Human Resources Director

Human Resources Director
Position Summary

The Human Resources Director is a key member of the senior leadership team responsible for developing and executing human resources strategies that support Vantage Plastics' mission, culture, operational needs, and long-term business objectives.

This position provides strategic and operational leadership across all areas of Human Resources, including talent acquisition, employee relations, employee engagement and retention, performance management, compensation, training and development, benefits, payroll administration, 401(k) administration, workers' compensation, policy development, and employment law compliance.

The Human Resources Director serves as a trusted partner to company leadership and operations. Success in this position requires strong business judgment, collaboration, consistency, transparency, and an understanding of the unique needs of a manufacturing environment.

The Director is expected to balance strategic HR leadership with practical operational needs while building trust and maintaining effective partnerships with employees, supervisors, managers, and senior leadership.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic HR Leadership

• Serve as an active member of the senior leadership team and contribute to the strategic direction of the company.
• Develop, recommend, and execute human resources strategies in partnership with senior and operational leadership.
• Ensure HR strategies, programs, and initiatives support the company's business objectives, culture, workforce needs, and manufacturing operations.
• Evaluate the business impact, employee impact, compliance risk, and operational feasibility of significant HR initiatives before implementation.
• Lead workforce planning initiatives to ensure the organization has the talent and capabilities necessary to support current operations and future growth.
• Use HR metrics and workforce data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities and provide recommendations to leadership.

Leadership & Operational Partnership

• Build strong, collaborative relationships with plant leadership, supervisors, department leaders, and HR team members.
• Partner closely with operations to understand business needs and develop practical and sustainable HR solutions.
• Seek appropriate stakeholder input and operational buy-in before implementing significant changes affecting employees, staffing, schedules, policies, procedures, or workplace practices.
• Provide clear and timely communication regarding HR initiatives, policy changes, organizational changes, and decisions affecting employees or operations.
• Maintain a visible presence within company facilities and regularly engage with employees, supervisors, and operational leadership.
• Establish consistent HR practices across company locations while recognizing legitimate operational differences and business needs between facilities.
• Demonstrate sound judgment and appropriately balance employee needs, business requirements, company policy, and legal compliance.

HR Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, develop, and hold accountable members of the Human Resources team.
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, priorities, and performance expectations within the HR department.
• Appropriately delegate responsibilities while respecting the knowledge, experience, and expertise of HR team members.
• Promote open communication, teamwork, professional development, and shared accountability within the HR department.
• Create an environment in which HR team members are encouraged to raise concerns, offer differing perspectives, and provide recommendations.
• Ensure appropriate communication and coordination among HR staff supporting different company locations.

Talent Acquisition & Workforce Development

• Oversee the full recruitment lifecycle, including workforce planning, job postings, candidate screening, interviewing, selection, offers, onboarding, and integration.
• Ensure established hiring and onboarding procedures are consistently followed, including required documentation, screenings, approvals, and other pre-employment requirements.
• Develop recruiting strategies for difficult-to-fill and critical positions.
• Monitor recruiting effectiveness, turnover, retention, and early-tenure attrition.
• Partner with leadership to identify training needs and develop employee and leadership development programs.
• Support succession planning and career development throughout the organization.

Employee Relations & Performance Management

• Provide leadership and guidance regarding employee relations, coaching, conflict resolution, investigations, disciplinary actions, and terminations.
• Ensure employee concerns and complaints are appropriately investigated before conclusions or employment decisions are made.
• Apply policies and employment practices fairly and consistently across employees, departments, shifts, and company locations.
• Provide coaching and guidance to managers and supervisors regarding performance and employee-relations matters.
• Design and administer performance management processes, including performance evaluations, leadership coaching, performance improvement, and career development.
• Maintain confidentiality and appropriate professional boundaries when handling sensitive employee, leadership, and company information.
• Promote a respectful, inclusive, accountable, and high-performance workplace.

Policies, Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws and regulatory requirements.
• Develop, recommend, implement, and maintain company personnel policies and the employee handbook.
• Ensure established HR policies and procedures are consistently followed and appropriately documented.
• Monitor changes in employment laws and HR best practices and recommend necessary changes.
• Maintain accurate and appropriate HR records in accordance with company policy and legal requirements.
• Identify potential employment-related risks and proactively recommend solutions to company leadership.

