Workforce Engagement & Development Manager

Workforce Engagement & Development Manager
 
Position Summary

The Workforce Engagement & Development Manager (WEDM) is a field-embedded leadership role that fuses hands-on workforce management with strategic people development — without the administrative overhead or perception of a traditional HR function. Positioned as the critical link between day-to-day project execution and executive strategy, the WEDM owns the morale, training, and readiness of a dedicated cohort of 100 field employees. This person is visible on-site, trusted by crews, and credible in front of directors and executives — translating what is happening in the field into decisions and investments that keep projects staffed, skilled, and running smoothly. The ideal candidate blends field operations experience with people-development instincts to eliminate friction before it becomes attrition, downtime, or compliance risk.

Key Responsibilities
1. Workforce Morale & Employee Relations (50%)

- Field Presence & Trust: Serve as the primary, visible point of contact for 100 dedicated field employees on pay questions, policy interpretation, benefits, and day-to-day workplace concerns.
 
- Conflict Resolution: Identify and de-escalate interpersonal and site-level conflict early; document and investigate concerns thoroughly and consistently.
 
- Performance Coaching: Coach site supervisors on delivering fair, effective evaluations; build and manage improvement plans; lead difficult conversations, including disciplinary action, with professionalism.
 
- Retention & Culture: Run regular pulse-checks, stay interviews, and exit interviews to catch morale and attrition risks early, and drive targeted fixes at the crew and site level.

2. Training, Development & Workforce Readiness (50%)

- Deployment Optimization: Partner with scheduling and dispatch to track shift coverage, keep rosters optimized, and rapidly fill vacancies within the assigned 100-person cohort.
- Skills & Certification Pipeline: Audit skill gaps across the cohort and coordinate safety training, license renewals, trade certifications, and cross-training so crews stay project-ready.
- Career Pathing: Build clear, structured paths that move entry-level field employees into skilled, lead, and supervisory roles.
- Compliance & Site Readiness: Ensure the cohort meets every client and project requirement — background checks, drug screens, medical clearances, and site badging — before boots hit the ground.
- E1–E4 Ratios & Full Crew Rates: Monitor and maintain compliant E1–E4 classification ratios and Full Crew Rate staffing targets across the cohort, adjusting crew composition to keep skill mix and cost profile aligned to project requirements.
- Chain of Command Oversight: Ensure the onsite chain of command is clearly defined, communicated, and consistently followed across the cohort, monitoring for breakdowns in reporting structure and escalating promptly.

3. Executive & Leadership Communication

- Reporting Up: Translate field-level trends (morale, turnover, training compliance, readiness) into clear, concise updates for the Director of Field Operations and executive leadership.
- Two-Way Voice: Represent the voice of the field in leadership discussions, and carry company priorities and strategy back to crews.
- Executive Presence: Prepare and deliver regular reporting on cohort health, using the KPIs below, flagging risks before they affect project delivery.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
KPI Target / Definition Retention Rate
Measurable reduction in annualized voluntary turnover within the assigned 100-person cohort.
Utilization & Deployment Efficiency
Maintain ≥95% assignment utilization; minimize unallocated bench time.
Training Compliance & Velocity
100% compliance on mandatory site-access certifications; hit targeted milestones for internal upskilling.
Time-to-Resolution
Reduce the time it takes to resolve employee concerns and on-site disputes.
Executive Reporting Cadence
Deliver timely, accurate cohort reporting to the Director and executive leadership on an agreed schedule.
Crew Composition & Chain of Command
Maintain compliant E1–E4 ratios and Full Crew Rate targets across the cohort; ensure the onsite chain of command is clearly defined and consistently followed.

Qualifications & Requirements

- Experience: 3–5 years of combined experience in field operations (scheduling, dispatch, supervision) and people management or employee relations.
- Industry Background: Experience in construction, electrical, industrial, or technical trades environments strongly preferred.
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Organizational Development, Human Resources, or equivalent field experience. PHR, SPHR, or SHRM-CP is a plus, not required.
- Core Skills: Strong conflict de-escalation and coaching skills, comfort communicating with executives, working knowledge of Workforce Management Systems (WMS) and HRIS platforms, and bilingual ability a plus depending on site demographics.