Vice President, People & Culture

C3 Industries; Ann Arbor (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

C3 Industries is seeking a Vice President, People & Culture to lead its HR function across multi-state operations. This role partners with executives to enhance workforce planning, benefits strategy, labor relations, and organizational development.

The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of HR experience, including 5 years in senior leadership, along with deep knowledge of multi-state regulations and union negotiations. A Bachelor's degree and HR certifications are preferred.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive HR experience with 5+ years in senior leadership.
• Deep knowledge of employment law and compliance best practices.
• Strong ability to align HR strategy to business goals.

Responsibilities

• Lead and continuously enhance the HR operating model across teams.
• Negotiate and manage company-wide benefits strategy.
• Build and maintain executive level workforce dashboards.

Skills

Strong results-orientation

Financial acumen

Union negotiations

Executive presence

HRIS systems knowledge

Oral and written communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, or related field

PHR, SPHR or other HR certification

Job description

JOB SUMMARY

The Vice President, People & Culture is responsible for leading and evolving the enterprise Human Resources function in support of C3 Industries’ multi‑state retail, cultivation/facilities, and corporate operations. This role serves as a strategic business partner to executive leadership and is accountable for workforce planning, HRIS and data governance, benefits strategy and cost management, labor relations, talent acquisition, compliance, compensation strategy, and organizational development. The Vice President will elevate administrative discipline, financial alignment, and operational rigor across the HR function while maintaining strong partnership across the business.

JOB DUTIES

Core duties and responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Monitor, analyze, and update C3 Industries’ strategies and policies in response to evolving labor market trends – both within the cannabis sector and across broader industries – including areas such as remote work, hybrid work models, compensation, benefits, PTO, and AI in the workplace.
• Enhance HR process efficiency by driving standardization, automation, and clearly defined service‑level expectations.
• Lead and continuously enhance the enterprise Human Resources operating model across retail, facilities, and corporate teams to ensure consistent, scalable, and high quality execution.
• Lead workforce planning and labor cost forecasting to align staffing plans with financial targets and operating needs.
• Build and maintain executive level workforce dashboards (turnover, hiring velocity, labor costs, engagement, compliance risk).
• Oversee HRIS strategy, system automation, reporting integrity, and data governance.
• Negotiate and manage company‑wide benefits strategy, broker carrier relationships, and cost modeling.
• Provide strategic leadership in union engagement and collective bargaining to support stable operations and compliant outcomes.
• Ensure multi‑state compliance, audit readiness, and consistent policy enforcement.
• Design and govern compensation strategies including pay structures and market benchmarking, aligned to business needs and negotiated agreements.
• Build structured talent acquisition pipelines and succession planning across all functions.
• Managed Human Resources budget and align HR initiatives with enterprise financial performance.
• Build and coach a high‑performing HR leadership team with clear roles, accountability, and development plans.
• Champion culture and organizational effectiveness through leader communication, manager capability, and consistent employee experience across sites.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Directly oversees the HRIS Director, Director of Field HR, and Director of Talent Acquisition, while managing key external HR vendor relationships. Responsible for building and maintaining a high‑performing, well‑structured HR team.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• PHR, SPHR or other HR certification, strongly preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive HR experience with 5+ years in senior leadership.
• Experience in multi‑state, highly regulated environments preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with union negotiations and labor strategy.
• Experience managing benefits negotiations and cost governance.
• Strong financial acumen with ability to align HR strategy to EBITDA and operational goals.
• Deep knowledge of employment law and compliance best practices.
• Strong executive presence with ability to partner effectively at both Vice President and C‑suite levels.
• Strong (and current) knowledge of all laws and regulations pertaining to employment & labor laws.
• Strong results‑orientation and commitment to quality, performance and deliverables.
• Working knowledge of HRIS systems and comfortable learning new systems.
• Effective multi‑tasker with demonstrated ability to prioritize.
• Demonstrate strong oral and written communication skills; ability to correspond in a professional, businesslike manner.
• This role requires the ability to travel as needed and pass applicable background check requirements.