HR Director - Manufacturing

Vaco by Highspring; Raleigh (NC); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaco by Highspring is seeking a seasoned HR Director to lead the human resources function for a manufacturing organization. You will partner with executive leadership to craft and implement people strategies, oversee workforce planning, and drive engagement while ensuring compliance and data integrity across HRIS systems.

The ideal candidate brings 12+ years of HR experience, 5+ years in leadership, and proven success in manufacturing.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive Human Resources experience.
• 5+ years in an HR leadership or management role.
• Manufacturing industry experience required.
• Experience partnering with executive/senior leadership on HR strategy.
• Broad HR leadership across employee relations, workforce planning, comp & benefits, performance, compliance, and engagement.
• Experience managing and optimizing an HRIS with reporting and data management.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for all HR functions and oversee day‑to‑day HR in a manufacturing setting.
• Partner with executives to develop and execute HR and organizational strategies aligned with business goals.
• Lead organizational development, workforce planning, succession planning, and staffing strategies.
• Advise leaders on complex employee relations, talent, and workforce matters.
• Oversee performance management and alignment of development with company objectives.
• Develop and maintain HR policies, programs, and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws.
• Lead compensation and benefits programs that attract and retain talent.
• Foster organizational culture, engagement, communication, and retention.
• Oversee HRIS, data integrity, reporting, and analytics; monitor workforce metrics.
• Coach leaders on change management and people leadership; promote a high‑performance culture.

Skills

Workforce planning

Employee relations

Compensation & benefits

Performance management

Compliance

Policy administration

Employee engagement

HR leadership

Strategic partnering

HRIS management

Tools

HRIS platform

Job description

Position Overview

Our client is seeking an experienced HR Director to lead the human resources function and serve as a strategic partner to executive leadership. This individual will be responsible for developing and executing people strategies that support business objectives while overseeing the day-to-day HR needs of a manufacturing organization. The ideal candidate will bring strong manufacturing HR experience, sound business acumen, and a track record of successfully leading across employee relations, workforce planning, compensation and benefits, organizational development, performance management, compliance, and employee engagement.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for all HR functions, including workforce planning, employee relations, compensation and benefits, performance management, compliance, policy administration, and employee engagement.
• Partner with executive leadership to develop and execute HR and organizational strategies aligned with short- and long-term business objectives.
• Lead organizational development and workforce planning, including succession planning, talent development, organizational design, and staffing strategies.
• Advise senior leaders and managers on complex employee relations, talent, organizational, and workforce matters.
• Oversee the organization's performance management strategy and processes, ensuring alignment between individual performance, development, and company objectives.
• Develop, implement, and maintain HR policies, programs, and procedures that support operational needs and promote consistency across the organization.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.
• Provide leadership and oversight for compensation and benefits, supporting competitive and equitable programs that aid in attraction and retention.
• Develop strategies to strengthen organizational culture, employee engagement, communication, and retention.
• Oversee and optimize the organization's HRIS, including system administration, data integrity, reporting, processes, and utilization.
• Establish and monitor HR metrics and workforce analytics to identify trends and support data-driven decision‑making.
• Coach leaders on performance management, employee development, change management, and effective people leadership.
• Champion a positive, accountable, safety‑conscious, and high‑performance culture within the manufacturing environment.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive Human Resources experience, with at least 5 years in an HR leadership or management role.
• Manufacturing industry experience required, with demonstrated understanding of the HR needs of a manufacturing workforce.
• Proven experience partnering directly with executive and senior leadership on HR strategy, organizational development, and workforce initiatives.
• Broad HR leadership experience across employee relations, workforce planning, compensation and benefits, performance management, compliance, policy development, and employee engagement.
• Demonstrated experience managing and optimizing an HRIS platform, including reporting, data management, process improvement, and system utilization.
• Strong knowledge of federal and state employment laws and HR compliance requirements.
• Experience leading organizational change, employee engagement, and talent development initiatives.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to connect HR initiatives to operational and financial objectives.
• Excellent leadership, communication, judgment, and relationship‑building skills.
• Ability to operate at both a strategic and hands‑on level within a fast‑paced manufacturing environment.

By submitting to this position

By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions.

Equal Opportunity Notice

Highspring LLC (d/b/a Vaco by Highspring) and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries ("we," "our," or "Vaco by Highspring") are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by applicable law. The company is also committed to ensuring that persons who need them are provided with reasonable accommodations; if an accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact [e-mail].

Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal.

Representation Notice

By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. Additionally, you agree to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. Lastly, you agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal.

For residents of Ontario, Canada only: to the extent the position for employment is not with Highspring or not otherwise noted as vacant above, candidate should be informed that this role is to replace a presently employed person at Vaco by Highspring's client.

Privacy Notice

Vaco by Highspring respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies.

• California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here.
• Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here.
• Residents of all other states may access our policies here.
• Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here.
• Residents of countries governed by GDPR and UK GDPR may access our policies here.

Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring's use of AI can be found here https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/ . Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client's use of AI products in hiring.

Pay Transparency Notice

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:

• the individual's skill sets, experience and training;
• licensure and certification requirements;
• office location and other geographic considerations; and
• other business and organizational needs.

With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or participation in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's retirement plan (or similar retirement benefits).