Human Resources Director

• 7+ years as an HR leader in food manufacturing environments (plant-based)
• Strong floor presence partnering with ops across multi-site and multi-shift environments
• Bilingual Spanish/English is a strong plus.

Our client is seeking a hands‑on HR leader to support a fast‑paced, 24/7 food manufacturing operation in University Park, IL, with regular travel to their facility in Buffalo, NY. This is a plant‑first role for someone who’s comfortable on the floor: partnering with operations to strengthen HR fundamentals, improve workforce execution, and drive labor efficiency (scheduling, overtime control, attendance, and performance).

• Partner with plant leadership to optimize labor scheduling and overtime control to improve cost and execution.
• Lead core plant HR: employee relations, performance management, investigations, coaching, and compliance.
• Standardize and improve HR processes across sites: onboarding, training, scheduling practices, and reporting.
• Oversee payroll/benefits administration in an ADP environment, partnering with shared HR support team as needed.
• Coordinate key safety/compliance workflows (including OSHA)
• Provide clear reporting on labor trends and drivers to leadership.

• 7+ years of HR experience with significant plant‑based HR (food manufacturing required)
• Proven success in hands‑on, operational HR.
• Strong capability in labor management: scheduling models, overtime, attendance, and shop‑floor credibility.
• Comfortable in a lean environment: able to build structure, tighten controls, and drive follow-through.
• Bilingual Spanish/English is a strong plus.

• On‑site support for a 24/7 operation with multiple shift patterns.
• Travel to second U.S. facility in Buffalo, NY: up to ~20% ongoing (potentially higher initially).