Director, Human Resources

Lactalis USA is currently seeking candidates to join our Human Resources team, located in Buffalo, New York.

Lactalis, the world leader in dairy, is a family-owned business with more than 85,000 pragmatic and ambitious professionals worldwide, committed to nurturing the future by providing healthy and delicious dairy products that bring people together every day. We produce award-winning dairy products that bring people together every day. We offer an enviable range of dairy brands including Galbani, President, Kraft Natural Cheese, Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, Parmalat, Siggi's, and Stonyfield Organic in addition to several brands imported from our affiliates in Europe.

At Lactalis, our core values of AMBITION, ENGAGEMENT, and SIMPLICITY are at the heart of everything we do. We are dedicated to building a safe, diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace and we know that our candidates come from many different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. If you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job posting, we still encourage you to apply and share with us your STORY, your PASSION, and your EXPERTISE! You may be just the perfect candidate for this or other roles within our company.

From your PASSION to ours

The Director of Industrial Human Resources plays a key role in supporting the HR strategy across four US cheese plants and multiple Distribution Centers. As a senior HR business partner, this role collaborates closely with plant and DC leadership, providing guidance on employee relations, talent development, and engagement initiatives. A critical part of this position involves documenting skill and competency progression, as well as compensation structures, to support consistency and growth across the organization. Additionally, the Director facilitates training plans and leads the Management Review process, ensuring alignment with company goals and a strong focus on employee development and operational excellence.

This role also provides oversight for Facilities Management, working closely with the Facilities Manager to support building capital projects, office planning, security, and safety initiatives.

From your EXPERTISE to ours

Key responsibilities for this position include:

• Develop strong relationships with Human Resources (HR), as well as plant and Distribution Center leadership teams.
• Guide plant HR teams on employee relation topics, including onboarding, recognition, performance, and investigations.
• Recommend programs addressing attraction, turnover, and engagement; contribute and support during program implementation
• Document progressive job titles, skills and rates by Hourly positions then communicate across the plants
• Document progressive competencies and compensation (base salary + bonus) by Salaried position, reflecting established Salary Structure
• Leverage Shared Services (benefits, payroll, HRIS) to assist and engage employees; encourage appreciation for Total Rewards
• Support Talent Acquisition and Talent Development at the plants and in the Distribution Centers.
• Facilitate and manage the training plan, collaborating with plant and Distribution Center leadership to identify development needs and ensure training programs support operational goals.
• Lead the Management Review process, providing structure and oversight to ensure ongoing evaluation and improvement of workforce performance and engagement. Facilitate and support employee communication and appraisal processes.
• Oversee Facilities Management, including capital expenditures, office space planning, security systems, and safety programs, ensuring efficient and secure operations.
• Interface regularly with Corporate HR Team, and, where needed Legal, Compliance, and Safety.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

The incumbent will be responsible for the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of Facility team members in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

WORK CONDITIONS

• Travel is required up to 25% monthly.
• Extended hours may be necessary depending on the project needs.
• To fulfill these responsibilities, tools such as a computer, phone or, and / or allowance(s) may be provided.
• To fulfill these responsibilities, a cell phone is required.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential duties and responsibilities.
• This position requires physical presence in the office, in accordance with the guidelines of the Hybrid Work Policy.
• Demonstrate commitment to a safe working environment that promotes the health and well-being of all employees and that will further contribute to the Company's overall performance and success.

From your STORY to ours

Qualified applicants will contribute the following:

Education

• Bachelor's degree is required. Master's preferred.

Experience

• 8+ years Management experience required
• 8+ years Industrial HR experience required
• 3+ years multi plant experience preferred
• Experience in Food Industry preferred

Certifications and specific knowledge

• Employee Relations, including attraction and retention
• Employment and Labor Law
• Labor Costs

Competencies

• Microsoft Office, especially Outlook and Excel
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and listening skills
• Ability to organize, multi-task, prioritize, plan and analyze
• Maintain strict confidentiality
• Business acumen
• HR - Organizational Development
• HR Governance, policies, and procedures development
• Industrial / Employee relations management

Lactalis is an equal employment opportunity employer. We will not discriminate against applicants with regard to any legally-recognized basis including, but not limited to: veteran status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disabilities.