Job Description

People & Culture Guide at Compass Group Equity Partners

📍 St. Louis, MO | Full-Time

Ready to shape the future of growing companies and build high-performing teams from the ground up?

Compass Group Equity Partners is looking for a strategic, hands-on People & Culture Guide —our senior-most HR and Organizational Development leader—to help accelerate growth across our portfolio companies and within our firm.

About Us:

Compass Group is a private equity firm dedicated to accelerating growth in lower-middle-market businesses. Our internal consulting team—the Compass Guides—partners directly with portfolio company leaders and the Compass investment team to drive value creation through hands-on support across strategy, operations, and functional execution.

The Role:

The People & Culture Guide plays a pivotal dual role:

• Externally , you’ll support leadership teams at our portfolio companies by building high-impact HR capabilities, shaping culture, and scaling talent strategies.
• Internally , you’ll partner with Compass leadership to strengthen our own talent strategy, professional development, and organizational effectiveness.

This is a high-impact, highly relational role ideal for someone who can navigate between big-picture strategy and execution with ease.

Key Responsibilities

Talent Strategy & Organizational Design, Change Management

• Diagnose organizational design gaps and align talent plans with growth goals
• Guide leadership through restructuring, succession planning, and key hire roadmaps
• Serve as a strategic HR Business Partner during leadership transitions or rapid scaling
• Lead organizational change initiatives in partnership with executive teams

HR Infrastructure Build-Out

• Stand up core HR capabilities at newly acquired companies
• Develop policies, handbooks, compensation frameworks, and compliance protocols
• Review and optimize benefits offerings
• Evaluate and implement HRIS platforms

Leadership Development & Organizational Effectiveness

• Design and deploy leadership development programs at all levels
• Provide coaching for key leaders and first-time managers
• Facilitate team effectiveness and trust-building sessions
• Implement competency models, 360 reviews, and development planning

Change Management & Culture Shaping

• Lead cultural diagnostics and alignment sessions
• Support culture change during growth, M&A, or restructuring
• Promote inclusive, engaging work environments

Portfolio Engagement Model & Playbook Creation

• Build scalable playbooks, tools, and templates
• Deploy interim HR leadership when needed
• Participate in diligence and post-close integration

Compass Group Talent & Internal Development

• Serve as coach and thought partner to Compass leadership
• Help design internal succession planning and development frameworks
• Refine recruiting, onboarding, and professional development practices

Ideal Experience & Education

• 10–15 years in senior HR, OD, and talent leadership roles
• Experience coaching executives and building leadership development programs
• Exposure to private equity, high-growth, or multi-entity environments
• Proven ability to shift seamlessly between strategy and execution
• Strong interpersonal presence and cross-functional influence
• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred

What Success Looks Like

• Proven impact on leadership effectiveness at portfolio companies
• Trusted advisor status with multiple CEOs
• Portfolio-wide adoption of scalable HR and talent practices
• Measurable growth in Compass Group’s internal development programs

This is more than a job—it’s a chance to shape how companies grow and leaders lead.

Join us at the intersection of private equity, strategy, and people-first leadership. If you're passionate about scaling talent, building culture, and making a tangible impact—let’s talk.

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