HR Director

Position Summary:

The Director of Human Resources is responsible for shaping and guiding the company’s people strategy while actively managing day-to-day HR operations. This role provides hands‑on leadership across HR functions in a small manufacturing organization, including talent strategy, onboarding, employee relations, performance management, labor relations, compensation and benefits, compliance, safety governance, culture, and organizational development. The Director of HR partners with senior leadership to align people initiatives with business objectives and leads through hands‑on guidance, policy development, and direct involvement with managers and teams as needed.

Note:

This position blends strategic oversight with practical, on-the-ground execution to ensure timely and effective HR support across the organization.

• Develop and communicate the HR strategy that supports the company’s goals, growth plans, and culture.
• Translate business needs into scalable HR programs and processes suitable for a small-to-mid‑size manufacturing environment.
• The HR Director leads and oversees the strategic direction, implementation, and optimization of HR systems, processes, and delivery of HR services.
• Reporting to the EVP, this role is critical in building, integrating, and optimizing our HR infrastructure, ensuring operational excellence, and fostering a culture of high performance and engagement.
• Oversight of HR systems design and delivery, HR people analytics, employee relations, and payroll operations.
• Developing and implementing HR operational strategies for scalable HR programs, systems, and policies to support the employee lifecycle.
• Driving continuous improvement initiatives to enhance service delivery and employee satisfaction.

• Designing, developing, and enhancing comprehensive HR technology solutions, including automation, AI, and self‑service tools.
• Managing the employee relations function through designing and implementing strategies for fair and consistent application of policies and procedures.
• Designing and implementing a people analytics strategy to provide actionable insights and support data‑driven decision‑making, maturing our capabilities from reporting to generating insights.
• Partnering with cross‑functional key stakeholders to ensure HR operations align with the organization’s strategy and goals.
• Developing and motivating a team that embraces continuous improvement, rapid speed of change, and a customer service mindset.
• Staying current with industry trends and legal developments to ensure the organization remains compliant.

• Guide workforce planning, recruitment strategy, and onboarding approaches for manufacturing and admin roles.
• Build and promote an employer brand; design scalable ramp‑up and retention strategies.
• Oversee internship/co‑op programs and succession planning for critical roles.
• Directly participate in critical hiring decisions and onboarding activities as needed.

• Set the vision for leadership development, technical capability building, and organizational growth.
• Promote coaching and mentoring to enhance leadership effectiveness and team performance.
• Foster mentorship networks and targeted upskilling opportunities for frontline leaders.

• Serve as a primary point of contact for employee relations issues, including conflict resolution, counseling, and workplace investigations.
• Lead timely and fair handling of disciplinary actions, performance concerns, and corrective actions in coordination with managers.
• Establish and enforce consistent processes for grievance handling, whistle blower protections, and conflict resolution.
• Provide guidance and coaching to supervisors on employee coaching, documentation, and fair treatment.

• Lead labor relations strategy in collaboration with local management, including bargaining with the United Steelworkers (USW).
• Directly…