HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR
Reporting line(s)
Reports to the CEO
Role
The Human Resources Director is a culture leader who heads all areas of the HR function at AWE, including but not limited to recruiting, onboarding, training, policies and procedures, legal liaison on HR matters, and performance management. The HR Director will be the cultural champion and talent manager in a growth-oriented business, facilitating an employee-centered, high-performance culture that emphasizes quality, continuous improvement, accountability, fun, and work-life balance.
About AWE
AWE is the authority in precision engineering for enthusiast vehicles. From award-winning handcrafted performance exhausts dubbed “The Best Sounding Exhausts on the Planet™,” to track-tested carbon fiber intakes and performance intercoolers, AWE innovates, designs, engineers, manufactures, and distributes AWE brand performance products globally through its preferred network of dealers, online, and from its state-of-the-art headquarters outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since 1991, AWE's elite team of researchers, engineers, innovators, and drivers have track-tested and introduced premium performance upgrades for some of the finest automobiles in the world.
Responsibilities
Cultural Leader
We have a high-performing, goal-oriented team culture that believes in accountability, mutual support, and exceeding expectations.
- Lead all areas of cultural development within the organization, including but not limited to cross-departmental synergies, events, morale monitoring, and more
- Liaise with all areas of the organization and the executive team
- Develop and administer guidelines to further align the workforce with the strategic goals of the company
- Determine and recommend practices necessary to establish a positive employer-employee relationship and promote a high level of employee morale and motivation
- Develop and implement DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) strategies to ensure an inclusive workplace culture
- Support company-wide change initiatives with structured change management strategies
Recruiting
Finding the best and brightest for each role on our growing teams
- Lead all areas of job description crafting, approvals, posting, qualifying, negotiation and hiring
- Create a clear process “from posting-to-producing”
- Stay on top of digital and other methods of recruiting to ensure AWE finds the best candidates in the fastest manner
- Utilize AI tools for resume screening, candidate engagement, and sourcing automation
- Establish a “bench” of qualified candidates
- Coordinate with marketing for special recruiting.
- Promote AWE’s Top Workplace recognition across employer branding channels
- Leverage brand reputation to attract and engage top talent
Training, Development, Retention
Establish and maintain a program that takes the right people from day-one to mastery and beyond in an efficient and effective manner
- Create and implement cogent and impactful strategies to quickly turn new hires into producing members, delegating as needed
- Develop and implement programs to foster key employee retention
- Manage employee communication strategies and feedback using company meetings, employee satisfaction surveys, newsletters, employee focus groups, one-on-one meetings and other methods
- Create transparency across the organization of roles and responsibilities
Policies, Benefits, Legal
Leadership of all elements of legal, innovation, and developments as they pertain to Human Resources
- Conduct ongoing audits of all HR policies, programs, and practices, and provide valuable insight to management
- Administer the benefits program, including overseeing cost-effective, employee-serving benefits; monitoringnational benefits environment for options and cost savings
- Lead the development of benefit orientations and other benefits training
- Protect the interests of employees and the company in accordance with company's HR policies and governmental laws and regulations
- Lead company compliance with existing governmental and labor legal and government reporting requirements including any related to the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Department of Labor, worker compensation, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and so forth. Maintains minimal company exposure to lawsuits.
- Direct the preparation and approvals for information requested or required for compliance with laws.
- Serve as the primary contact with the company's employment law attorney and outside government agencies
- Maintain all necessary compliance as related to employee reporting
Departmental Organization
Create an HR structure such that the right people know the right things at the right times
- Direct the HR department’s goals, objectives, and systems
- Manage and maintain all record-keeping and filing systems
- Utilize, develop, and maintain HR Information Software and Database (HRIS) for the company's record keeping and management advantage
- Identify, implement, and manage HR technologies to streamline recruiting, onboarding, performance management, and engagement
- Leverage people analytics to support strategic workforce planning
- Partner with Finance and Operations to align workforce planning with budget and business goals
- Use HR analytics to forecast talent needs and identify workforce gaps
Employee Relations
Ongoing programs and mechanisms to ensure a healthy, rewarding culture for all members of the AWE team
- Coach managers as needed to develop talent on teams
- Establish company-consistent reviews and other documentation
- Develop HR policies, procedures, programs, and guidelines, update management accordingly
- Complaint investigations and actions as needed, including crafting a transparent disciplinary process
- Foster growth and improvement processes for under-performing employees, manage terminations processes as needed
- Lead the implementation of company safety and health programs, including monitoring and reporting OSHA-required data
- Review employee appeals through the company communications channels and manages remedial actions
- Maintain the utmost confidentiality in dealing with employee records and business information
Other
Team player that gets it done!
- Coordinate annual charitable endeavors in conjunction with the CEO and CFO
- Concept and coordinate company employee events
- Participate in departmental, managerial and company-wide staff meetings and seminars
- Member of the executive team
Qualifications
- 10+ years of experience in a senior human resources role
- Experience in a growing organization, ideally one with 150 people or more
- Bachelor's degree in HR, Business Administration, or related field required; Master’s degree preferred.
- SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP highly preferred
- Training in employment law, compensation, organizational planning, organization development, employee relations, safety, training, and preventive labor relations, preferred
- Active affiliation with appropriate HR networks and organizations and ongoing community involvement preferred
- Experience with a premium brand preferred
- Highly organized, deadline-driven mindset with excellent time management skills
- Excellent writing and verbal communication skills
- Innovative, strong analytical, and problem-solving skills
- Experience managing both up, down, and across the organization
- Proficient with Google Business Suite and Microsoft Office Suite, and database management
- Proficiency with or the ability to quickly learn and/or develop the organization’s HRIS and talent management systems
Accountabilities
- Foster a high-performance and inclusive workplace culture aligned with AWE’s vision and values
- Collaborate with leadership to ensure onboarding, training, and development programs support employee growth and business objectives
- Promote a consistent and transparent employee experience throughout the entire lifecycle, from recruitment to exit
- Provide actionable insights through people analytics to inform workforce strategy and continuous improvement
- Ensure compliance with applicable labor laws and company policies, minimizing organizational risk
- Drive initiatives that enhance leadership capability, team performance, and internal mobility
- Support AWE’s recognition as a Top Workplace through continuous engagement and culture-building efforts.
