Human Resources, Director - in office 3 times/wk

OUR FIRM:

Hogan & Associates Executive Search, a retained search firm based in Minneapolis, specializes in global executive and senior executive searches. We help organizations build high-impact leadership teams and develop future talent pipelines. With strong business sector expertise, our firm is trusted for providing access to leading candidates and valuable insights into talent and market trends. We offer tailored recruitment services, including market feedback and strategic counsel, to ensure optimal candidate placement.

HOW OUR CLIENT WORKS:

Four words describe how this company operates. They are not posters on a wall — they are how decisions get made here.

• Focus — fewer, sharper priorities beat long lists

• Urgency — a bias for action; decide, move, adjust

• Accountability — clear owners, clear measures, no ambiguity about who has the ball

• Fun — we take the work seriously, but not ourselves

THE OPPORTUNITY:

This is a department of one, and it is designed that way on purpose. You will process payroll, administer benefits, run the 401(k), resolve employee relations issues, own compliance, fill open roles, and advise the CEO; often in the same day. It is a hands-on job with a strategic seat, not a strategic job with hands-on elements.

There is no PEO here and no co-employer sharing the load. We process payroll internally through ADP and work with an outside benefits broker who supports benefits administration. Everything else like multi-state compliance, employment risk, records, and the 401(k) sits with this role. You are the HR function, not a manager of one.

The person who thrives here is a builder and equally comfortable resolving a benefits question at nine in the morning and walking the leadership team through a compensation framework at two in the afternoon. You will inherit a company with good people and real momentum. What you build, you will build.

A note on the reporting line

You report directly to the CEO, who is based in San Luis Obispo, California. You will be the senior HR presence in Eden Prairie. This calls for self-direction and disciplined communication. 

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE — FIRST 12 MONTHS

We measure roles, not just describe them. Twelve months in, we should be able to point to these:

• Payroll running clean and on time every cycle, with records and controls Finance can rely on

• A completed multi-state compliance audit and a closed gap list — registrations, postings, wage and hour, leave, and reporting — with records clean enough to hold up under diligence

• Performance management running on a calendar the company can set its watch by: goals set, reviews completed, merit cycle closed, no surprises

• Every role in the company has a current job description and defined measures of success

• Open roles filled to an agreed time-to-fill target, with hiring managers who understand and execute their part of the process

• Leadership treats you as the first call on people decisions — not the last

STRATEGIC PRIORITY: BUILD THE FOUNDATION

Our Client has run without a dedicated HR leader. The function works, but needs a thorough HR professional review. That is the first-year assignment, and it deserves to be called out on its own.

• Audit our employment compliance across every state where we have people — registrations, unemployment and tax accounts, workers compensation, wage and hour, required postings, and leave obligations — then close the gaps

• Assess whether our current stack is right for where we are going: ADP for payroll, an outside broker for benefits, and whatever we are using for records today; recommend an HRIS if the case is there, with cost and implementation plan behind it

• Hold the benefits broker accountable to real value: plan benchmarking, renewal negotiation, and a clear read on whether our coverage is competitive for the talent we are trying to hire

• Bring the 401(k) plan to a clean operating rhythm — timely deferrals and remittances, annual testing, Form 5500, and audit readiness

• Review, and edit where needed, the handbook, policies, and standard operating procedures to a standard that holds up in diligence and gives managers something to actually use

In addition, the Director, Human Resources will also be responsible for the following: 

Major responsibilities

Payroll

• Process full-cycle payroll in ADP for all employees hourly, salaried, and multi-state, accurately and on time, every cycle

• Own payroll tax filings, state registrations, garnishments, and year-end W-2 processing

• Maintain payroll records and partner with Finance on reporting, accruals, and reconciliation

• Serve as the first and final answer on every employee payroll question

Benefits and 401(k)

• Administer health, dental, vision, life, disability, and voluntary benefit programs

• Manage the outside benefits broker relationship — set expectations, drive the renewal, and hold them to the value they are paid for

• Run open enrollment end to end: strategy, communications, employee guidance, system setup, and carrier feeds

• Administer the 401(k) plan including enrollment, timely deferral remittance, annual nondiscrimination testing, Form 5500, and audit support

• Benchmark plan competitiveness annually and bring the CEO a clear recommendation ahead of each renewal

• Own ACA reporting, COBRA administration, and all related filings

Employee Relations

• Act as the go-to resource for employees and managers on all people matters

• Independently manage and resolve employee relations issues — performance concerns, investigations, disciplinary action, and terminations — with sound judgment on policy, legal exposure, and risk

• Build and protect a workplace where people know where they stand

Compliance and HR Operations

• Own compliance with federal, state, and local employment law across every operating state — Ready Credit is the employer of record and this role is the compliance function

• Maintain state employment registrations, unemployment accounts, workers compensation coverage, and required postings as we add employees in new states

• Maintain employee records, personnel files, and HR systems with integrity and confidentiality

• Own onboarding and offboarding including offer letters, background checks, I-9 completion, required paperwork, and systems access enabled and disabled on time

• Keep the employee handbook, HR policies, and standard operating procedures current

• Administer leave programs including FMLA, state leave, PTO, and accommodations

• Manage the HRIS: data integrity, reporting, and getting more out of the platform than we do today

• Prepare and manage the HR budget consisting of benefits, recruiting, vendors, and payroll-related expense and find the savings

Talent Acquisition

• Own full-cycle recruiting for all open roles: postings, sourcing, screening, interviews, offers, and background checks

• Partner with hiring managers to write real job descriptions, define requirements, set expectations, and keep searches moving

• Give every candidate an experience that reflects well on this company, whether or not we hire them

• Manage external recruiting vendors and hold them to their value

Performance and Compensation

• Run the annual goal-setting process and establish clear performance measures for every role

• Own the performance review cycle end to end — communication, launch, timelines, and manager coaching

• Manage the annual merit process in step with the review cycle

• Benchmark compensation against the market periodically and flag where we are exposed

• Partner with the leadership team on the people implications of how we grow — structure, capability gaps, and bench strength

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• 8–12 years of progressive HR experience, including at least three years as the senior-most HR person in an organization or as a standalone generalist owning the full function

• Hands-on ADP experience processing payroll end to end — you know the system, not just the concept

• Working fluency in multi-state employment law, owned directly without a co-employer backstop

• Direct 401(k) administration experience including testing, Form 5500, and audit support

• Experience managing an outside benefits broker and owning open enrollment

• Demonstrated use of AI tools such as Claude or ChatGPT applied to real HR work; we expect this function to be modernized, not staffed the way it would have been a decade ago

• Excellent written and verbal communication, executive presence, coaching, influencing, and problem solving

• Proficiency across Microsoft Office and Google Workspace, and working command of at least one major HRIS

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field

Preferred:

• Selecting and implementing an HRIS at a company of similar size

• Private equity–backed environment; comfort with board-level reporting and diligence requests

• Experience supporting a deskless or field-based workforce alongside a corporate population

• SPHR, SHRM-SCP, or a master's degree in a related field

Actual compensation will reflect experience and qualifications.

The starting salary range for this position is $130,000 to $150,000 annually.

This role is hybrid with the expectation of 3 days minimum in the office a week.

CONTACT:

Ted Hogan

Partner, Hogan & Associates Executive Search

Minneapolis, Minnesota

tedhogan@hoganexecutivesearch.com