Workforce Engagement & Development Manager
- Compensation
- Not disclosed
- Location
- Cedar Rapids, IA
- Work setup
- Not specified
- Seniority
- Junior
- Employment
- Not specified
- Experience
- 3+ years
- Category
- Not specified
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- 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
Full description
Workforce Engagement & Development ManagerPosition 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 Responsibilities1. 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.