Chief People Officer Full Time

About the Company

Massport, the Massachusetts Port Authority, is an independent public authority responsible for operating, maintaining, and developing critical transportation infrastructure across the Commonwealth, including aviation, maritime, and commercial real estate assets.

Massport operates Boston Logan International Airport, the largest airport in New England, along with Worcester Regional Airport and Hanscom Field, which supports general aviation and national defense activities. Its maritime portfolio includes the Port of Boston, which is home to Conley Container Terminal, New England’s only full-service container terminal, as well as Flynn Cruiseport Boston, one of the fastest-growing cruise ports in the Northeast. In addition, Massport manages more than 450 acres of maritime, industrial, and mixed-use commercial property along the Boston waterfront.

Collectively, Massport’s operations generate over $20 billion in annual economic impact and support more than 100,000 jobs statewide. The authority employs approximately 1,400 full-time employees and oversees the work of several thousand contractors across its facilities.

In recent years, the Port of Boston has undergone an $850 million modernization and revitalization program led by Massport and funded through a combination of federal, state, and private investment. These improvements have strengthened cargo capacity, enhanced supply chain efficiency, and improved the port’s long-term competitiveness.

Massport’s mission is to connect Massachusetts to the world safely, securely, and efficiently, while fostering economic growth and environmental stewardship. Its vision is to be a world-class provider of transportation services and a leader in sustainability, innovation, and customer experience.

Future Massport Initiatives

Massport is advancing a coordinated set of strategic initiatives to support planned growth, customer satisfaction, financial performance, and long-term stewardship across its aviation, maritime, and real estate portfolios. Central to this strategy is the ability to invest in Massport’s two most important assets – its infrastructure and its people – while maintaining safe, secure and resilient operations.

A core priority is doubling down in the fight against climate change, with a goal of achieving Net Zero emissions by 2031. Massport is expanding renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, strengthening climate resilience, and advancing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in partnership with industry and public sector stakeholders. These efforts reflect Massport’s commitment to leadership, innovation, and responsible growth.

Across its aviation assets, Massport is modernizing terminals and airfield infrastructure to improve the customer experience, reduce emissions, and enhance safety and operational efficiency. In the maritime sector, investments focus on terminal modernization, electrification, clean transportation initiatives, and community aligned environmental outcomes. The real estate portfolio support these efforts through sustainable development, climate resilient waterfront planning and diversified revenue generation.

Together, these initiatives position Massport for long-term success while reinforcing its commitment to security, environmental stewardship, operational excellence, and being an employer of choice in a complex and regulated environment.

The Opportunity

The Chief People Officer (CPO) is a key member of Massport’s executive leadership team, serving as a strategic advisor to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Senior Executive team, and the Board of Directors. the CPO leads enterprise-wide people and culture strategies that enable Massport to deliver on its priorities for growth, customer satisfaction, financial strength, climate leadership, security, and innovation across its portfolios.

With a mandate to position Massport as an employer of choice in the Commonwealth, the CPO shapes a high-performing, inclusive organization capable of operating complex, mission-driven assets in a dynamic and regulated environment. Operating in a rapidly evolving workplace landscape, the CPO brigs a forward-looking approach to workforce strategy, strengthening Massport’s value proposition and ensuring the organization attracts, develops, and retains talent across multiple generations by responding to evolving expectations around compensation, flexible schedules, skill development, personalized feedback, benefits, and career growth.

The CPO oversees the full scope of HR functions, including talent acquisition, workforce planning, employee relations, benefits administration, training and development, organizational development, succession planning, retiree benefits, employee communications, and compliance. The CPO fosters a culture of innovation and excellence, driving transformative change management initiatives and ensuring HR strategies create measurable value for the organization.

