Director of People

Phoenix Tailings•Rochester, NY

About The Position

Phoenix Tailings is seeking an experienced People leader for a future Director of People opportunity at its Freedom Facility in Rochester, New York. As the facility develops toward operations in 2027 and 2028, this person will build and lead the site's People function to support onboarding, employee support, and workforce development. The role partners with site leadership on workforce planning, organization design, and manager effectiveness, while owning employee relations and day-to-day HR support. It will establish site People practices and connect local onboarding and training needs with corporate People systems and programs. The posting is intended to connect with candidates interested in future opportunities; hiring timelines, responsibilities, qualifications, and organizational needs may evolve as the facility progresses toward startup and operations.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent experience leading People operations in an industrial organization.
Progressive People or HR leadership experience supporting manufacturing, engineering, skilled-trade, or other operational workforces.
Experience building HR processes for a growing or new site, including workforce planning, onboarding, training coordination, and manager support.
Sound employee-relations judgment and working knowledge of employment practices, policy administration, confidential records, and consistent issue resolution.
Ability to connect site workforce needs with corporate People systems, compensation, benefits, and performance programs while building trust with employees and managers.

Responsibilities

Build and lead Rochester's People function, establishing practical HR processes that support construction, commissioning, and a growing operating workforce.
Partner with site leadership on workforce plans, organization design, and manager effectiveness, aligning People priorities with the facility's deployment schedule.
Own employee relations and day-to-day HR support, apply policies consistently, address concerns early, and maintain accurate and confidential employee records.
Establish site onboarding and training coordination, help managers prepare employees for their roles, and track completion of required learning.
Partner with corporate People teams on HR systems, compensation, benefits, and performance programs, translating company practices into effective site execution.