VP- People & Culture presso BAE Systems

Are you passionate about creating an environment where employees feel a sense of belonging and can contribute to their full potential?  Do you have a strong desire to innovate and lead?

At BAE Systems, our advanced defense technology protects people and national security. Our culture is built upon a commitment to a set of core behaviors that include integrity, collaboration, courage and inspiration.  We are seeking an experienced human resources professional to serve as the VP of our People & Culture Center of Expertise. We are looking for someone eager to help us continue our journey of cultivating an environment and employee experience where people all employees can succeed and thrive. 

This position is a strategic leadership position responsible for designing and executing a strategy to foster an inclusive high-performance workplace and culture of belonging at BAE Systems.  Working as a member of the HR leadership team, this individual will partner to drive culture transformation, workforce engagement, and leadership initiatives designed to create a workforce characterized by inclusion, belonging and high performance.  This role reports to the Senior Vice President & CHRO for BAE Systems, Inc. 

We prefer a candidate based in Falls Church, VA, for this role, which combines collaborative and independent work in a hybrid format. The expectation is for the individual to be in the office at least three days a week, with the remainder of their time spent working remotely. Alternatively, we are open to considering candidates near major BAE site locations, with a willingness to travel to Falls Church, VA, as needed.

About Us:
BAE Systems is a global defense, aerospace and security company with more than 83,000 employees worldwide. The Company delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support and services.
Based in Falls Church, Virginia, and led by President and CEO Tom Arseneault​, the BAE Systems, Inc. subsidiary continues to build on its position as one of the largest and most geographically diverse defense, aerospace, and security companies. The company has a proud history of providing the best products and services to U.S. and allied armed forces.

About You:
You are a highly engaged leader who can thrive in a dynamic business environment.  You care about achieving a best-in-class employee experience through a culture of inclusion. You are a self-motivated, collaborative, forward-thinking leader who is a culture and capability builder and is passionate about leveraging the power of our people. You see the value in how data can tell a story and reveal trends to help evolve the employee experience.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Provide subject matter expertise, consulting and coaching to the C-suite to design and deliver solutions related to culture and engagement that is integrated with business needs and other strategic people initiatives.

• Serve as a change agent and influencer to foster and provide strategic thought leadership to develop and successfully implement practices and programs which impact the company.

• Develop and execute a comprehensive agenda with a multi-year strategy, interacting with and influencing executive decision makers, offering consulting resources and effectively communicating to build relationships and credibility internally and externally.

• Lead and foster internal/external communications including public speaking, media relations, social media, written communications and where appropriate serve as the BAE Systems, Inc. representative on external boards and committees on related business issues.

• Develop and execute an employee listening strategy to measure employee experience and engagement.

• Leverage data, insights, and themes from surveys and other feedback collection efforts to inform and shape the People & Culture strategy and overall employee experience

• Lead strategic initiatives and act as a role model to demonstrate the company's core values and leadership expectations while interfacing with executive leaders of the organization.

• Provide thought leadership and organization awareness about holistic well-being and resilience practices, ensuring health and wellness priorities are incorporated into our overall People & Culture strategy and enhance employee wellbeing.

• Partner with HR colleagues to execute goals and objectives by integrating into core people and business processes such as leadership development, talent identification, and talent acquisition efforts.

• Provide progress updates to Inc. Board of Directors and senior leadership team members as needed.

• Lead and develop the People & Culture team to implement programs and initiatives such as education, communications, and metrics.

• Provide guidance and direction to newly forming Workplace Communities and their Executive Sponsors and HR Advisors to execute the evolving strategy and produce measurable outcomes.

• Develop mechanisms to measure progress of cultural transformation through dashboards, assessments, and employee listening strategies.

• Cultivate relationships with external organizations, thought leaders, partners and vendors.

• Required Education: A Bachelor's Degree in a relevant discipline.

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in human resources or related field and a minimum of 5 years in a leadership role in a large complex organization.

• Experience implementing and supporting culture strategy along with functional expertise to develop long and short term objectives.

• Experience leading a team of HR professionals with exceptional results.

• Ability to engage and inform Board level and C-suite executives on culture imperatives and the ability to influence in a challenging business environment.

• Ability to delegate and to manage and develop others, both directly and indirectly. 

• Demonstrated track record as an effective leader within a matrix organization

• Strategic influencing skills with the ability to relate to a wide variety of people with different agendas and needs to ensure effective communications with key internal stakeholders.

• Strong understanding of program/project management methodologies in relation to strategy implementation, business processes, budgeting, and leading best practices as related to building strong culture.  

• Resilience and ability to project and maintain a sense of calm in challenging/difficult situations where resistance to change may be evident.

• Ability to assess culture and identify levers for successful change.

• Ability to effectively resolve difficult disputes and challenges using highly refined coaching, partnering, and leadership skills.

• Strong business acumen and analytical and decision-making abilities.

• Extensive knowledge of change management principles and methodologies.