Director of HR Operations

Wheeler Machinery•Salt Lake City, UT

17h

About The Position

The Director of HR Operations is responsible for leading the execution, governance, and continuous optimization of core HR operational functions across the organization, with a primary focus on total compensation and rewards strategy, payroll integrity, HR governance, and HR technology. This role ensures that foundational HR processes are standardized, data-driven, and aligned with Wheeler’s operational needs. A critical priority of this role is to design and manage market-competitive, internally equitable, and financially disciplined total rewards programs that enable Wheeler to attract, retain, and motivate talent while aligning labor cost structures with business performance. Reporting to the Vice President of People, this role oversees critical HR infrastructure and service delivery in a multi-location, unionized environment, driving accuracy, compliance, and operational excellence across all employee touchpoints.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field required
8–12+ years of progressive HR leadership experience
Experience in a unionized, multi-location environment required
Strong expertise in compensation, payroll, HR compliance, and HRIS systems
Analytical mindset with ability to translate data into actionable insights
Strong working knowledge of employment law, labor relations, and HR operations

Nice To Haves

Master’s preferred
Experience in heavy equipment, construction, manufacturing, or dealership environments preferred

Responsibilities

Partner with the VP of People to translate people strategy into scalable HR operational systems and processes
Align HR operations (payroll, compensation, systems, policies) with business objectives and workforce needs
Provide insights on labor costs, compensation trends, and operational risks to support decision-making
Serve as a key advisor on HR infrastructure, ensuring systems and processes enable business performance
Anticipate operational and regulatory changes and position HR operations to respond proactively
Own the design and governance of Wheeler’s total rewards philosophy, ensuring alignment with business strategy, labor market dynamics, and financial objectives
Develop and maintain compensation architectures, including job structures, pay bands, grading frameworks, and geographic differentials
Ensure internal equity and external competitiveness through market benchmarking, job evaluation methodologies, and periodic pay analysis
Lead all compensation planning processes, including: Annual merit and adjustment cycles, Incentive and bonus program design (aligned with GOST and business performance), Off-cycle adjustments, promotions, and market corrections
Architect and manage variable pay and incentive programs that: Reinforce key operational metrics (e.g., PSQDC, productivity, safety), Align employee behavior with company performance and profitability, Scale across union and non-union environments
Partner with Finance to manage total labor cost structure, including: Compensation modeling and scenario analysis, Headcount cost planning and forecasting inputs, Cost-of-labor insights to support pricing, bidding, and operational decisions
Oversee and optimize benefits strategy, including: Medical, retirement, and wellness programs, Cost-sharing strategies and plan design, Vendor negotiations and performance management
Establish strong governance and controls around compensation decisions, including: Approval frameworks and escalation paths, Pay transparency considerations, Compliance with regulatory and union requirements
Lead development of total rewards analytics and dashboards, including: Compensation competitiveness indices, Pay equity analysis, Benefits utilization and ROI, Labor cost trends vs. productivity
Ensure seamless integration between compensation strategy and payroll execution, maintaining alignment between approved pay structures and actual pay outcomes
Implement rigorous controls to ensure compensation accuracy at scale, including incentive payouts, union provisions, and complex pay scenarios
Partner with Total Rewards to ensure all changes (merit, incentives, adjustments) are accurately executed and auditable
Develop, implement, and maintain standardized HR policies, procedures, and workflows across the organization
Ensure consistency and compliance with federal, state, local, and collective bargaining agreements
Lead HR compliance audits, documentation standards, and risk mitigation efforts
Establish clear governance models for HR decisions, approvals, and escalations
Maintain and regularly update employee handbooks, policy manuals, and procedural documentation
Lead the strategy, implementation, and optimization of HR systems (HRIS, payroll, benefits platforms)
Champion digital HR solutions that improve efficiency, scalability, and employee experience
Develop an integrated Total Rewards data environment across HRIS, payroll, and benefits platforms
Ensure data integrity, system integration, and reporting accuracy across HR platforms
Develop dashboards and reporting capabilities to provide actionable workforce and operational insights
Enable real-time visibility into labor cost, pay distribution, and incentive performance
Partner with Digital to build advanced analytics capabilities, including predictive modeling for turnover, pay competitiveness, and cost optimization
Ensure HR systems support scalable compensation planning workflows and governance controls
Identify opportunities to improve HR processes, systems, and service delivery models
Drive standardization and scalability across all HR operations
Implement metrics and KPIs to monitor performance and drive accountability
Foster a culture of continuous improvement, efficiency, and service excellence within HR operations
Establish clear service delivery models and expectations for HR operational support
Ensure a consistent, responsive, and professional employee and leader experience
Gather feedback from stakeholders to improve HR operations and systems
Build trust and credibility through reliability, accuracy, and transparency
Develop and manage budgets related to payroll, benefits, and HR systems
Ensure strong financial controls and cost discipline across HR operational programs
Serve as the primary HR leader responsible for total labor cost governance, inclusive of compensation, incentives, and benefits
Partner closely with Finance to align compensation strategy with EBITDA targets, margin profiles, and growth plans
Provide executives with actionable insights on labor cost efficiency, return on compensation investment, and workforce cost trends
Identify cost optimization opportunities within total rewards and HR operations
Lead, develop, and coach the HR operations team (payroll, compensation, HRIS, etc.)
Build capability in analytical, systems, and process-oriented skill sets
Establish clear performance expectations and accountability
Foster a culture of precision, ownership, and continuous improvement