VP of Human Resources Resume Example

A concise, ATS‑friendly resume with measurable outcomes you can adapt.

VP of Human Resources Resume Sample

David Chen
david@chen.hr
(650) 777-8888
linkedin.com/in/david-chen-vphr
VP of Human Resources
Strategic VP of Human Resources with 15+ years building scalable people operations for high-growth companies. Led HR teams of 12+ supporting 1,500-employee organizations through hypergrowth and organizational transformation. Reduced turnover by 40% and improved engagement scores by 45 points while scaling headcount 3x. Expert in talent strategy, culture development, and executive leadership.
WORK EXPERIENCE
VP of Human Resources
Jan 2020 – Present
HyperGrowth Tech (Series C SaaS)
  • HR Leadership & Strategy: Built and led HR team of 12 (recruiting, HR ops, L&D, total rewards) supporting 1,500-employee organization, scaling headcount from 500 to 1,500 during Series C and D fundraises
  • Culture & Engagement Transformation: Launched company values framework, manager training programs, and employee resource groups that improved engagement scores from 62 to 87 and reduced voluntary turnover from 22% to 13%
  • Talent Strategy & Executive Hiring: Partnered with CEO on talent strategy and executive hiring, successfully closing 15 VP+ hires including CTO, CMO, and CFO while building internal promotion pipeline that filled 40% of leadership roles
Senior Director of People Operations
Mar 2016 – Dec 2019
ScaleUp Inc
  • HR Function Build-Out: Built HR function from scratch for 400-person company, implementing Workday HRIS, Greenhouse ATS, and Lattice performance management platform while establishing compliance and benefits programs
  • Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning: Led recruitment strategy supporting 35% annual growth, hiring 140+ employees annually across technical and GTM roles while maintaining 89% offer acceptance rate and 4.8 Glassdoor rating
  • Performance & Career Development: Designed performance management framework with OKRs, 360 feedback, and promotion criteria that improved clarity scores by 52 points and enabled 45 internal promotions over 3 years
HR Manager
Jun 2012 – Feb 2016
MidMarket Corp
  • Full-Cycle HR Management: Managed all HR functions for 250-employee organization including recruiting (60+ hires/year), benefits, performance management, and employee relations
  • HRIS Implementation & Process Improvement: Led implementation of BambooHR replacing paper-based processes, reducing HR admin time by 15 hours/week and improving employee data accuracy to 98%
  • Compliance & Risk Management: Ensured compliance with federal and state employment laws across 5 states, successfully navigating 2 EEOC investigations and 3 DOL audits with zero findings
SKILLS & COMPETENCIES
People Strategy & Leadership | Organizational Development & Design | Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning | Culture & Engagement Strategy | Executive Hiring & Succession Planning | Performance Management Systems | Compensation & Benefits Strategy | Employee Relations & Compliance | DEI Strategy & Implementation | HR Technology & Analytics | Change Management | M&A Integration | Executive Communication & Board Reporting | Budget Management | Team Building & Leadership Development | Business Acumen
CERTIFICATIONS
Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)
Jun 2018
HRCI
SHRM-SCP
Apr 2019
SHRM
Executive Leadership Certificate
Aug 2021
Cornell University
EDUCATION
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
2010-2012
Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management
Evanston, Illinois
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Strategy

Tools to build your VP of Human Resources resume

Copy and adapt these proven examples to create a resume that stands out.

Resume Headlines

Use these attention-grabbing headlines to make a strong first impression.

VP of HR | 1,500-Employee Organization | 12-Person Team | 40% Turnover Reduction | SPHR
VP People Operations | 3x Headcount Scale | 45-Point Engagement Gain | Series C & D Growth
VP HR | Built HR Function from Scratch | 15 VP+ Hires | Workday Implementation | MBA
Chief People Officer Track | M&A Integration | Board Reporting | DEI Leadership | 15+ Years
VP Human Resources | Hypergrowth Scaling | Culture Transformation | 87 Engagement Score
Executive HR Leader | 1,500 Employees | Strategic Talent | C-Suite Partner | SHRM-SCP

💡 Tip: Choose a headline that reflects your unique value proposition and matches the job requirements.

