HR Director, Optimization

Daikin Applied; San Diego (CA); Hybrid; USD 113,800 - 213,290; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401K with employer match

Paid time off and holidays

Tuition Reimbursement

Job summary

Daikin Applied, the world’s leading HVAC company, seeks an experienced HR leader to drive strategic workforce planning, organizational design, and transformation across multiple plants. You will partner with executive teams to implement workforce optimization, change management, and culture initiatives, enabling growth and operational excellence.

The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on execution, influencing leaders and collaborating with COEs to deliver measurable business

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Psychology, or related field.
• Master's degree in Human Resources (preferred).
• 10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, including 6+ years of people leadership.
• Experience in manufacturing/plant environments.
• Proven change leadership and capability building experience.
• Experience in talent management and workforce planning.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% between locations.
• Fluency in English and Spanish (preferred).

Responsibilities

• Establish organizational effectiveness and workforce optimization roadmap for HR transformation initiatives.
• Serve as strategic advisor to business and HR leadership for large-scale change.
• Lead HR process mapping and integration efforts to improve efficiency.
• Oversee leadership development, engagement, and performance management initiatives.
• Drive talent strategy and succession planning aligned to business needs.
• Lead change management for location standards and shift expansions.
• Collaborate with Compensation teams on structure projects and Workday integrations.
• Manage multiple complex initiatives across locations.

Skills

Leadership

Change management

Strategic planning

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Workday (preferred)

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/BA/organizational development/psychology

Master's degree in Human Resources (preferred)

Tools

Workday

Job description

Join the world's largest HVAC company, named by Forbes as one of America's Best-In-State Employers 2025!

The HR Director, Optimization is responsible for developing and executing implementation strategies for strategic workforce planning, organizational effectiveness, change management, and operational improvement initiatives across three manufacturing plants in Mexico. Under limited direction, this role will lead cross-functional initiatives for implementation of organizational design, workforce planning, talent management, leadership development, culture transformation, change management, employee engagement, and operational optimization efforts, and will lead integration efforts to strengthen the support and connection between Alliance Air and DAA. You will be entrusted as a strategic advisor to executive and plant leadership, influencing and enabling successful implementation of business transformation priorities, driving initiatives that improve organizational performance, strengthening leadership capability, and optimizing workforce effectiveness.

The position combines strategic HR leadership with hands‑on program execution, ensuring that people, processes, and organizational capabilities are aligned to support business growth, operational excellence, productivity, quality, and employee engagement objectives.

This individual must be equally comfortable collaborating on DAA organizational initiatives and enterprise-level strategies and partnering with DAA HR COEs to execute operational plans within manufacturing environments, influencing leaders at all levels while driving measurable business outcomes.

Location

Plymouth, MN or San Diego, CA - Hybrid

Your Responsibilities

• Establish the organizational effectiveness and workforce optimization roadmap for Alliance Air Products HR transformation initiatives and lead the implementation of the transformation initiatives, driving alignment towards business priorities and HR strategy.
• Serve as strategic advisor and partner to the business and HR leadership to support and execute large scale organizational change and business optimization initiatives.
• Leads HR Process Mapping and HR process and tools integration efforts to drive process maturity and efficiency
• Leads program integration efforts to support rapid growth and employee retention including company Leadership training, Production Supervisor training, Employee Engagement, and Performance Management
• Oversees the execution and implementation of talent strategy initiatives for an assigned business, group or function, and ensure alignment with business objectives and workforce needs
• Lead change management efforts related to location standards, including standard work week in Mexico, and other HR best practices and collaborates with Manufacturing Ops HR team members on change management for shift expansion
• Provides strategic leadership and business sponsorship while collaborating with DAA Compensation Team on Compensation Structure Project
• Leads HR workstreams for Workday integration, collaborating with DAA Workday Integration Team, and leads the change management and communication efforts to launch the new platform.
• Leads & implements other transformation initiatives and strategies as needed.

Your Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Psychology, or related field
• Master's degree in Human Resources (preferred)
• 10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience; including 6+ years of people leadership experience and 5+ years leading organizational change, transformation, organizational effectiveness, or strategic HR initiatives
• Experience supporting manufacturing, industrial, operations, or plant environments
• Demonstrated strategic change leadership with track record of successfully leading large-scale organizational change, transformations, and business optimization initiatives.
• Proven ability to develop and execute comprehensive change management strategies that drive adoption, engagement, and sustained behavioral change.
• Expertise in developing and implementing integrated change plans, including change readiness, stakeholder engagement strategies, and targeted communication and implementation plans.
• Experience in talent management processes including succession planning, performance management, leadership assessment, and workforce planning.
• Proven ability to lead multiple complex initiatives simultaneously across multiple locations.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence without direct authority.
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills.
• Proven experience developing and delivering executive-level communications and presentations.
• Equally comfortable collaborating on organizational initiatives and enterprise-level strategies and partnering with CoE's to execute operational plans within manufacturing environments, influencing leaders at all levels while driving measurable business outcomes
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly (up to 50%) between locations.
• Fluency in English and Spanish (preferred)
• Working knowledge of Workday (preferred)
• PHR or SPHR

Your Benefits

Daikin Applied offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

• Multiple medical insurance plan options + dental and vision insurance
• 401K retirement plan with employer match
• Paid time off and company-paid holidays
• Paid sick time in accordance with the federal, state and local law
• Tuition Reimbursement after 6 months of continuous service

Work visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

The typical annual base salary for this position ranges from $113,800-$193,900 + 20% or 25% bonus in Minnesota. The typical annual base salary for this position ranges from $125,180 - $213,290 + 20% or 25% bonus in California. The range displayed represents the pay range for all positions in the job grade in which this position falls. Individual base pay will depend on a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

If you're looking for an engaging career with growth opportunities in a supportive environment, you'll love a career at Daikin Applied!