Director of Field Human Resources

Readerlink Distribution Services•Romeoville, IL

22d•$142,000 - $169,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Field Human Resources provides strategic and operational human resources leadership across the Readerlink’s North America Distribution Centers network. This role is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive HR strategy that aligns with business objectives while supporting the unique needs of a multi-site, high-performance distribution environment. The Director drives excellence in core HR functions, including workforce planning, talent acquisition, talent management, employee and labor relations, performance management, compensation and benefits, compliance, career and organizational development, community relationships and HRIS. He/she ensures that day-to-day HR processes and systems are efficient, scalable, and aligned with company policies and regulatory requirements. In partnership with senior operations leadership, the Director champions a culture of accountability, engagement, safety, and continuous improvement. He/she leads training and development initiatives that build leadership capability, strengthen frontline management effectiveness, and support career progression across the distribution network. This leader plays a critical role in fostering a positive and inclusive work environment that attracts, develops, and retains top talent. By leveraging data-driven insights, employee feedback, and best-in-class HR practices, the Director ensures the organization remains agile, compliant, and competitive in the marketplace and ensures that the business has the talent and the organizational design to deliver the business strategy for long-term, sustainable growth. The Director will be expected to drive and implement HR initiatives to increase organizational effectiveness, build capability and talent of the workforce, lead strategy and tactics to positively impact overall business performance and HR metrics and establish trusted relationships with leaders by truly understanding the business and aligning human resources programs to enable key initiatives across the North America Distribution Centers.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in related business field or equivalent work experience is required.
Minimum ten (10) years’ relevant work experience, preferably in a distribution / manufacturing environment is required.
Proven experience engaging and directing HR functions and teams and leveraging human capital to strengthen organizational capabilities.
Functional HR experience in labor relations, employee relations, hourly, nonexempt, and exempt recruiting, consulting, leadership development, talent development, and/or compensation/benefit administration.
Collaborate effectively across all levels of the organization to drive alignment and results.
Lead teams and influence stakeholders both within and beyond the HR function.
Oversee and manage people programs and processes with a holistic, strategic approach.
Demonstrate the ability to manage multiple priorities independently and with minimal supervision.
Maintain a positive, adaptable mindset in a dynamic environment.
Promote a strong organizational culture through teamwork, engagement, and a sense of pride.
Strong advanced experience in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook is required.
Field HR Leadership – Leading HR strategy across multiple distribution centers
Workforce Planning for High-Volume Operations – Managing large hourly populations, peak season ramp-ups, and contingent labor
Labor Cost Management – Overtime control, productivity alignment, and headcount forecasting
Operational Partnership – Aligning HR initiatives with safety, throughput, and service KPIs
Change Management in Fast-Paced Environments – Supporting automation, system upgrades, and process transformations
Strategic HR Planning – Aligning people strategy with business objectives
Organizational Development – Driving structure, change, and workforce effectiveness
Operations Partnership – Advising senior leaders on talent and organizational strategy
Change Management – Leading transformation initiatives and culture evolution
Workforce Planning & Talent Strategy – Anticipating talent needs and succession planning
Data-Driven Decision Making – Leveraging HR metrics and analytics
Talent Acquisition Strategy: Design and implement scalable recruiting programs that attract and retain top talent.
Employee Engagement & Retention: Develop initiatives that strengthen employee commitment, enhance engagement, and reduce turnover.
Performance Management Systems: Establish and optimize goal setting, feedback, and accountability frameworks to drive high performance.
Leadership Development: Coach and develop leaders to build management capability and organizational effectiveness.
Succession Planning: Identify high-potential talent and create development plans to ensure a strong leadership pipeline.
Employment Law Compliance – Federal, state, and local labor law expertise
Employee Relations – Conflict resolution, investigations,
Compensation & Benefits Strategy – Market benchmarking, pay equity, and rewards design
HR Policy Development – Creating compliant and scalable policies
Payroll & HRIS Oversight – Managing systems, reporting, and process improvement
Risk Management – Mitigating legal and employee-related risks
Influential Communication: Deliver clear, persuasive messaging tailored to executive and cross-functional audiences.
Negotiation & Conflict Resolution: Navigate complex discussions and resolve workplace challenges with professionalism and fairness.
Coaching & Mentorship: Guide and develop employees and leaders to enhance performance and growth.
Emotional Intelligence (EQ): Demonstrate strong self-awareness and interpersonal effectiveness in managing relationships and organizational dynamics.
