8+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, preferably at the Director or VP level.
Proven ability to navigate organizations during transitions or rapid changes.
In-depth knowledge of employee relations, compliance, benefits, and payroll operations.
Experience supporting both corporate and site-based employee populations.
Familiarity with HRIS platforms, particularly Workday, is highly preferred.
Strong judgment for assessing and escalating organizational risks.
Ability to collaborate effectively with executive leadership while being accessible to HR teams.
Responsibilities
Act as an authorized proxy for daily operational governance and manage Workday approval routing.
Serve as a frontline defense against operational and labor risks, partnering with legal counsel on compliance matters.
Provide hands-on coaching and support to frontline HR team members, ensuring timely execution of critical HR milestones.
Conduct audits of organizational processes to identify vulnerabilities and deliver a diagnostic report for the incoming CHRO.
Facilitate communication between operational staff and executive leadership to align expectations and decision-making.
Benefits
Hybrid work schedule with initial onsite requirements.
Opportunity to work closely with executive leadership and influence strategic HR initiatives.
Engagement in high-impact HR activities during a period of organizational transformation.
Full Job Description
Overview
Nissin Foods USA is seeking an experienced, hands-on Fractional HR Director / HR Leader to provide strategic and operational HR leadership.
This individual will serve as a senior HR partner to executive leadership while also working closely with corporate and site HR teams to ensure critical HR activities continue moving forward. The ideal candidate is comfortable moving between strategic leadership and day-to-day execution, stepping into an evolving environment, identifying gaps, establishing structure, and helping teams solve issues in real time.
Position Details: Location: Corporate Office in Gardena, CA
Schedule: 40 hours, 5 days a week
Work Designation: hybrid schedule but onsite initially
Pay: $150-$200/hr
Responsibilities
Governance and Approval Delegation:Act as an authorized proxy for daily operational governance, managing day-to-day Workday approval routing, scrutinizing internal corporate approval requests, and maintaining regulatory compliance across all HR transactional workflows.
Employee Relations, Litigation Support & Frontline Escalations:Serve as a critical frontline defense against operational and labor risks. Partner alongside outside legal counsel (Ira) on open legal matters to ensure prompt action in full compliance with California labor standards and applicable regulations. Provide direct escalation support and strategic guidance to Nicole James and local manufacturing HRBPs regarding employee grievances, severe disciplinary cases, and litigation exposures.
Hands-on Execution Support & Executive Alignment:Provide dedicated hands-on coaching and active daily bandwidth to frontline team members, directly absorbing and driving high-volume workflows across Payroll, Total Rewards, and Talent Acquisition. Ensure critical, time-sensitive milestones-such as Open Enrollment, W-2 generation, and ACA annual filings-are executed on time and without error. Act as an essential communication bridge between operational staff and executive leadership to align expectations, provide clarity, and facilitate timely decision-making.
Diagnostic Reporting & Transition to Incoming CHRO:Conduct a thorough audit of organizational processes and operational vulnerabilities identified through daily fieldwork. Deliver a formal "Current-State Diagnostic Report" to ensure the permanent CHRO achieves a rapid, informed start and seamlessly executes strategic HR transformation from day one.
Qualifications
8+ years of progressive Human Resources leadership experience, ideally at the HR Director, VP of HR, Head of HR, or similar level.
Experience stepping into organizations during periods of transition, transformation, rapid change, or leadership gaps.
Strong working knowledge of employee relations, HR compliance, benefits, compensation, payroll, and HR operations.
Experience supporting both corporate and operational/site-based employee populations.
Experience working with HRIS platforms; Workday experience is strongly preferred.
Strong judgment and the ability to appropriately assess and escalate employee and organizational risks.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively with executive leadership while remaining accessible and responsive to HR teams and business leaders.
