Director, Human Resources (Joliet, IL)

Job Summary

The Director, Human Resources role will provide HR leadership for our manufacturing operation in Joliet, IL, ensuring the organization has the people, systems, and employee relations foundation to meet business goals.

The role is responsible for delivering HR solutions across employee relations, talent acquisition partnership, workforce planning, compliance, performance management, organizational effectiveness, and leader coaching.

The role partners with plant leadership and corporate HR to implement HR programs, build a strong employee experience, and support operational execution through effective workforce strategies.

Essential Functions

• Serve as a strategic and operational HR partner to manufacturing leadership, aligning HR practices to business objectives and site performance
• Drive strong employee relations through consistent, fair, and compliant practices that build trust, engagement, and accountability
• Lead labor/employee relations practices that support a positive workplace culture, including union mitigation through proactive engagement, leader capability, and compliant response planning
• Partner with Talent Acquisition to support workforce planning, requisition strategy, selection processes, and hiring readiness
• Ensure HR compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws; support investigations, documentation, and corrective action processes as needed
• Support organizational design, job architecture, and compensation practices in partnership with corporate COEs to ensure consistent application at the site
• Establish and maintain HR operations(metrics, reporting, leadership updates) to monitor workforce health, retention, attendance, turnover, and staffing effectiveness
• Coach leaders on performance management, development planning, and day-to-day people leadership
• Support change management for site start-up, ramp, or transformation initiatives
• Maintain accurate HR records and systems data (e.g., HRIS/SuccessFactors), ensuring audit-ready documentation
• Own execution of functional HR strategy and operational direction for the site/department, and develop operational plans with short- to mid-term impact
• Serve as the primary HR leader for the manufacturing location, advising site leadership on workforce planning, culture, and organizational health
• Lead union mitigation efforts holistically through proactive employee relations strategy, risk assessments, leader capability building, and compliant response coordination
• Lead complex change initiatives (site start-up/ramp, reorganizations, policy deployments) and ensure communications are effective and consistent
• Own site-level HR governance: escalation pathways, investigation standards, documentation quality, and audit readiness
• Other duties as assigned

Essential Functions (Continued)

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field (required)
• Minimum 12 years of progressive HR experience, including HR leadership for a manufacturing site or complex hourly workforce environment
• Demonstrated expertise in labor/employee relations strategy and union mitigation within a compliant framework
• Experience leading HR operational planning, workforce planning, and organizational change initiatives

Preferred Education and Experience Requirements

• Master’s degree in HR, Business, or related field
• Experience as the HR leader for a plant or multi-shift manufacturing operation
• Experience leading labor/employee relations strategy and union mitigation planning in partnership with legal and corporate COEs

Language Requirement

Travel Requirements