Director of HR Operations
Salt Lake City, UT
Job Type
Full-time
Description
The Director of HR Operations is responsible for leading the execution, governance, and continuous optimization of core HR operational functions across the organization, with a primary focus on total compensation and rewards strategy, payroll integrity, HR governance, and HR technology. This role ensures that foundational HR processes are standardized, data-driven, and aligned with Wheeler's operational needs.
A critical priority of this role is to design and manage market-competitive, internally equitable, and financially disciplined total rewards programs that enable Wheeler to attract, retain, and motivate talent while aligning labor cost structures with business performance.
Reporting to the Vice President of People, this role oversees critical HR infrastructure and service delivery in a multi-location, unionized environment, driving accuracy, compliance, and operational excellence across all employee touchpoints.
Duties & Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership & Operational Alignment
Partner with the VP of People to translate people strategy into scalable HR operational systems and processes
Align HR operations (payroll, compensation, systems, policies) with business objectives and workforce needs
Provide insights on labor costs, compensation trends, and operational risks to support decision-making
Serve as a key advisor on HR infrastructure, ensuring systems and processes enable business performance
Anticipate operational and regulatory changes and position HR operations to respond proactively
Total Rewards (Compensation & Benefits)
Own the design and governance of Wheeler's total rewards philosophy, ensuring alignment with business strategy, labor market dynamics, and financial objectives
Develop and maintain compensation architectures, including job structures, pay bands, grading frameworks, and geographic differentials
Ensure internal equity and external competitiveness through market benchmarking, job evaluation methodologies, and periodic pay analysis
Lead all compensation planning processes, including:
Annual merit and adjustment cycles
Incentive and bonus program design (aligned with GOST and business performance)
Off-cycle adjustments, promotions, and market corrections
Architect and manage variable pay and incentive programs that:
Reinforce key operational metrics (e.g., PSQDC, productivity, safety)
Align employee behavior with company performance and profitability
Scale across union and non-union environments
Partner with Finance to manage total labor cost structure, including:
Compensation modeling and scenario analysis
Headcount cost planning and forecasting inputs
Cost-of-labor insights to support pricing, bidding, and operational decisions
Oversee and optimize benefits strategy, including:
Medical, retirement, and wellness programs
Cost-sharing strategies and plan design
Vendor negotiations and performance management
Establish strong governance and controls around compensation decisions, including:
Approval frameworks and escalation paths
Pay transparency considerations
Compliance with regulatory and union requirements
Lead development of total rewards analytics and dashboards, including:
Compensation competitiveness indices
Pay equity analysis
Benefits utilization and ROI
Labor cost trends vs. productivity
Payroll Operations
Ensure seamless integration between compensation strategy and payroll execution, maintaining alignment between approved pay structures and actual pay outcomes
Implement rigorous controls to ensure compensation accuracy at scale, including incentive payouts, union provisions, and complex pay scenarios
Partner with Total Rewards to ensure all changes (merit, incentives, adjustments) are accurately executed and auditable
Policies, Procedures & Compliance (Governance)
Develop, implement, and maintain standardized HR policies, procedures, and workflows across the organization
Ensure consistency and compliance with federal, state, local, and collective bargaining agreements
Lead HR compliance audits, documentation standards, and risk mitigation efforts
Establish clear governance models for HR decisions, approvals, and escalations
Maintain and regularly update employee handbooks, policy manuals, and procedural documentation
HR Technology & Data (HRIS)
Lead the strategy, implementation, and optimization of HR systems (HRIS, payroll, benefits platforms)
Champion digital HR solutions that improve efficiency, scalability, and employee experience
Develop an integrated Total Rewards data environment across HRIS, payroll, and benefits platforms
Ensure data integrity, system integration, and reporting accuracy across HR platforms
Develop dashboards and reporting capabilities to provide actionable workforce and operational insights
Enable real-time visibility into labor cost, pay distribution, and incentive performance
Partner with Digital to build advanced analytics capabilities, including predictive modeling for turnover, pay competitiveness, and cost optimization
Ensure HR systems support scalable compensation planning workflows and governance controls
Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement
Identify opportunities to improve HR processes, systems, and service delivery models
Drive standardization and scalability across all HR operations
Implement metrics and KPIs to monitor performance and drive accountability
Foster a culture of continuous improvement, efficiency, and service excellence within HR operations
Customer Service & Service Delivery
Establish clear service delivery models and expectations for HR operational support
Ensure a consistent, responsive, and professional employee and leader experience
Gather feedback from stakeholders to improve HR operations and systems
Build trust and credibility through reliability, accuracy, and transparency
Financial Oversight
Develop and manage budgets related to payroll, benefits, and HR systems
Ensure strong financial controls and cost discipline across HR operational programs
Serve as the primary HR leader responsible for total labor cost governance, inclusive of compensation, incentives, and benefits
Partner closely with Finance to align compensation strategy with EBITDA targets, margin profiles, and growth plans
Provide executives with actionable insights on labor cost efficiency, return on compensation investment, and workforce cost trends
Identify cost optimization opportunities within total rewards and HR operations
Leadership & Team Development
Lead, develop, and coach the HR operations team (payroll, compensation, HRIS, etc.)
Build capability in analytical, systems, and process-oriented skill sets
Establish clear performance expectations and accountability
Foster a culture of precision, ownership, and continuous improvement
Key Success Metrics (Illustrative):
Compensation competitiveness (market position vs. benchmark)
Internal pay equity and compression indicators
Total labor cost as % of revenue / productivity metrics
Incentive plan effectiveness (alignment to performance outcomes)
Payroll accuracy and audit outcomes
Benefits utilization and cost efficiency
HR system uptime, adoption, and data accuracy
Compliance/audit outcomes and risk mitigation
Qualifications & Experience:
Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field required; Master's preferred
8–12+ years of progressive HR leadership experience
Experience in a unionized, multi-location environment required
Strong expertise in compensation, payroll, HR compliance, and HRIS systems
Analytical mindset with ability to translate data into actionable insights
Experience in heavy equipment, construction, manufacturing, or dealership environments preferred
Strong working knowledge of employment law, labor relations, and HR operations
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c).
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)