Director, HR Projects & Transformation - Chicago or Decatur, IL

ADM; Decatur (IL); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

ADM seeks a Director, HR Strategic Projects & Transformation in Chicago or Decatur, IL to lead enterprise-wide HR initiatives that improve organizational effectiveness, employee experience, and payroll modernization. This role partners with senior leaders to drive HRIS/payroll changes and standardize operating models across HR and related functions.

You will manage cross-functional teams across HR, Finance, Technology, Legal, and Operations, guiding mergers and acquisitions integration and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Finance, Information Systems, or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in Human Resources, HR Operations, transformation, consulting, payroll, or finance.
• Demonstrated success leading large-scale transformation initiatives and complex cross-functional projects.
• Experience in organizational design, process optimization, and change management.
• Experience supporting mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and organizational integration activities.
• Experience implementing or upgrading HRIS and payroll systems.
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and executive communication skills.
• Proven ability to influence senior leaders and drive enterprise change initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise HR transformation initiatives focused on operational excellence, scalability, and continuous improvement.
• Develop business cases, implementation roadmaps, governance structures, and success metrics for enterprise HR initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardize, and enhance HR service delivery and operating models.
• Provide strategic counsel to HR leadership and business leaders on workforce, organizational, and operational challenges.
• Lead cross-functional teams and influence stakeholders across HR, Payroll, Finance, Technology, Legal, and business functions.
• Lead strategic planning initiatives for HR, ensuring structures and resources align with business priorities.
• Evaluate and optimize the HR operating model for efficiency and service quality.
• Develop workforce and capacity planning models supporting growth and transformation.
• Establish and monitor operational metrics, workforce analytics, and service delivery measures.
• Drive continuous improvement of organizational capabilities within HR.

Skills

Leadership

Change management

Executive communication

HR transformation

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

SAP/SuccessFactors/Workday/Oracle HCM/UKG/ADP

Job description

Director, HR Strategic Projects & HR Transformation - Chicago or Decatur, IL

The Director, HR Strategic Projects & HR Transformation is responsible for leading enterprise-wide initiatives that strengthen organizational performance, workforce effectiveness, operational excellence, and the employee experience. This role serves as a strategic partner to senior leaders, driving the development and execution of HR strategies, organizational effectiveness initiatives, HR and payroll transformation programs, process optimization efforts, and merger and acquisition integration activities.

The Director will lead complex, cross-functional projects that align people, processes, technology, and organizational capabilities with business priorities. This position plays a critical role in enabling business growth, improving operational efficiency, modernizing HR and payroll systems, and ensuring successful organizational change and integration outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

HR Strategic Projects & Enterprise Initiatives

• Lead strategic HR initiatives and transformation programs that improve organizational effectiveness, employee experience, scalability, and operational performance.
• Develop business cases, implementation roadmaps, governance structures, and success metrics for enterprise HR initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardize, and enhance HR service delivery and operating models.
• Provide strategic counsel to HR leadership and business leaders on workforce, organizational, and operational challenges.
• Lead cross-functional teams and influence stakeholders across HR, Payroll, Finance, Technology, Legal, and business functions.

HR Organizational Effectiveness & Workforce Planning

• Lead strategic planning initiatives for HR, ensuring organizational structures, resources, and capabilities are aligned with evolving business requirements, service delivery expectations, and enterprise priorities.
• Evaluate and optimize the operating model across HR to improve efficiency, scalability, and service quality.
• Assess organizational structures, reporting relationships, resource allocation, and team capacity within HR to ensure effective service delivery and operational excellence.
• Develop workforce and capacity planning models that support growth, transformation initiatives, service expansion, and changing business demands across HR.
• Establish and monitor operational metrics, workforce analytics, and service delivery measures to evaluate organizational effectiveness, productivity, customer experience, and operational performance.
• Lead assessments of HR processes, roles, and governance frameworks, recommending organizational improvements that enhance accountability, collaboration, standardization, and decision-making effectiveness.
• Support the design and implementation of organizational changes associated with HR transformations, service delivery model enhancements, system implementations, acquisitions, and divestitures affecting HR.
• Drive continuous improvement of organizational capabilities within HR by identifying opportunities to enhance skills, processes, technologies, and service delivery models.
• Partner with HR leadership to ensure the HR organizations are appropriately structured and resourced to deliver sustainable, efficient, and globally consistent HR services.

HR Transformation & Process Optimization

• Lead enterprise HR transformation initiatives focused on operational excellence, scalability, and continuous improvement.
• Assess and improve end-to-end HR and payroll processes to improve efficiency, controls, compliance, and customer experience.
• Identify opportunities to automate, standardize, simplify, and optimize business processes.
• Establish governance frameworks, operating procedures, and performance metrics to ensure sustainable improvements.
• Drive implementation of continuous improvement methodologies and best practices.
• Measure and report on transformation outcomes, productivity improvements, and operational performance.

Payroll & HR Technology Modernization

• Lead payroll system upgrades, implementations, integrations, and optimization initiatives.
• Partner with Payroll, HRIS, Information Technology, and Finance teams to establish technology strategies and priorities.
• Define business requirements and oversee process redesign associated with system enhancements and technology deployments.
• Ensure payroll and HR systems support business requirements, operational controls, compliance standards, and employee needs.
• Lead testing, change management, deployment, and stabilization activities for major technology initiatives.
• Evaluate emerging HR and payroll technologies and recommend solutions that improve operational effectiveness and employee experience.

Mergers, Acquisitions & Divestitures

• Lead HR due diligence efforts related to mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and divestitures.
• Assess workforce demographics, compensation programs, benefits plans, labor agreements, HR operations, payroll processes, HR systems, organizational structures, and people-related risks.
• Partner with Corporate Development, Legal, Finance, Payroll, and business leaders to evaluate transaction-related costs, risks, synergies, and integration requirements.
• Develop and execute comprehensive HR integration and separation strategies.
• Lead Day One readiness planning, payroll integration, benefits harmonization, talent assessments, and communication planning.
• Lead employee transfer, HR systems separation, payroll transition, and transition service agreement activities associated with divestitures and carve-outs.
• Establish integration governance, milestone tracking, executive reporting, and synergy realization processes.

Change Management & Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop and execute change management strategies supporting transformational initiatives.
• Lead stakeholder engagement, communication, training, and adoption efforts.
• Influence business decisions through data-driven recommendations and workforce insights.
• Build strong partnerships across HR functions and business teams to drive alignment and successful implementation.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Ensure appropriate controls, governance processes, and compliance requirements are embedded within HR and payroll initiatives.
• Partner with Internal Audit, Legal, Compliance, Payroll, and Finance teams to mitigate operational and regulatory risks.
• Support SOX-compliant payroll and HR process design, documentation, and control environments.
• Establish monitoring and reporting mechanisms to ensure ongoing compliance and operational effectiveness.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Finance, Information Systems, or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in Human Resources, HR Operations, transformation, , consulting, payroll, or finance.
• Demonstrated success leading large-scale transformation initiatives and complex cross-functional projects.
• Experience in organizational design, process optimization, and change management.
• Experience supporting mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and organizational integration activities.
• Experience implementing or upgrading HRIS and payroll systems.
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and executive communication skills.
• Proven ability to influence senior leaders and drive enterprise change initiatives.

Preferred

• Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, , or related field.
• Lean Six Sigma or comparable certification.
• Experience in a global, matrixed organization.
• Experience with SAP, SuccessFactors, Workday, Oracle HCM, UKG, ADP, or other enterprise HR and payroll solutions.

ADM requires the successful completion of a background check.

REF:114312BR