HR Director (Operations-Focused)

Chicagoland | $140,000 – $180,000 + Bonus

The Opportunity

This is not a traditional HR leadership role.

We’re partnering with a growing food manufacturing business that needs an HR Director embedded in the operation — someone who can shape culture, strengthen leadership capability, and bring structure to a fast-scaling environment.

This role sits at the intersection of:

people
performance
and operational delivery

Why This Role Exists

The business has reached a point where growth, complexity, and workforce scale require a more deliberate people strategy.

Key challenges include:

strengthening frontline leadership
improving retention and engagement
building consistent processes across the plant
supporting operational performance through people

This is about moving from:

reactive HR → to → proactive, performance-driven people leadership

What You’ll Be Doing

Act as strategic partner to plant and senior leadership
Build and implement people strategy aligned to business goals
Lead initiatives around:
retention
engagement
workforce planning
Strengthen frontline leadership capability (supervisors, managers)
Drive performance management and accountability frameworks
Oversee employee relations in a manufacturing environment
Partner on organizational design and capability build
Support change management in a fast-moving business

What Makes This Role Different

Highly visible and influential role within the business
Direct impact on:
culture
retention
operational performance
Not a corporate HR role — you’ll be close to the plant and leadership team
Opportunity to build and shape, not just maintain

What We’re Looking For

10+ years HR experience, with:
strong manufacturing / industrial exposure preferable within Food & Beverage space.

Proven ability to:

partner with operations leaders
influence at senior level

Experience in:

workforce transformation
employee relations
leadership development
Comfortable in:
fast-paced, evolving environments

Someone who:

is pragmatic
builds trust quickly
drives accountability

The Environment

Growing, mid-market manufacturing business
Hands-on, collaborative culture
Leadership team open to change and improvement
Opportunity to shape how the business scales

Compensation & Benefits

$140,000 – $180,000 base
Bonus structure
Full benefits package

Long-term progression into:

VP HR
broader leadership roles

Who This Suits

HR Business Partner/Manager ready to step up
Existing HR Director wanting more impact and visibility

Someone who prefers:

operational environments
real influence
building vs maintaining

Bottom Line

This is a role for someone who wants to:

drive culture and performance
influence leadership
and play a key role in how a manufacturing business grows

The Sterling Choice

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