Power Bullet Points

Adapt these achievement-focused bullets to showcase your impact.

HR Leadership & Strategy

• Built and led HR team of 12 (recruiting, HR ops, L&D, total rewards) supporting 1,500-employee organization, scaling headcount from 500 to 1,500 during Series C and D fundraises totaling $200M+
• Partnered with CEO on talent strategy, organizational design, and culture transformation, becoming trusted advisor on all people-related matters and key member of executive leadership team
• Established 3-year HR roadmap aligned with business strategy covering talent acquisition, development, retention, DEI, and systems, securing $4M annual HR budget and team expansion from 4 to 12
• Led M&A integration efforts for 2 acquisitions (50 and 80 employees), managing cultural integration, harmonizing compensation and benefits, and retaining 92% of acquired talent

Culture & Engagement

• Launched company values framework with employee input sessions and leadership alignment, embedding values into hiring, performance, and recognition processes adopted by 100% of teams
• Designed and implemented manager training program for 80+ people leaders covering feedback, coaching, difficult conversations, and inclusive leadership, improving manager effectiveness by 38 points
• Established 6 employee resource groups (ERGs) with executive sponsorship and $150K annual budget, achieving 40% employee participation and improving sense of belonging scores by 28 points
• Improved engagement scores from 62 to 87 (25-point gain) and reduced voluntary turnover from 22% to 13% through targeted retention programs, career development, and compensation adjustments

Talent Strategy & Executive Hiring

• Partnered with CEO on executive hiring, successfully closing 15 VP+ hires including CTO, CMO, CFO, VP Engineering, and VP Sales through targeted search, executive assessment, and negotiation
• Built internal promotion pipeline filling 40% of leadership roles through succession planning, high-potential development programs, and structured career progression frameworks
• Designed and implemented competency-based interview process with hiring manager training, improving quality-of-hire scores by 32% and reducing first-year executive turnover from 18% to 5%
• Established diversity hiring initiatives achieving 50% of new hires from underrepresented groups, improving leadership diversity from 20% to 35% over 3 years

HR Infrastructure & Operations

• Implemented Workday HRIS, Greenhouse ATS, and Lattice performance platform creating integrated HR tech stack that improved data integrity to 99%+ and enabled employee self-service
• Designed career frameworks with leveling criteria for 15 job families covering 85% of organization, bringing structure to promotions, compensation, and career progression
• Established performance management framework with OKRs, 360 feedback, and calibration process, achieving 91% employee and manager satisfaction versus 45% with prior annual review system
• Built scalable HR processes and playbooks covering recruiting, onboarding, performance, compensation reviews, and offboarding, enabling HR team to support 3x growth without proportional headcount increase

💡 Tip: Replace generic terms with specific metrics, technologies, and outcomes from your experience.

📝

Resume Writing Tips for VP of Human Resourcess

1

Lead with Organizational Scale & Impact

VP HR resumes open with executive scope: 1,500 employees managed, 12-person HR team led, 3x headcount growth, $200M fundraise support. Immediately establish you're operating at organizational level—not department level. Include board reporting and C-suite partnership in first few bullets.

2

Quantify People Outcomes at Scale

Show transformation metrics: engagement improvement (62 → 87), turnover reduction (22% → 13%), executive hires closed (15 VP+), diversity progress (20% → 35% leadership). VPs are measured on organization-wide people metrics. Every bullet should include scale (employees affected) and outcome (business result).

3

Demonstrate Strategic Partnership

VP HR is a C-suite peer. Highlight: CEO partnership on talent strategy, board presentations on people metrics, M&A integration leadership, compensation philosophy development, organizational design. Show you're shaping business strategy—not just supporting it. Use language: "Partnered with CEO," "Presented to board," "Led executive team."

