Job Description

Job Title: Chief People Officer

Location: On-site at Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill, Armada, MI

Reports To: President & COO

Company Overview

Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill (BOCM) is a family-owned, Michigan-based business that blends tradition, innovation, and hospitality to create memorable experiences across our farms, retail stores, restaurants, and beverage operations.

For more than 75 years, we’ve grown through a “people-first, process-driven” approach — but our continued success depends on building stronger leaders, deeper bench strength, and a workplace culture rooted in ownership, teamwork, and pride.

We’re looking for a Chief People Officer to help lead that next chapter — someone who can transform HR into a strategic growth engine while protecting the strong operational foundation we’ve built.

Position Summary

The Chief People Officer (CPO) will be a key member of the executive team, responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive people strategy that drives business performance through leadership development, culture transformation, and workforce excellence.

This position will build upon the strong administrative and compliance foundation currently in place while elevating our focus on culture, leadership capability, accountability, and long-term organizational health.

This is not a traditional HR role. The Chief People Officer at Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill will be the catalyst for transforming good managers into great leaders and great employees into proud ambassadors. The right person will bring both head and heart — combining strategic thinking with real-world execution — to make Blake’s one of the best places to work in Michigan.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Culture

• Partner with the President & COO to define a people strategy that supports BOCM’s mission, vision, and 5-year growth plan.
• Champion a “Can-Do and Accountability” culture that reinforces personal ownership, teamwork, and operational excellence.
• Develop culture-building initiatives that increase engagement and make BOCM a destination employer in Michigan.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on all people-related matters, from structure and compensation to succession and culture alignment.

Leadership & Organizational Development

• Serve as a cultural architect, modeling the values, discipline, and collaboration expected of all leaders and embedding them into daily operations.
• Establish authentic, trust-based relationships across all levels of the organization to foster transparency, alignment, and shared ownership.
• Lead change with empathy and urgency, ensuring that transformation efforts are both people-centered and results-driven.
• Bridge strategy and execution, demonstrating a hands-on leadership style that inspires others to follow through with excellence.
• Coach and elevate the leadership team, acting as a strategic thought partner who strengthens decision-making, accountability, and team cohesion.
• Design and lead leadership development programs to strengthen management capability across all divisions.
• Build and maintain a succession planning system to identify and prepare future leaders from within.
• Implement an improved performance management process that links individual goals to business objectives and holds teams accountable for results.
• Partner with department heads to coach, develop, and elevate leadership effectiveness.

Talent Acquisition & Retention

• Oversee recruitment strategy for both seasonal and full-time roles, ensuring alignment with culture and growth goals.
• Build a proactive talent pipeline to reduce time-to-fill and dependency on external hires.
• Improve retention through career pathing, recognition, and consistent performance feedback loops.
• Modernize onboarding and orientation programs to ensure all new hires feel connected, capable, and confident.

HR Operations & Compliance

• Oversee payroll, benefits, employee relations, and policy compliance, ensuring accuracy and reliability.
• Continue developing HR systems, reporting, and processes to improve data visibility and scalability.
• Utilize analytics to measure workforce health, cost efficiency, and engagement.
• Partner with Finance and Operations to align headcount planning, labor costs, and productivity targets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, or related field; Master’s preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, including at least 5 years in a senior HR or People executive role.
• Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) or SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) certification strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success leading culture and leadership development initiatives that drive measurable performance improvement.
• Strong working knowledge of HR laws, compliance, payroll, and benefits administration.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Approachable, decisive, and capable of balancing empathy with accountability.

Blakes Orchard and Cider Mill is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

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