Vice President, Human Resources

Imperial Distributors, Inc.•Worcester, MA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Vice President of Human Resources and Loss Prevention is IDI's senior human resources executive and a member of the executive leadership team. Reporting to the President, the VP leads the people strategy and HR function, aligning workforce planning, culture, talent, leadership development, performance, compensation, employee relations, compliance, and HR operations with the company’s business priorities. The VP also provides executive oversight of safety and loss prevention, setting direction, accountability, and risk-management expectations. Success requires a visible, trusted, pragmatic and enthusiastic leader who balances a people-first approach with accountability, sound judgment, compliance, and operational discipline.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Business Administration, or a related field required.
10+ years of progressive human resources leadership experience, including a minimum of 5 years leading an HR function or major HR discipline in a complex organization.
Broad HR leadership experience spanning workforce strategy, employee relations, performance management, talent, total rewards, compliance, and HR operations.
Experience supporting an operationally and geographically diverse, multi-state workforce.
PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP required.
Strong executive communication, judgment, confidentiality, change leadership, analytical, and decision-making capabilities, with the ability to build trust across all levels and work environments.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across departments and at the executive level, influence and align senior leaders, and build strong cross-functional partnerships.
Strong executive presence and communication skills, with the credibility and judgment to engage effectively with the executive leadership team and Board of Directors.
Proven ability to build, develop, and lead a cohesive, highly engaged and empowered team, fostering trust, strong relationships, shared accountability, and a sense of collective ownership while developing individual and team capability.
Demonstrated strengths in data-driven decision-making, change management, employee relations.
Demonstrated track record of driving measurable improvements in team member engagement and retention.
Eagerness to learn, continuously improve, and expand own capabilities with a strong drive to adapt to new challenges in a complex, fast-changing environment.
Proficient knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, including EEO, I9, FLSA, COBRA, HIPAA, ERISA, ADA, FMLA, and PFML.
Ability to translate complex regulatory requirements into "business-speak" for the executive team and "people-speak" for team members.
Demonstrated experience with Microsoft Office and HRIS platforms.
A keen sense of global and cultural awareness for attracting and retaining a diverse team.
Ability to read and write correspondence in English.
Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization.
Ability to apply common sense to carry out detailed written or oral instructions.
Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.
Experience in distribution, retail, supply chain, manufacturing, or a comparable environment strongly preferred.
Experience overseeing or partnering closely with safety and loss prevention functions preferred; ability to lead through capable subject-matter experts is essential.
OSHA 10, ASP, CSP, or CPP certifications preferred (or equivalent experience).
UKG preferred.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with the executive leadership team on company strategy and organizational priorities.
Advise and lead the ELT on organizational effectiveness, leadership, culture and talent; translate business priorities into workforce, organizational, and talent strategies that support Imperial’s growth.
Lead workforce planning, organizational design, staffing strategies, succession priorities and capability requirements across the distribution center, remote sales and in-store service teams, and administrative functions.
Lead and develop the HR team; establish clear functional priorities, accountabilities, effectiveness measurements; and ensure responsive, consistent support across Imperial’s varied work environments.
Lead the people and organizational aspects of significant business changes, including leadership transitions, reorganizations, technology implementations, and other strategic initiatives.
Champion Imperial's mission and values and drive the company’s strategy of being the preferred employer.
Lead communication, team member recognition, and engagement strategies that connect team members across all work environments and build a rewarding, positive, and inclusive workplace culture that encourages team members to Celebrate Each Other.
Champion the annual community giving campaign and committees to promote wellness, sustainability and our value to Support Our Communities.
Set the strategy for attracting, selecting, and onboarding high-quality talent and ensure recruiting and pre-employment practices are effective, inclusive, and compliant.
Oversee the design and development of an early-career talent pipeline that attracts high-potential talent through structured mentoring and growth opportunities.
Drive improvements in new-hire onboarding, leadership development, continuous learning and skills-based training, internal coaching programs, succession planning, and career pathways to advance our mission to Foster Growth for all team members.
Partner with leaders to develop and maintain the performance management system, guiding effective practices for goal setting, feedback, coaching, performance improvement plans, corrective action, and documentation.
Identify, track and set targets for key HR metrics and indicators of being a Preferred Employer (e.g. team member NPS, internal promotion rate, retention, turnover, quality of hire, and time-to-fill).
Oversee the development, communication, interpretation, and consistent application of company policies.
Partner with leaders to ensure employment decisions are fair, appropriately documented, legally compliant, and aligned with Imperial’s values.
Provide executive oversight and guidance workplace concerns, investigations, corrective action, accommodations, and separations, ensuring fair, timely, confidential, and appropriately documented decisions.
Maintain compliance with federal, state, and local employment requirements, including those affecting IDI's multi-state remote and field-based workforce, and translate legal developments into practical guidance.
Lead compensation philosophy, job evaluation and market-pricing, annual merit review and compensation processes, COLA and pay practices that support internal equity, external competitiveness, performance, and compliance with state-specific pay transparency laws.
Provide strategic oversight of health and welfare benefits (self-insurance plans, open enrollment, COBRA, ACA compliance), the 401(k) program, leave administration, regulatory compliance, and broker and vendor relationships.
Ensure accurate, responsive, and efficient HR operations; guide HR technology strategy and protect the confidentiality, integrity, and appropriate use of employee information.
Assess and drive appropriate use of AI to improve efficiency, effectiveness, insights, and the team member experience, consistent with company policy and data-security requirements.
Establish safety priorities and ensure effective training, incident prevention and reporting, corrective action, and compliance with OSHA and applicable state requirements in partnership with operating leaders.
Foster physical, psychological, and cultural safety; encourage team members to share ideas, report risks, and acknowledge mistakes without fear of judgment or retaliation.
Oversee workers' compensation, return-to-work practices, claims trends, vendor performance, and related risk- and cost-reduction efforts.
Set goals and report on results for workers' compensation.
Set strategy and accountability for reducing shrinkage, theft, fraud, and physical security risk; oversee security controls, audits, and significant investigations with total professional discretion, confidentiality, and alignment with our ethical standards to Do Right Every Day.
Establish safety and loss prevention measures and targets, monitor trends and significant incidents, and provide clear reporting and recommendations to executive leadership.
Provide reporting and support to the Board on human capital, organizational health, leadership and team development, executive succession and assessment, executive compensation, safety and loss prevention, compliance, workforce risk, and other workforce-related matters.
Develop and manage departmental operating budgets.
Monitor and approve expenses, identify relevant grant or funding opportunities, and ensure resources and priorities are aligned with business needs and deliver appropriate value.
Manage specialized HR, safety, and loss prevention initiatives from planning and vendor selection through implementation, system testing, and user training.
Ensure initiatives are delivered with quality and accuracy, on time, and within budget.