sponsor on value creation and the eventual exit plan.

Why this opportunity stands out

• First true CHRO position, with the chance to build the People function from scratch.
• Direct exposure to the executive team, board, and private equity sponsor.
• Platform business with an established legacy base and fresh growth mandate.
• Strong acquisition pipeline combined with organic growth ambitions.
• Meaningful responsibility for integrating people, culture, and operations across acquisitions.
• Equity participation tied to the company’s exit outcome.

Core responsibilities

Talent and leadership build-out

• Recruit senior and executive-level leaders to complete the management team.
• Create workforce plans that support the acquisition roadmap.
• Design succession planning and leadership development initiatives across the platform.
• Develop employer branding and talent attraction approaches.

M&A people integration and due diligence

• Perform HR due diligence on target companies.
• Plan and execute post-close integration of people, culture, and benefits.
• Align compensation, policies, and HR systems across acquired businesses.
• Spot and reduce people-related risk throughout the transaction process.

Organizational design and culture

• Shape a performance-focused and accountable culture across the platform.
• Create organizational structures that can expand through acquisitions.
• Lead change management during integration and transformation efforts.
• Promote alignment across functions and operating units.

Total rewards and HR operations

• Build competitive compensation, benefits, and incentive programs.
• Standardize payroll, HR operations, and HRIS across entities.
• Introduce people KPIs and reporting to improve visibility.
• Maintain compliance with multi-state and multi-entity employment rules.

Board and sponsor partnership

• Act as the senior People advisor to the CEO, board, and sponsor.
• Provide clear, data-backed updates on talent, culture, and integration progress.
• Align people strategy with investment goals and the exit timeline.

Candidate profile

• Experience as a CHRO, SVP/VP of HR, or other senior People leader in a private equity-backed organization.
• Proven success in acquisition-driven growth and integration work.
• Background in HR due diligence and post-close people integration.
• Track record of building and scaling HR functions across multi-entity businesses.
• Strong capability in total rewards, organizational design, and talent acquisition.
• Solid business and financial judgment focused on value creation.
• Comfort working closely with private equity sponsors and boards.

Ideal fit

• Someone eager to build a People function from the ground up.
• A leader who performs well in high-accountability, execution-heavy settings.
• A professional who can step in quickly without needing a long transition period.
• Someone who has successfully integrated workforces and cultures through M&A.
• A candidate motivated by equity upside and measurable results within a defined timeline.

Additional information

Compensation for this role is a base salary of $275,000 to $325,000, plus bonus and an equity stake. The position is based in the Charlotte metro area and requires on-site presence.

This is a build-and-scale leadership mandate at an important inflection point for the business, with capital support, sponsor backing, and a clear mandate to grow through acquisitions and organic expansion.