Vice President of Human Resources
The Organization
Our client is a rapidly growing, U.S.-based manufacturing organization operating in a highly specialized industrial sector. The company plays an important role in supporting critical domestic supply chains and serves markets where advanced technology, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities are essential.
The organization is entering an important stage of its evolution, with significant investments in operational capacity, infrastructure, and organizational capabilities. As the business continues to scale, leadership is focused on building the processes, talent, and infrastructure necessary to support its next phase of growth while maintaining the entrepreneurial spirit and agility that have contributed to its success.
This growth creates a compelling opportunity for an experienced HR executive to help shape the organization's future.
Position Overview
The Vice President of Human Resources will serve as a key member of the leadership team, partnering closely with the CEO and executive leadership to build and execute a people strategy aligned with the company's growth objectives.
This executive will be responsible for leading the continued evolution of the HR function, strengthening organizational capability, developing leadership talent, and establishing scalable processes and programs to support an increasingly complex business.
The successful candidate will bring a combination of strategic business partnership, organizational development expertise, and strong HR functional leadership. This is an opportunity for a hands-on builder who can establish structure and discipline without creating unnecessary bureaucracy or compromising the company's entrepreneurial culture.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Business Partnership
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO and executive leadership team on organizational, talent, and workforce matters.
- Translate business strategy and growth objectives into actionable people priorities.
- Provide leadership on organizational design, succession planning, workforce strategy, and leadership effectiveness.
- Build strong relationships across the business, positioning HR as a proactive and credible partner to operational leadership.
- Support organizational readiness for future growth initiatives and strategic business opportunities.
Organizational Development & Talent Management
- Design and implement scalable performance management, succession planning, leadership development, and talent review processes.
- Strengthen management capability, leadership effectiveness, and organizational accountability.
- Establish programs that identify, develop, engage, and retain high-performing talent.
- Partner with business leaders to identify critical capabilities and leadership gaps.
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement, performance, and employee engagement.
Total Rewards & Performance Culture
- Lead the evolution of compensation, incentive, benefits, and total rewards strategies to support business objectives.
- Develop competitive and scalable reward programs that reinforce accountability and performance.
- Establish consistent compensation practices and governance as the organization grows.
- Partner with leadership to align talent management and rewards strategies with organizational performance.
HR Operations & Functional Leadership
- Assess and enhance existing HR processes, systems, policies, and programs to support continued growth.
- Lead, develop, and elevate the HR team, establishing clear accountability and a scalable HR operating model.
- Provide leadership and oversight across employee relations, benefits, HR operations, compliance, and HR technology.
- Strengthen operational discipline, process consistency, and service delivery across the organization.
- Ensure HR infrastructure and capabilities evolve alongside the needs of the business.
Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning
- Develop workforce planning strategies aligned with anticipated business growth and operational requirements.
- Strengthen recruiting capabilities to support organizational expansion.
- Partner with leadership to identify critical talent needs, organizational gaps, and succession risks.
- Establish talent acquisition strategies that balance immediate hiring priorities with longer-term workforce requirements.
Growth & Organizational Transformation
- Lead people-related change initiatives associated with organizational growth and increasing operational complexity.
- Prepare the organization for future strategic milestones, which may include acquisitions, additional investment, and evolving governance requirements.
- Support organizational alignment, integration, and scalability as the business continues to mature.
- Balance the need for structure and consistency with the speed, flexibility, and entrepreneurial mindset required in a growing organization.
First-Year Priorities
The successful executive will be expected to make a measurable impact across several key areas:
- Establish HR as a strategic business partner: Build credibility with executive and operational leadership, elevating HR from a primarily reactive function to a proactive contributor to business performance.
- Strengthen leadership and talent capabilities: Introduce effective performance management, succession planning, and leadership development practices that improve talent quality and reduce regrettable attrition.
- Build scalable HR infrastructure: Assess current capabilities and establish the processes, systems, and operating disciplines necessary to support continued growth.
- Elevate the HR team: Develop the team's capabilities, clarify accountability, and strengthen its effectiveness in supporting the organization.
- Advance a performance-driven culture: Align talent management, compensation, and organizational development initiatives with business objectives.
Ideal Experience & Qualifications
- Progressive HR leadership experience, including responsibility for a multidisciplinary HR function.
- Demonstrated success building, professionalizing, or scaling HR capabilities within a growing organization.
- Experience supporting manufacturing, industrial, engineering, energy, advanced materials, chemical, or similarly complex operating environments.
- Strong expertise in organizational development, talent management, performance management, succession planning, and leadership development.
- Experience serving as a strategic advisor to CEOs and executive leadership teams.
- Proven ability to lead organizational growth, transformation, and change.
- Exposure to organizations experiencing rapid expansion, institutional investment, acquisitions, or increasing governance complexity is preferred.
- Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree and/or professional HR certification preferred.
Leadership Characteristics
The ideal candidate will be:
- A Builder: Energized by creating organizational capabilities, establishing structure, and developing scalable programs and processes.
- Strategic and Hands-On: Comfortable moving between executive-level strategy and practical execution.
- Business-Oriented: Understands how HR contributes to operational performance and long-term business success.
- Influential and Credible: Builds trust through sound judgment, expertise, and strong relationships.
- Collaborative and Pragmatic: Able to navigate competing priorities and influence across functions without unnecessary complexity.
- A Developer of Talent: Committed to strengthening leadership capability and building high-performing teams.
- Adaptable and Resilient: Thrives in an evolving, fast-paced environment where ambiguity and change are part of the business.
The Opportunity Ahead
This is an opportunity to join a growing manufacturing organization at a pivotal point in its evolution. The business has established meaningful momentum and is now focused on building the organizational foundation necessary to support its next chapter.
The Vice President of Human Resources will have the opportunity to shape the future of the HR function, influence executive decision-making, strengthen leadership capability, and establish the people infrastructure required for sustainable growth.
For an HR executive who enjoys building, influencing, and driving meaningful organizational impact, this role offers the opportunity to leave a lasting mark on a business entering an exciting stage of development.