Director of Human Resources

Position Title: Director of Human Resources

Reports To: President

Location: Lomira, Wisconsin

Direct Reports: HR Representatives and an HR Specialist (team of three)

The Opportunity

Our client is a privately held manufacturer based in the Lomira / Campbellsport, Wisconsin area, with a single, well-resourced facility and roughly 200 associates operating across five shifts. The company engineers and manufactures high-durability components and subassemblies used in agriculture, biofuels, construction, forestry, off-highway, utility, and commercial turf-care equipment. Core manufacturing processes include metallurgy, heat treating, machining, welding, surface coatings, laser cladding, and coining and stamping.

The majority of the business supplies components to large original equipment manufacturers in the agricultural and off- highway sectors, supported by an established aftermarket business and a wear-parts program serving major turf-care OEMs. The company is also growing a newer line of business manufacturing components for directional drilling.

This position is open due to a pending retirement. The President is looking for a true HR business partner - someone who will take the time to learn the business, the customers, and the people before setting an agenda, and who can build the trust required to lead Human Resources as a strategic function rather than an administrative one.

Be the cultural ambassador. Be the confidant. Build what's next.

This is not a back-office HR role. It's a seat at the leadership table, with real influence on how the company develops its people, plans for succession, and sustains a culture where associates feel heard, respected, and engaged.

Why This Role Is Different

• A true leadership-team seat - this HR leader has significant impact on the business, serving as a trusted partner to the President and executive team on all things people, culture, and organizational

• Privately held and well resourced — decisions are made with long term vision in mind, without layers of corporate bureaucracy, and ownership is committed to investing in the business and its people

• A clean, professional, climate-controlled production environment and a culture where people genuinely care about one another

• Non-union, single-site operation — full visibility into the whole organization rather than one plant among many

• Real influence — in a company of this size, your impact on strategy and decision-making is exponentially greater than it would be at a large, multi-layered organization

What You'll Own

Culture & Trusted Counsel

• Serve as cultural ambassador, translating company values and differentiators into observable leadership behaviors, communication, policies, and everyday practices

• Serve as a trusted, highly confidential partner to leaders and associates, representing the interests and perspectives of both

• Build relationships based on trust throughout the organization, including with manufacturing associates and supervisors; maintain a visible, approachable presence while communicating difficult messages candidly when needed

• Coach and challenge leaders to model company values and improve their effectiveness in leading people

Organizational & Talent Development

• Partner with leadership to identify organizational needs and execute practical initiatives in leadership development, succession planning, performance management, associate engagement, and retention

• Lead talent attraction strategy and support creative recruiting approaches, long-term candidate pipelines, effective onboarding, and associate development

• Measure results of people initiatives and adjust plans as needed

HR Operations & Compliance

• Provide sound oversight of HR operations, including benefits, payroll, time and attendance, workers' compensation, compensation administration, HR systems, associate relations, and safety-related HR coordination

• Recognize risk areas, seek qualified guidance when needed, and ensure reliable processes and compliance with applicable employment requirements

Team Leadership

• Lead, develop, and hold accountable a three-person HR team, establishing priorities, clarifying ownership, and making effective use of team expertise

• Continually build personal knowledge of manufacturing operations and technical HR disciplines

What Success Looks Like

Year One

• Focus on learning the business, the customers, and what drives the associates — not on setting ambitious new objectives out of the gate

• Meet individually with every salaried leader, and spend time on the production floor across all shifts

• Build real trust with the President and executive team as a day-to-day partner

Year Two

• Succession planning becomes a significant focus

• Visible progress on culture and engagement — associates who are engaged, passionate, and clear on why they're there

• Establish HR as a critical, trusted member of the leadership team, with less formal, relationship-driven leadership development in place

Why You'll Want to Stay

This is an opportunity to join a privately held, well-resourced company where decisions are made onsite and leadership genuinely values its people. The culture is professional but informal, the facility is clean and well maintained, and new associates are checked in on deliberately at two weeks, sixty days, and six months. For the right person, this role offers a level of influence, trust, and day-to-day impact that simply isn't available at a larger, more layered organization.

About the Organization

Our client is a privately held manufacturer serving agricultural, construction, forestry, off-road, utility, and commercial turf-care markets, with a single, well-invested manufacturing facility in Lomira, Wisconsin. The company is known for a clean, professional work environment, a respectful and engaged culture, and an ownership group committed to investing in both the business and its people.

What You Bring

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related discipline

• Ten or more years of progressive HR experience

• Experience working in or closely with a manufacturing or blue-collar operating environment

• Proven ability to lead people, influence without relying solely on authority, manage conflict calmly, and communicate both good and bad news effectively

• Ability to lead an HR team and oversee essential HR responsibilities, with the willingness and capacity to learn technical HR subjects and use internal or external specialists appropriately

• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships across all levels of an organization

• Sound business and organizational judgment, with a record of translating ideas into practical results

• Preferred: prior responsibility for HR programs, organizational development, leadership coaching, associate relations, or talent initiatives

• Preferred: broader experience with compensation, benefits, payroll, employment law, HRIS, and regulatory compliance — areas that can also be developed through structured transition and expert support

Leadership Competencies We're Looking For

• Trust-building and confidentiality; approachability and emotional intelligence

• Diplomacy, tact, and composure under pressure

• Coaching and developing others

• Initiative, personal accountability, and resilience

• Strategic thinking paired with practical execution

• Analytical problem-solving and sound, timely decision-making

• Integrity, curiosity, and a continuous-learning mindset

Travel

Limited — occasional travel to customers or industry trade shows.

Work Environment

This role operates within a corporate office and adjacent manufacturing environment that includes a clean, temperature-controlled production floor. The position involves regular time on the shop floor across multiple shifts, in addition to standard office-based work. All safety protocols and procedures must be followed at all times. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Our client is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, or any other protected status.