Sr. Director, Human Resources

Brunswick Corporation•Mettawa, IL

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director, Human Resources is the senior HR leader for Sea Ray and Venture Group, supporting a multi-brand portfolio that includes corporate functions, shared business services, U.S. manufacturing operations, and international teams. The role ensures the organization has the leadership, workforce capability, structure, and talent pipeline to execute operating plans, support brand growth, strengthen operational performance, and reduce people-related risk. The role operates across business strategy, organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, talent management, employee relations, and international HR leadership. It requires sound judgment and the ability to balance business objectives with employee needs while navigating labor, legal, cultural, and operational considerations across multiple geographies. The Senior Director serves on both the Sea Ray and Venture Group leadership teams, partners directly with each business president, and provides HR support for NAVAN as part of the Sea Ray-aligned portfolio. The position provides strategic HR leadership for Sea Ray, Venture Group, shared operations, and related brand, corporate, and international teams. The scope includes Sea Ray and Venture Group corporate, brand, and shared-service functions; NAVAN HR support; and shared manufacturing operations at Brunswick Integrated Manufacturing Center (BIMC), Tellico, and Portugal. Success is measured by workforce readiness, leadership capability, labor stability, organizational effectiveness, succession strength, and the business’s ability to execute operating plans and grow without people-related disruption. The Senior Director leads and develops the HR team supporting Sea Ray, NAVAN, Venture Group, BIMC, Tellico, and Portugal operations, building a team of trusted business partners with strong judgment, business acumen, responsiveness, and execution capability.

Responsibilities

Serve as senior HR leader and trusted advisor to the Presidents of Sea Ray and Venture Group and participate as a key member of both leadership teams.
Bring workforce, organizational, and talent implications into business decisions; assess challenges through people and operational perspectives and provide actionable recommendations.
Act as the primary HR filter between business leaders and enterprise partners by evaluating input, pressure-testing assumptions, assessing risk, and presenting clear recommendations.
Lead workforce planning aligned to production demand, business growth, labor markets, and long-term strategic objectives.
Drive succession planning and talent reviews; identify critical-role vulnerabilities and strengthen leadership bench depth and readiness.
Lead strategic staffing initiatives and build sustainable talent pipelines for frontline supervisors, operations leaders, technical talent, and critical business roles.
Build leadership capability through coaching, development planning, and talent acceleration strategies.
Partner with leaders on team effectiveness, organizational design, accountability, performance, and alignment of organizational capabilities with business objectives.
Coach senior leaders through complex people decisions, organizational challenges, and change initiatives.
Lead resolution of complex employee relations matters, including investigations, performance management, restructurings, workforce reductions, leadership issues, and other sensitive employment situations.
Assess legal, business, employee, and reputational risks and develop practical, compliant, and defensible solutions.
Partner with Legal, Finance, and business leaders on non-standard employment situations and organizational changes.
Challenge legacy practices when needed and ensure decisions are based on facts, risk assessment, and business needs.
Draft and review communications, decision frameworks, and leadership recommendations that can withstand scrutiny.
Provide senior HR leadership for Portugal operations and cross-border workforce matters; partner with Legal, Finance, and local HR resources on compliance with local employment laws and regulations.
Support international workforce strategies, organizational changes, mobility considerations, and leadership transitions while balancing enterprise consistency with local requirements and cultural considerations.
Lead people strategy for transformations, restructurings, acquisitions, integrations, and operational changes.
Assess organizational impacts, identify workforce and talent risks, and support effective implementation of change while maintaining business continuity, leadership alignment, and employee engagement.
Lead and develop HR team members supporting Sea Ray, NAVAN, Venture Group, BIMC, Tellico, and Portugal operations.
Build HR team capability, accountability, succession planning, and knowledge transfer, fostering sound judgment, business acumen, responsiveness, and execution excellence.