Confidentiality & Ethical Judgment: Handle sensitive information with discretion and uphold the highest standards of integrity.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner effectively across departments to drive alignment and achieve business objectives.
Must have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
Ability to speak with all levels of the organization and outside partners.
Ability to communicate complicated information to others.
Must be proficient in basic mathematics: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Ability to do algebra, calculate figures and amounts and apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
A methodical and organized approach to problem-solving.
Must be able to work in a fast-paced, team environment.
Willingness to travel.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of focused strategies and initiatives that will increase our ability to attract and retain talent.
Research new opportunities to build partnerships for talent recruitment purposes.
Monitors recruiting needs and support the hiring managers through coaching, interview assistance, and the selection process.
Ensure recruitment practices are consistent and provide an excellent candidate experience for new hires and existing employees applying for internal advancement opportunities.
Partner with local HR Managers to evaluate and implement staffing processes that meet the demanding, ongoing talent acquisition needs at each Distribution Center.
Provides Senior level HR consulting expertise to all levels of management and employees to provide effective and efficient HR support to an inclusive, diverse, and multi-cultural national workforce.
Leads key human capital and workforce initiatives that support the business objectives and enabling functions.
Audits HR processes/documents for the ongoing maintenance and compliance of employment policies within Readerlink’s Personnel Policy.
Provides communications and training to managers and staff related to new and revised policies, as appropriate.
Administers personnel and employee and labor relations programs.
Serves as a change champion by developing and implementing a structured approach to change initiatives that will enable organizational growth.
Consults with Senior VP of HR and management team to analyze and assess people’s needs and issues.
Develop and implement appropriate action plans.
Ensure compliance with all applicable regulations (Federal, State, Local) laws and company policies/guidelines.
Provides Affirmative Action program and administration in support of AAP, EEO and OFCCP compliance.
Act as the HR lead for internal and external audits.
Perform pre-audit activities to minimize risk and maximize audit results.
Identifies opportunities and recommends changes to increase performance, reduce costs, and positively impact on HR metrics through analytical approaches, including the tracking of key data and analyzing trends.
Manages of annual reporting including AAPs and local/state regulatory requirements.
Responsible for the administration of programs and systems regarding employee training and development.
Lead D&I efforts and activities to ensure diversity goals are met, and fosters an inclusive environment.
Oversee orientation and onboarding processes and develop action plans for improvement.
Responsible for assisting stakeholders with formulating training programs and instructional methods, training aids such as handbooks, visual aids, videos, and tutorials.
Evaluates and assists and may be responsible for designing training manuals and related materials, training classes, and training procedures.
Implement and analyze employee learning and development programs, utilizing data-driven techniques and best practices
Understand business needs and skill gaps and drives programs and solutions to resolve and fulfill needs
Develop, assess, and maintain performance evaluations
Develop talent succession and growth strategies
Perform periodic training for all employee levels to include new business processes, policies, and compliance training.
Identifies opportunities to develop and implement new practices/guidelines to achieve business goals.
Implement HR initiatives to improve organization effectiveness, including performance management systems, talent development, organization design, and cultural development.
Lead and drive employee engagement together with cultural change and integration related deliverables for the Distribution Centers.
Help develop, understand, and effectively communicate organizational change initiatives.
Actively support the roll out of continuous improvement efforts.
Create and inspire the way we host internal in-person and virtual events to support our growing distributed teams; survey employees to ensure events resonate with staff and drive overall engagement.
Spearhead employer branding initiatives: develop new ways we can bring the Readerlink employee experience to life (via blogs, videos, social, events, etc.
Proactively develop new ideas- both big and small- to create memorable moments that surprise and delight throughout the employee experience.
An outgoing champion of company culture; fosters relationships with employees at all levels.
Maintains a pulse on employee culture through the execution of the Opinion Survey process.
Lead the development of employee appreciation processes such as Recognition Program, Team Award, and Service Awards.
Streamline existing programs using best practices.
Partner with Environmental Health & Safety Director to promote and sustain a culture of safety across distribution center operations.
Provide HR oversight and strategic guidance on workplace injury prevention, incident investigations, and regulatory compliance.
Ensure appropriate management of Workers’ Compensation programs, including claim review, carrier coordination, return-to-work strategy, cost containment initiatives and any assistance designed to support EHS strategy for the Distribution Centers.
Other duties may be assigned, directed, or requested.