Chief People Officer

Position Purpose

Reporting to the CEO and serving as a member of First Fed’s Executive Team, the Chief People Officer is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive people strategy in support of First Fed’s mission, business objectives, and culture. The CPO will oversee all Human Resources and Learning and Development functions and team members and ensure company-wide compliance with HR policies as well as federal and state laws and regulations.

Essential Functions

Strategy Development

• Establish a comprehensive people strategy aligned with corporate strategy and including a set of integrated initiatives that optimizes First Fed’s human capital in support of business objectives.
• Institute metrics and other diagnostics that track programs, monitor progress, and oversee organizational health.  Provide periodic reports to the CEO, Compensation Committee and Board of Directors.
• Synthesize and integrate business performance and on-going feedback from company leaders to adjust the strategy as needed.

Cultural Strengthening

• Develop and champion a culture strategy that reflects the Bank’s purpose and goals.
• Instill a relationship-centered culture grounded in trust, service, and accountability.
• Champion the bank’s values, ensuring employees feel connected to our mission and impact.
• Partner with leaders to model integrity, collaboration, and care in every interaction with the First Fed team and our customers.
• Celebrate teamwork and recognize contributions that reflect the bank’s values.
• Act as executive sponsor for the First Fed Next committee or other culture-focused committees. As sponsor, provide high-level support and direction for committee initiatives.
• Lead annual employee engagement survey process, including communication of results and directing initiatives to respond to employee sentiment.
• Design and implement engagement programs to boost morale, productivity, and retention. 

Talent Acquisition

• Support recruiting team in strengthening employee brand that positions First Fed as an employer of choice in relevant talent markets.
• Develop and execute a workforce plan that paces organizational growth with business growth, diversifies First Fed’s talent sources and optimizes the cost of labor. Ensure compliance to FTE and people budget at all levels.
• Lead talent management and acquisition initiatives that continuously improve First Fed’s ability to efficiently and equitably attract and hire high quality, diverse talent and support the company’s growth.
• Support evolution of First Fed’s onboarding program to accelerate new hire productivity and satisfaction.

Organizational Development

• Oversee development of performance systems and processes that promote accountability and motivate employees to do their best work.
• Design organizational structures that optimize team effectiveness.
• Architect an operating model that brings together a geographically distributed workforce.
• Create talent management programs that grow and develop employees and strengthen company talent pools.
• Provide oversight to implement job architecture and career development tracks, paired with targeted learning investments, to enhance employee growth.
• Promote an inclusive culture that integrates a diverse workforce in service of a common mission.

Leadership and Management Development

• Act as a strategic advisor, contributor, and thought partner to the CEO and the company’s executive team.
• Partner with leadership to establish robust succession plans that mitigate risk and support the company’s long-term growth.
• Provide advice and counsel to all levels of management and model a culture where positive and constructive feedback is encouraged and embraced.
• Build development programs that support the growth and effectiveness of people managers and that help employees feel respected, valued, and appreciated.
• Put in place systems and processes to support the timely, fair resolution of employee issues.

Compensation and Benefits

• Oversee total rewards philosophy that reinforces First Fed’s mission and business priorities and create compensation and benefits programs within that context to attract and retain top talent.
• Provide oversight for benefits administration and enrollment process.
• Regularly review total compensation and benefits against market benchmarks to ensure competitive market positioning.
• Draft, prepare, and review annual compensation and benefits-related regulatory reports.
• Manage third-party administration and ensure company compliance with employee stock ownership plan, equity incentive plan, and 401(k) plan.

People Operations

• Lead, motivate, and develop a strong, distributed People Operations team of HR professionals that can effectively deliver the people strategy.
• Ensure First Fed’s policies and practices are compliant with all applicable laws and regulations.
• Evaluate, select, and implement HR tools to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of critical people operations.
• Regularly and effectively communicate to employees and serve as a champion of the company’s employee value proposition.
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
• Manage and oversee employment related legal issues in collaboration with counsel.
• Actively engage with auditors and regulators, providing required information in a timely, well-structured and efficient manner.
• Prepare and present regular reports to the CEO, Compensation Committee and Board of Directors reflecting progress towards strategic goals and objectives, ongoing initiatives, and departmental developments.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive experience in human resources including at least 5 years in a function leadership role.
• Proven track record designing and scaling programs in a growth business environment.
• Expertise in compensation strategy, benefits administration, talent acquisition, performance management, organizational development, and employee engagement.
• Strong analytical skills with hands-on experience defining and reporting on HR metrics.
• Exceptional communicator and influencer, experienced at working across a diverse group of stakeholders and adept at partnering with C-suite leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to build and develop a high-performing team.
• Proven track record of driving cultural change.
• Experience within the banking or financial services sector preferred.
• Experience with publicly traded companies preferred.
• Experience in digital transformation within a legacy industry strongly preferred.

Physical Requirements: 

The work requires the ability to operate office machines and equipment, such as personal computers, printers, copying machines and telephones. The work requires the ability to communicate clearly with customers, coworkers, and others in person and on telephones. Work activities involve a combination of sitting/standing for extended periods.

Pay Range

• The pay range for this position is $176,250-$352,500
• The typical hiring range for this position is $176,250 – $275,000
• The incentive plan for this position is the Officer Incentive plan. It is paid out annually with a 35% target payout.
• Employees will be eligible for our benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, paid time off, retirement plans (401k with company match and Employee Stock Ownership Plan), gym membership reimbursement, discounts on our banking products, and more!  Additional information on our benefits package can be viewed at https://www.ourfirstfed.com/careers 

As a community Bank, we know the power in bringing people together from all walks of life. Our communities are beautiful and strong because of their diversity, and it’s important to us that all of our locations reflect the unique diversity of the places we live and work. We are passionate about hiring the very best talent and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran

First Fed invites all qualified interested applicants to apply for our career opportunities.  If you are a person with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation to use our online job search or application tools, please email Human Resources  via sierra.stack@ourfirstfed.com or call 360-417-3182.  Note: This contact information is reserved solely for job seekers requesting accessibility assistance or accommodation in the application process.  Messages left for other purposes may not receive a response.

We are required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.