Director of Human Resources

Description

Position Summary

The Director of Human Resources leads POC’s HR function and serves as a strategic partner to executive leadership. This hands-on role oversees HR operations, workforce planning, organizational development, employee relations, compliance, compensation, benefits, recruiting, payroll, performance management, change, and culture.

The ideal candidate can balance strategy and execution in a small manufacturing company. The Director manages one direct report, builds scalable HR practices and talent pipelines, ensures compliance, and supports an ethical, engaged workplace.

Reporting Relationship and Scope

• Reports to: Chief Financial Officer

• Direct report: Human Resources Manager

• Scope: 110+ exempt, non-exempt, technical, manufacturing, administrative, and leadership employees in Massachusetts, Maine, and Texas

Key Responsibilities

HR Strategy and Leadership

• Support company-wide organization, talent, engagement, compliance, process-improvement, and change initiatives with corporate HR and executive leadership.

• Set and execute HR priorities aligned with POC’s strategy, growth, culture, compliance, and people risks.

• Advise leaders on organization design, workforce planning, engagement, retention, and leadership effectiveness.

• Turn business needs into practical HR policies, programs, and processes.

• Manage and mentor the Human Resources Manager and ensure effective payroll, administration, records, reporting, and employee support.

Organizational Development and Change Leadership

• Develop succession, leadership, and talent-pipeline plans for critical roles.

• Strengthen manager capability, career development, accountability, retention, and workforce readiness.

• Guide organizational and cultural change through coaching, communication, and implementation support.

Compliance, Policy, and Risk Management

• Oversee compliant, reliable HR operations and reduce employment-related risk.

• Ensure compliance with applicable employment, leave, safety, posting, and recordkeeping laws.

• Maintain the employee handbook, HR procedures, forms, and communications.

• Partner with leadership, finance, counsel, and advisors on investigations, accommodations, leaves, separations, and compliance matters.

• Maintain accurate personnel, benefits, I-9, compensation, performance, and other required records.

Employee Relations and Culture

• Advise employees and managers on policies, performance, conflict, and workplace issues.

• Investigate complex employee matters and document fair, well-reasoned outcomes.

• Promote a respectful, ethical, accountable workplace through manager support, engagement, and clear communication.

Talent Acquisition, Onboarding, and Retention

• Lead recruiting for professional, technical, manufacturing, administrative, and leadership roles.

• Partner with managers on staffing needs, job descriptions, candidate evaluation, hiring, and onboarding.

• Oversee onboarding and retention practices that reinforce POC’s expectations, culture, career opportunities, and total rewards.

Compensation, Benefits, and HR Operations

• Oversee salary planning, job leveling, market benchmarking, incentives, and pay equity.

• Manage POC’s participation in the Freedom Health Captive, including coordination with the captive, broker, third-party administrators, and internal stakeholders; oversight of renewals, funding, claims and utilization reporting, compliance requirements, risk-management initiatives, and employee communications.

• Manage other benefits renewals, communications, enrollment, and issue resolution with brokers, carriers, payroll, and finance.

• Maintain accurate HR systems, payroll interfaces, employee data, reporting, metrics, and workforce analytics.

• Build efficient workflows, templates, calendars, documentation standards, and recurring compliance processes for a lean HR team.

Performance Management, Training, and Development

• Improve goal setting, reviews, coaching, corrective action, documentation, and consistent policy application.

• Coach managers on communication, feedback, employee development, expectations, and leadership.

• Address capability gaps through practical compliance, safety, management, communication, professional, succession, and leadership training.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field required; advanced degree or SHRM-SCP, SHRM-CP, SPHR, or PHR preferred.
• 8–10 years of progressive HR experience, including leadership in a small to mid-sized company or lean HR team.
• Manufacturing experience required; technical, regulated, medical device, optics, advanced manufacturing, public-company, or multi-site/international experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of federal and state employment law and HR compliance; Massachusetts experience preferred.
• Experience in employee relations, investigations, leadership and organizational development, performance management, recruiting, policy, compensation, benefits, communications, and hourly and salaried staffing.

Required Skills and Competencies

• Sound judgment, discretion, and confidentiality.
• Hands-on ability to balance strategy, execution, and problem-solving in a small company.
• Clear, professional communication and influence across all levels and with outside advisors.
• Knowledge of HR practices, compliance, documentation, employee-relations risk, systems, payroll coordination, reporting, and metrics.
• Ability to build trust, develop others, lead change, and manage competing priorities with limited support.