Working in close partnership with the teams responsible for labor relations and equity, inclusion and compliance, the CPO leads efforts to address complex workforce needs while fostering a positive, inclusive, and engaging work environment. With a strong sense of personal ownership and commitment to continuous improvement, the CPO establishes clear performance metrics and drives ongoing progress toward achieving Massport’s strategic HR objectives. This strategic leader helps navigate the evolving workforce landscape, ensuring Massport remains competitive, innovative, and attractive employer for current and future generations.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a key member of the executive management team, partnering with leadership and the Board of Directors to shape and implement organization-wide workforce strategies.
• Act as a strategic advisor to the Office to CEO and senior leadership, providing authoritative guidance on HR strategy, organizational design, and workforce planning.
• Address shared goals with the Labor Relations Director, such as fostering positive labor relations and navigating complex challenges in a unionized environment.
• Provide tailored advice on HR strategy, organizational structure, and workforce needs to ensure alignment with Massport’s strategic goals.
• Effectively present and communicate workforce strategies, policies, and HR initiatives to senior leadership and the Massport Board, leveraging actionable metrics to demonstrate impact and inform decision-making.
• Develop, implement, and refine policies, programs, and strategies to support organizational goals, succession planning, and evolving workforce needs.
• Maintain oversight of the recruitment, onboarding, and development processes to ensure alignment with organizational objectives and the attraction of high-caliber talent.
• Manage the implementation of HR best practices to foster innovation, compliance, and efficiency across all functions.
• Act as a trusted advisor on complex employee and labor relations matters, ensuring consistent application of policies in collaboration with the Labor Relations Director.
• Address employee concerns, resolve disputes, and implement solutions that align with organizational culture and goals.
• Oversee the HR service delivery value chain, ensuring that all core functions, including recruitment, employee relations, training, compensation, and benefits, generate measurable organizational value.
• Develop benefits structures to attract and retain talent by assessing the effectiveness of programs such as health insurance, retirement plans, and leave policies, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
• Lead the evaluation of HR programs and policies, making data-driven decisions to enhance organizational effectiveness.
• Develop and mentor HR staff, including 4 direct reports within a total organization of 16, to build and sustain high-performing, motivated teams capable of meeting organizational goals in a constantly evolving environment.
• Oversee employee engagement initiatives, training programs, and performance management processes to foster a culture of continuous learning and development.
• Ensure performance targets and associated metrics are communicated, tracked, and aligned with Massport’s strategic priorities.
• Identify opportunities for innovation and implement effective business solutions that enhance HR functions and organizational performance.
• Champion change management initiatives, driving process improvements and digital transformation efforts, including HRMS and analytics integration.
• Lead efforts to build a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, promoting flexibility and adaptability within the organization.
• Oversee the HR department’s budget, ensuring efficient allocation of resources to align with strategic priorities.
• Manage department operations, fostering collaboration and optimizing resource use across HR functions.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Chief Executive Officer or their designee.

Year One Success Factors
In the first year, the Chief People Officer will partner closely with senior leadership to translate the goal of becoming a best place to work into a credible, phased HR and culture strategy. This strategy will establish clear priorities, performance metrics, and accountability demonstrating visible and measurable progress within the first year.

The CPO will quickly establish credibility and trusted relationships with executive team and operational leaders, demonstrating the ability to coach through complex people and management challenges while making and clearly communicating tough decisions when required. They will assess and strengthen a relatively early-stage HR function by clarifying roles and capabilities, upskilling and coaching existing team members, and identifying early gaps in experience to develop a phased approach to building a stronger, more capable HR organization over time.

In parallel, the leader will collaborate with the Director of Diversity Equity & Inclusion/Compliance to support the execution of inclusive workplace strategies in an evolving external environment, integrating equity and inclusion into core people processes, leadership expectations, and the overall employee experience.

The Candidate
Experience and Professional Qualifications

• 20+ years of broad-based HR experience, including at least 10 years in a Chief People Officer or equivalent human resources leadership role.
• Proven experience in developing and mentoring staff to build high-performing, motivated teams.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to align HR initiatives to organizational goals and long-term workforce planning.
• Strong leadership capabilities and flexibility to thrive in a constantly evolving environment.
• Extensive expertise in talent acquisition, employee engagement, performance management, career development, training, and benefits administration.
• Experience in identifying opportunities for innovation and implementing effective solutions that align with organizational objectives.
• Proficiency in change management and process improvement initiatives.
• Solid understanding of regulatory and compliance requirements in HR, ensuring alignment with applicable laws.
• Strong understanding of HR analytics, HRMS, and data-driven decision-making.
• Proven ability to prepare and present complex HR strategies, policies, and metrics to the executive leadership team and Board of Directors with clarity and impact.

Education and Credentials

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Management, or a related field required.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• SHRM-SCP or SPHR certification preferred; additional certifications from accredited HR institutions preferred.

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Korn Ferry shall provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified candidates, and will refer candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected basis. Artificial Intelligence tools may be used in connection with the recruitment process for this position.

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