This work presents an X-ray absorption spectroscopy study on a single-phase state of the Al₈Cr₁₇Co₁₇Cu₈Fe₁₇Ni₃₃ compositionally complex alloy, focused on the local crystal structure around each alloying element. The comparison of 1^st shell bond lengths, obtained by the analysis of extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measured at the K-edges of each alloying element, indicates that Al₈Cr₁₇Co₁₇Cu₈Fe₁₇Ni₃₃ crystallizes in a distorted arrangement of an fcc lattice. A modest bond length dependence of the alloying elements with increasing atomic number is observed, with minima and maxima at Cr/Co, and Al/Cu, respectively. 1^st shell bond lengths spread over ~0.03 Å; consequently, such variations cannot result in lattice distortions greater than ~0.04 Å. EXAFS results clearly indicate short-range order in the alloy: pairing of Al with Ni and Cu is favored, correlating well with a γ’ precipitate composition (Al-Ni-Cu rich) reported in previous work, while Al-Cr bonding is unfavored and no Al-Al pairs are observed. Electronic structure information was obtained through comparison between near-edge regions of alloying elements and corresponding pure metals. Intensity comparison of K-edge features agree with a charge variation of p states in Al₈Cr₁₇Co₁₇Cu₈Fe₁₇Ni₃₃, where Ni and Cu act as p states electron acceptors, suggesting an orbital hybridization with Al, responsible for a shrinkage in Al metallic radius in the alloy by ∼0.17 Å.