I think I found a simpler way to do this –
// Get the page title
echo '<h1 class="template-title">';
$title = the_title();
echo '</h1>';
Then add css to put it over the hero image:
/* Custom Template Pages
---------------------------------------------------------*/
.template-title {
position: relative;
top: 70%;
z-index: 100;
color: white;
text-align: center;
font-size: 50px;
font-size: 5rem;
}