Director/Vice President of Human Resources for Large, Multi-Unit Reail Organization in North Orange County - On Site - Bilingual Highly Preferred (Mandarin) We have been retained by one of our long standing and most successful clients as they cotinue to grow exponentially across the United States. The organization is a multi-billion specialty retailer primarily supporting the Asian American community and consumer. The company has more than 6,000 employees spread throughout the United States with the corporate office located in North Orange County, California. We have partnered with them as they continue to build out their Human Resources capacity to meet the needs of the organization and the people they employ.
This position can be either a Vice President or Director of Human Resources depending on experience of the right candidate.
Summary of role: The Director/Vice President of Human Resources will serve as a strategic business partner at the
corporate level, reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and working intimatley with the CEO and President.
This leadership role oversees the entire Human Resources function for Corporate Headquarters, distribution centers, and the field network of retail stores. The ideal candidate will balance strategic leadership with operational execution, focusing on labor optimization, budget management, and fostering a unified culture across a dispersed workforce.
Responsibilities: Strategic Leadership & Financial Alignment
- Partner with the department heads to design human capital strategies that support
- business growth, profitability, and labor optimization.
- Lead the annual labor budgeting process and analyze HR metrics (turnover, labor
- costs vs. revenue) to provide data-driven recommendations for cost-e?iciency.
HR Operations & Business Support
- Oversee a dispersed team of Field HR Managers to ensure HR policies are practical,
- scalable, and support e?icient store operation.
- Serve as the primary liaison to Operations leadership while managing complex
- employee relations, internal investigations, and conflict resolution across all
- districts.
Corporate Culture & People Engagement
- Bridge the gap between Corporate and Frontline staff by fostering a unified,inclusive culture that reflects the diverse communities we serve.
- Design and implement engagement surveys and feedback loops to monitor morale; create action plans to improve job satisfaction and reduce turnover in high-churn roles.
- Champion initiatives that foster an inclusive workplace and ensure our workforce reflects the diverse communities our stores serve.
- Change Management: Lead the "people side" of change for major corporate initiatives, ensuring strong communication and buy-in.
Talent Acquisition, Development & Retention
- Develop robust strategies for talent acquisition and retention to meet operational demands and combat high retail turnover.
- Oversee the full employee lifecycle, including performance management, succession planning, and comprehensive training programs (L&D) that facilitate internal mobility and career growth.
Total Rewards & Compensation
- Design and administer competitive compensation, benefits, and executive incentive programs that attract talent while maintaining margin requirements and fiscal responsibility.
Compliance & Risk Management
- Ensure full compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws (e.g., FLSA, EEOC, OSHA) and partner with Legal to manage risk, safety protocols, and workers' compensation.
Qualifications: - Education: Bachelors Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field required; MBA or Masters degree preferred.
- Experience: 10+ years of progressive HR experience, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role (Director or VP level).
- Industry: Significant experience in retail, grocery, or multi-site operational environments is required.
- Certifications: SHRM-SCP or SPHR certification highly preferred.
Skills: - Proven ability to lead and develop a dispersed HR team.
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
- Proficiency in HRIS and Talent Management software.
- Strong financial acumen and ability to partner with Finance on labor modeling and budgets.
- Deep understanding of employment laws, compliance, and safety protocols.
- Language: Bilingual Preferred