Workforce Engagement & Development Manager

About the role

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.

Responsibilities

• Workforce Morale & Employee Relations (50%): 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; identify and de-escalate interpersonal and site-level conflict early; document and investigate concerns thoroughly and consistently; coach site supervisors on delivering fair, effective evaluations; build and manage improvement plans; lead difficult conversations, including disciplinary action, with professionalism; 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.
• Training, Development & Workforce Readiness (50%): Partner with scheduling and dispatch to track shift coverage, keep rosters optimized, and rapidly fill vacancies within the assigned 100-person cohort; audit skill gaps across the cohort and coordinate safety training, license renewals, trade certifications, and cross-training so crews stay project-ready; build clear, structured paths that move entry-level field employees into skilled, lead, and supervisory roles; ensure the cohort meets every client and project requirement — background checks, drug screens, medical clearances, and site badging — before boots hit the ground; 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; 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; translate field-level trends (morale, turnover, training compliance, readiness) into clear, concise updates for the Director of Field Operations and executive leadership; represent the voice of the field in leadership discussions, and carry company priorities and strategy back to crews; prepare and deliver regular reporting on cohort health, using KPIs, flagging risks before they affect project delivery.

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