Compensation, Benefits & Payroll

• Lead compensation strategy, including market benchmarking, salary structure recommendations, internal equity analysis, and incentive planning.
• Oversee employee benefit programs, including vendor relationships, plan evaluation, employee concerns, claims resolution, and program improvements.
• Oversee payroll administration and compliance with federal, state, and local requirements regarding employee compensation, tax withholding, wage and hour practices, and recordkeeping.
• Establish appropriate controls and processes to ensure payroll accuracy and timely resolution of discrepancies.

401(k) Administration

• Oversee administration and compliance of the company's retirement plan in accordance with plan documents, IRS requirements, and ERISA regulations.
• Responsibilities include participant management, contribution processing, plan document maintenance, required testing and reporting coordination, vendor management, and fiduciary oversight.
• Work with plan administrators, financial partners, auditors, and company leadership to maintain plan compliance and address issues as necessary.

Workers' Compensation & Workplace Safety

• Oversee the full lifecycle of work-related injuries, including injury reporting, claims management, employee communication, medical documentation, return-to-work coordination, and case resolution.
• Partner with the Safety Manager and operational leadership regarding OSHA reporting, workplace injury prevention, and safety initiatives.
• Develop and support effective return-to-work and transitional-duty programs.
• Analyze workplace injury trends and recommend opportunities to reduce risk and improve employee safety.

Culture & Employee Engagement

• Develop and implement employee engagement and retention strategies that strengthen morale, productivity, and organizational commitment.
• Promote a workplace culture consistent with Vantage Plastics' mission and company values.
• Serve as a credible and approachable HR leader for employees and management.
• Encourage transparent communication and ensure employee feedback is appropriately considered when evaluating workplace initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to improve the employee experience while balancing operational and business requirements.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• 7-10 years of progressive Human Resources experience, including at least 3-5 years in an HR leadership role with responsibility for multiple HR disciplines.
• Demonstrated experience partnering directly with operational leadership and senior management.
• Strong knowledge of federal and state employment laws, HR compliance requirements, and Human Resources best practices.
• Demonstrated experience handling complex employee-relations matters and workplace investigations.
• Experience with compensation, benefits, payroll, workers' compensation, performance management, recruiting, and policy administration.
• Strong leadership, communication, interpersonal, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead organizational change through collaboration, communication, and stakeholder engagement.
• Ability to appropriately challenge, influence, and advise leadership while maintaining productive working relationships.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and HRIS/HR technology systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Human Resources leadership experience within a manufacturing or industrial environment.
• Professional HR certification such as SPHR, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SHRM-CP.
• Experience supporting multiple facilities or business locations.
• Experience developing employee engagement, retention, succession planning, and leadership development programs.
• Experience with HR metrics, workforce analytics, and data-driven decision-making.
• Experience supporting lean manufacturing or continuous improvement environments.

Leadership Competencies

The successful Human Resources Director will demonstrate:

• Integrity & Trust: Handles sensitive information appropriately and follows through on commitments.
• Collaboration: Seeks input and builds support before implementing significant organizational changes.
• Sound Judgment: Investigates, gathers facts, evaluates risk, and considers business impact before making decisions.
• Communication: Communicates clearly, directly, professionally, and consistently with employees and leadership.
• Accountability: Takes ownership of decisions, responsibilities, commitments, and outcomes.
• Operational Awareness: Understands that HR practices must support the realities and requirements of a manufacturing environment.
• Consistency & Fairness: Applies policies and expectations objectively and consistently.
• Leadership Maturity: Welcomes differing viewpoints, constructive feedback, and appropriate challenge without allowing disagreement to negatively affect professional relationships.
• Change Leadership: Builds understanding and stakeholder support before implementing significant changes.
• Team Development: Develops HR team members, utilizes their expertise, and creates clear accountability without unnecessary micromanagement.

Physical Requirements

The role requires the ability to sit, stand, and walk for extended periods and occasionally lift up to
15 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform
the essential functions of the position.
Additional Information

This is an FLSA exempt position. Compensation is commensurate with experience, education, and leadership ability.

This job description is intended to describe the general nature of the position and is not an exhaustive
list of all responsibilities, duties, or qualifications required.