We're Hiring: Director of People & Culture - Apply Now!

Firm Overview

Bergmeyer is not your average design agency:

We are a design collaborative.

• We are thinkers and doers.
• We are visionary and grounded.

We are design-focused and results-oriented.

Bergmeyer is a practice of over 100 architects, interior, graphic, and industrial designers, brand specialists, and strategists developing solutions for user experience from offices in Boston, Los Angeles, and Columbus, OH. With projects across all 50 states, many Canadian provinces, and several international locations, Bergmeyer continues to grow organically. Bergmeyer is legally incorporated as a Benefit Corporation in that we are a business dedicated to a social mission beyond profit in order to create a positive impact on society and the environment.

We are looking for an agile and driven Director of People and Culture who brings innovation, vision, and systems thinking with the opportunity to have a transformative and lasting impact on our Design Collaborative. The position is based in our Boston headquarters and will require periodic travel to our Los Angeles, CA, and Columbus, OH offices. The ideal candidate will be a strategic and seasoned leader with experience overseeing all core human resources functions (employee engagement, talent planning and acquisition, legal compliance, performance management, and benefits and compensation strategy) as well as providing organizational and culture-focused leadership in a creative professional-services agency.

Ready to lead our People and Culture initiatives and create meaningful connections through collaboration?

Send your resume and a brief introduction to our HR advisors at recruiter@hradvisorsgroup.com with the subject line: Bergmeyer’s Director of People and Culture Application. Candidates should be located in and around the Boston area as this role will be based in our Boston office location.

The Director of People and Culture will develop and execute HR strategy in support of Bergmeyer’s culture, mission, guiding principles, and strategic plan. The Director of People and Culture will create and lead employee engagement programs focused on professional development, community and culture building, and change management that are in support of the overall business plan and strategic direction of the organization.

In collaboration with Bergmeyer’s leadership team, the Director will develop strategy and standards for delivering cultural and business-aligned programs and services to employees, provide guidance to the leadership team, support and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, develop creative and effective programs that attract and retain top talent and support and drive strong employee engagement across Bergmeyer’s three offices. This position will report to the CEO.

Firm-wide Leadership and Strategy

• Serve as a strategic business partner and advisor by providing recommendations to executive/senior management regarding culture, growth, planning, talent, organization, and legal and management issues.
• Promote a culture that is adaptable and open to change and lead the organization through change with transparency and empathy.
• Develop, plan, and create policies and strategies to support Bergmeyer’s business objectives and continuously evaluate their efficacy, alignment with firm culture, and compliance with national and local (MA, CA, and OH) regulations.
• Ensure the fair and equal treatment of employees by interpreting and administering Bergmeyer’s policies and practices consistently and transparently.
• Manage, coach, mentor, and provide regular feedback to the Bergmeyer leadership team with the goal of creating a culture of continuous feedback.
• Analyze data to identify trends, make data-driven decisions, and measure HR effectiveness.
• Act as a mentor and leader to the internal HR team, providing visionary guidance for the role of HR within the design collaborative.

Performance Management

• Collaborate with leadership to create clear professional development opportunities and career paths for staff across multiple disciplines and job functions.
• Provide coaching, guidance, and direction to all levels of staff, as well as create and maintain programs and initiatives in the areas of performance management, giving feedback, and enabling employee development. Work closely with external executive coaching partners retained for employees as required.
• Keep abreast of best practices, changes, and trends in the field of performance management, professional development, and employee engagement within the design industry, and make recommendations regarding how they may benefit Bergmeyer.
• Engage in firmwide staffing efforts to align project and account needs with employee skillsets and professional development goals.

Talent Acquisition

• Develop and implement a comprehensive talent acquisition strategy aligned with Bergmeyer’s business goals and objectives.
• Partner with firm leadership to forecast future hiring needs based on business growth and market trends.
• Collaborate with Bergmeyer’s Brand Communications team on strategies to enhance and promote the Bergmeyer brand to attract top talent through proactive outreach and recruitment efforts.

Employee Relations

• Work collaboratively with staff at all levels to support their well-being in the office, clarify their goals, assist in achieving their professional development objectives, and provide a supportive sounding board.
• Build strong relationships at all levels and across all offices within the Bergmeyer community. Serve as a good listener, lead with empathy, and facilitate solutions that balance the needs of the individual within the business framework of the organization.

Compensation and Benefits

• Collaborate with leadership to develop comprehensive compensation and benefits plans that are aligned with financial and strategic business plans and meet the needs of the employees.

• 10+ years of experience in human resources development and management within the design industry and/or professional services
• Experience in leading Human Resources in a multi-office organization
• Ability to navigate and lead through change with agility
• Results-oriented with a strong business acumen.
• Proven experience in managing and empowering teams
• Strong mediation, conflict resolution, and coaching skills
• Diligence in documentation related to employee matters, risk management, and legal compliance
• Proven ability to evaluate, implement, and evolve HR programs and initiatives strategically and tactically
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills that include high emotional intelligence, the ability to trust and be trusted, and the ability to hold others accountable.
• Lead with optimism and foster a spirit of excellence, motivating staff to understand how their work contributes to project and firm success
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office required
• Working knowledge of Deltek VantagePoint is a plus
• Working knowledge of Paylocity is a plus

Educational Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree, advanced degree a plus, with emphasis in Human Resources Development, Organizational Development, HR, or related discipline
• SHRM certification, certifications in organizational and/or relationship-building skills, such as Leadership Development, Emotional Intelligence, and Change Management, a plus

Our Values

At Bergmeyer, our culture of collaboration welcomes good ideas from wherever they come. We create project teams that thrive on inquiry and investigation, and encourage staff to cultivate new skills, take on additional responsibility, and offer meaningful contributions. We invest in our people with competitive compensation and benefits packages and by contributing to professional development expenses. We value those who are engaged and interesting to work with and who make a positive impact on our projects, our workplace, and our community.

We believe collaboration creates community, and that collaboration is more than just a design approach, it’s a way of connecting people.

True collaboration – the open, respectful exchange of ideas – does more than simply produce better design thinking. It connects people, builds trust, and promotes a sense of belonging. By sharing the joy of the creative process, we empower others.

Being a Design Collaborative means welcoming different perspectives - not just from professional practice areas, but also from personal experiences, backgrounds, and ideas. At Bergmeyer, we believe diversity drives creative innovation and have built an inclusive culture that values differences. Ultimately, this results in a more holistic approach to design wherein we believe lies the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion within our firm culture.

Trust, mutual respect, empathy, and a tolerance for risk associated with personal growth sustain Bergmeyer’s culture. Transparency, accountability, and information-sharing are expected – and practiced – at all levels. Flexibility and experimentation are embraced as we strive for continuous improvement.