4

Show Infrastructure Building

VPs build the HR function. Include: HRIS implementation (Workday), career frameworks created (15 job families), performance systems designed (OKRs + 360s), ERG programs launched (6 groups). Prove you're building scalable people operations that support hypergrowth—not just managing programs. Include tech stack and process design.

5

Include Executive Credentials

VP level expects advanced credentials: SPHR or SHRM-SCP (not CP), MBA or Master's in HR/Organizational Development, executive education (CHREATE, Cornell ILR). Combine 15+ years + executive certifications + proven scaling = CHRO-ready. Include board experience, speaking, or thought leadership if applicable.

🎯

Essential Skills & Keywords

Include these skills to optimize your resume for ATS systems and recruiter searches.

People Strategy & Leadership

Strategic HR Leadership Talent Strategy Development Organizational Design Change Management Team Building & Leadership Development HR Budget & Resource Planning

Culture & Engagement

Culture Transformation Employee Engagement Strategy DEI & Inclusion Programs Values & Culture Development Manager Effectiveness Programs Employee Experience Design

Executive Talent

Executive Hiring & Assessment Succession Planning Leadership Development High-Potential Programs Talent Reviews & Calibration Executive Onboarding

HR Infrastructure

HRIS Implementation & Strategy (Workday) HR Tech Stack Management Career Frameworks & Leveling Performance Management Systems Total Rewards Strategy HR Analytics & Reporting

Executive Partnership

C-Suite Collaboration Board Reporting & Presentations M&A Integration (HR) Strategic Planning Business Partnering Executive Communication

Compliance & Operations

Employment Law & Compliance HR Policy Development Risk Management Benefits Strategy Compensation Philosophy HR Process Design

💡 Tip: Naturally integrate 8-12 of these keywords throughout your resume, especially in your summary and experience sections.

Why this resume works

Role-Specific Strengths

  • Strategic people leadership at scale: Shows executive scope: 1,500-employee organization, team of 12, scaled headcount 3x during hypergrowth
  • Culture and organizational development: Demonstrates culture-building: improved engagement 45 points, reduced turnover 40%, led DEI initiatives
  • Executive partnership and influence: Partners with C-suite on business strategy, M&A integration, comp philosophy, organizational design
  • Building scalable HR infrastructure: Created systems for scale: built HR function from scratch, implemented tech stack, established career frameworks

✓ ATS-Friendly Elements

  • Executive keywords: "people strategy," "organizational development," "talent management," "culture transformation," "executive leadership"
  • Leadership action verbs: Built, Scaled, Transformed, Led, Established, Drove
  • Business metrics: employee count (1,500), team size (12), headcount growth (3x), turnover reduction (40%)
  • Executive stakeholder language: board reporting, C-suite partnership, M&A, strategic planning
  • Clear progression: HR Coordinator → Manager → Senior Manager → Director → VP
  • Advanced degrees (MBA, Master's in HR) or executive certifications (SPHR)

✓ Human-Readable Design

  • Summary immediately establishes executive scope: 1,500 employees, 12-person team, hypergrowth
  • Metrics at VP level: organizational impact, large-scale change, executive influence
  • Experience shows progression from tactical HR to strategic people leadership
  • Balance of culture/people focus with business outcomes (retention, engagement, productivity)
  • Skills reflect VP expectations: strategic planning, executive communication, organizational design
  • Advanced education or CHRO-track positioning

💡 Key Takeaways

  • VP HR resumes must lead with organizational impact: employee count, team size, business outcomes
  • Quantify at scale: 1,500 employees, 40% turnover reduction, 3x headcount growth, 45-point engagement lift
  • Show strategic influence: C-suite partnership, board reporting, M&A integration, comp strategy
  • Demonstrate culture building: DEI initiatives, engagement programs, values operationalization
  • Include infrastructure development: built HR function, implemented tech stack, created career frameworks
  • Advanced certifications (SPHR, SHRM-SCP) or executive education signal readiness for CHRO

📈 Career Progression in Human Resources

See how HR roles evolve from coordination to strategic people leadership.

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