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
