Interim Chief People Officer

Aurora Public Schools is seeking an interim Chief People Officer to lead HR strategy and operations during a transition period. The interim CPO will partner with the superintendent and executive leadership team to implement HR policy, drive retention and diversity initiatives, and manage the HR leadership team across a large K-12 district environment.

The role covers the full HR function, including talent acquisition, employee relations, benefits administration, performance management, and collective bargaining support. Candidates with prior experience in K-12 or broader public-sector HR leadership are strongly preferred, given the compliance requirements under state and federal education employment law.

• Lead HR strategy and day-to-day operations across the district during a leadership transition
• Oversee talent acquisition, employee relations, and benefits administration
• Ensure compliance with state and federal education employment law and regulations
• Support collective bargaining processes and manage labour relations
• Drive performance management, DEI, and staff retention initiatives
• Partner with the superintendent and executive team to execute change management priorities

• Senior HR leadership experience, ideally within K-12 education or the public sector
• Demonstrated knowledge of employment law and education-specific compliance obligations
• Experience managing HR teams and overseeing collective bargaining or union environments
• Strong capability in talent acquisition, employee relations, and performance management
• Ability to operate effectively in an interim or transitional leadership context

Aurora Public Schools is a large public school district based in Aurora, Colorado. It serves a diverse student and staff community and operates across multiple schools and administrative functions, with HR as a central pillar of its workforce strategy and compliance obligations.