A growing, private-equity-backed industrial manufacturing organization in the Chicagoland area is seeking a Vice President of Human Resources to lead the HR function across a multi-site operating environment.
This is a highly visible leadership role for an HR executive who understands the realities of supporting large hourly workforces and can effectively partner with operations leaders to improve recruiting, retention, workforce planning, employee engagement, and organizational performance.
The successful candidate will be equally comfortable in the boardroom, on the plant floor, and alongside operational leadership. This individual will serve as a strategic business partner to the CEO and executive team while maintaining a practical, hands-on approach to solving workforce challenges.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the HR function across a multi-site manufacturing and distribution footprint.
- Develop and execute recruiting, retention, and workforce stabilization strategies for a large hourly workforce.
- Partner closely with operational leadership to improve employee engagement, productivity, workforce planning, and organizational effectiveness.
- Utilize workforce data, HR metrics, and business KPIs to identify trends, diagnose challenges, and implement practical solutions.
- Build and develop a high-performing HR team across multiple locations.
- Provide coaching and support to leaders throughout the organization on talent, performance, succession planning, and employee relations matters.
- Lead initiatives focused on reducing turnover, improving retention, and strengthening workforce stability.
- Present workforce trends, organizational priorities, and HR initiatives to executive leadership and the board.
- Support organizational growth, change management, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Ensure compliance with employment laws, employee relations practices, compensation programs, benefits administration, and HR policies.
Ideal Candidate Profile
- 15+ years of progressive HR leadership experience.
- Demonstrated success supporting manufacturing, industrial, distribution, logistics, building products, or other labor-intensive operating environments.
- Proven track record improving recruiting, retention, and workforce engagement among hourly employee populations.
- Experience leading HR across multiple facilities and multiple states.
- Strong business acumen with the ability to connect workforce initiatives to operational and financial performance.
- Experience utilizing workforce analytics, KPIs, and data-driven decision making.
- Comfortable partnering directly with CEOs, senior executives, and board members.
- Ability to balance strategic thinking with practical execution.
- Strong leadership presence with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization.
- Hands-on, visible, and proactive leadership style.
- Comfortable operating in a lean, fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.
- Willingness to travel regularly to support business operations.
- Based in the greater Chicagoland area or willing to maintain a regular presence within the region.
- This position requires at least 1 day in office at the company HQ, and multi-site travel throughout the Midwest.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting private-equity-backed organizations.
- Exposure to mergers, acquisitions, integrations, or organizational transformation initiatives.
- Experience leading HR through periods of rapid growth, operational change, or workforce stabilization.
- Experience implementing or optimizing HRIS, workforce analytics, and talent management systems.
- What Success Looks Like:
- The successful candidate will quickly establish credibility with both executive leadership and frontline operations, strengthen recruiting and retention efforts, improve workforce stability, develop leaders throughout the organization, and build scalable HR processes that support the company's continued growth.
- This individual will be viewed as a trusted business partner who understands both the people and operational sides of the organization and can translate workforce initiatives into measurable business outcomes.
