Human Resources Director

TORQUE FITNESS LLC

Job Description

Position Title: Director of Human Resources

Dept: Finance

Reports To: Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

FLSA: Exempt

Location: Coon Rapids, MN (On-Site)

Type: Full-Time

POSITION OVERVIEW

Torque Fitness is seeking its first Director of Human Resources to build and lead the HR function for a growing fitness equipment company serving both commercial and home markets. This is a high-impact, hands-on leadership role you will be both the strategist and the executor. You will own everything from talent acquisition and onboarding to benefits administration, compliance, employee relations, and culture development. The administrative coordinator will report directly to this role. You will report to the CFO, serve on the Compensation Committee, and partner with Finance leadership who will manage pay plans and compensation calculations.

The ideal candidate thrives in a mid-size company environment where they can wear multiple hats, move quickly, and build systems from scratch. You will partner directly with the C-suite and department heads to support Torque’s revenue growth while maintaining the close-knit, performance-driven culture that makes this company successful. This role is critical to supporting the company’s future profit and growth goals by ensuring we attract, retain, and develop the right talent across all departments.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

• Own/responsible for the full-cycle recruiting process for all departments from job posting through offer letter across engineering, sales, marketing, operations, warehouse, and corporate roles
• Partner with department heads to forecast hiring needs aligned to the company’s budget and growth plan
• Build and maintain relationships with recruiting channels, job boards, trade schools, and local talent pipelines relevant to fitness equipment, distribution, and commercial sales
• Develop and implement a structured interview process with scorecards to improve quality of hire and reduce time-to-fill
• Manage employer branding efforts to position Torque Fitness as an employer of choice in the fitness equipment industry

Benefits Administration & Compensation Committee Support

• Support the company’s compensation structure across salaried, hourly, commission, and bonus-eligible employees; serve as a member of the Compensation Committee alongside Finance leadership
• Own/Support and help finalize the departmental KPI bonus program. Partner with Finance to coordinate quarterly reviews, track achievement against targets, and ensure accuracy across all 8 participating departments; payroll calculations and payouts managed by Finance
• Support the Finance lead sales compensation process - assist with plan documentation, employee communication, and onboarding of new hires onto commission and bonus structures; calculations and payouts managed by the head of Finance
• Conduct annual compensation benchmarking to ensure Torque remains competitive in the market for key roles
• Administer employee benefits programs (health, dental, vision, 401k, PTO) and manage open enrollment, carrier relationships, and employee questions
• Coordinate with Finance (who owns payroll, pay plan calculations, and compensation administration) to ensure compliance with all compensation-related regulations and accurate employee records

Employee Relations & Culture

• Serve as the primary point of contact for all employee relations matters — conflict resolution, performance concerns, workplace investigations, and disciplinary actions
• Build and maintain a positive, high-performance culture that supports Torque’s values of accountability, innovation, and teamwork
• Develop and implement employee engagement initiatives, recognition programs, and retention strategies to maintain the company’s target of 90% employee retention
• Coach managers on effective people leadership, difficult conversations, and performance management
• Conduct stay interviews and exit interviews to identify trends and address retention risks proactively

Performance Management & Development

• Design and implement a company-wide performance review process with clear expectations, development goals, and accountability
• Help department heads finalize and track KPIs that align individual performance to company profitability goals; provide HR perspective on talent-related metrics and development objectives
• Identify training and development needs across the organization and source or build appropriate programs
• Create career pathing frameworks for key roles to support internal mobility and succession planning
• Manage the onboarding process to ensure new hires are productive and integrated within their first 90 days

Training & Development

• Work with the CEO to finalize a company-wide training program — Torque does not have a formal training infrastructure today, so this is a greenfield opportunity to create something meaningful
• Develop and deliver new hire orientation and role-specific onboarding training for all departments — warehouse/distribution, sales, engineering, marketing, and corporate
• Create product knowledge training so all customer-facing employees (sales, inside sales, customer service) deeply understand Torque’s commercial and home fitness equipment lines
• Implement management and leadership training for department heads — coaching skills, difficult conversations, performance management, and how to use KPI data to develop their teams
• Coordinate warehouse safety training, forklift certification, and OSHA compliance training in partnership with Operations leadership
• Develop sales training programs covering Torque’s value proposition, competitive positioning, CRM usage, and consultative selling techniques for both direct and dealer channels
• Identify external training resources, certifications, and professional development opportunities and manage a training budget
• Track training completion, measure effectiveness through post-training assessments, and maintain compliance records for required certifications
• Build cross-training programs so employees can develop skills across departments, supporting succession planning and reducing single points of failure

Compliance, Policy & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with all federal, state (Minnesota), and local employment laws including FMLA, ADA, FLSA, EEO, OSHA, and workers’ compensation
• Develop, maintain, and enforce the employee handbook and company policies
• Manage workplace safety programs in partnership with Operations and Warehouse leadership, with a goal of zero recordable incidents
• Oversee I-9 verification, background checks, and all required employment documentation
• Maintain accurate employee records and HRIS data; evaluate and implement HR technology as needed

Strategic HR Partnership

• Serve as a member of the leadership team, providing HR perspective on business decisions including organizational design, headcount planning, and cost management
• Partner with the CFO on workforce budgeting — the company’s total compensation represents a significant portion of operating expenses
• Advise on organizational structure changes as the company scales, including department realignment and span-of-control optimization
• Lead or support M&A people integration if acquisition opportunities arise

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 7-10 years of progressive HR experience with at least 3 years in a leadership or sole-HR-practitioner role
• Experience building HR infrastructure in a company with 50-150 employees — you’ve created processes from scratch, not just maintained existing ones
• Deep knowledge of employment law and compliance, particularly Minnesota state regulations
• Hands-on experience administering compensation programs including bonus/incentive plans, commission structures, and benefits
• Demonstrated ability to partner with C-suite executives and influence business decisions with HR data and insights
• Experience recruiting across diverse functions: warehouse/distribution, engineering, sales, and corporate roles
• Strong employee relations skills with a track record of resolving complex workplace situations fairly and effectively
• SHRM-CP/SCP or PHR/SPHR certification
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in fitness equipment, commercial gym supply, or high-ticket B2B/DTC industries
• Experience with multi-state employment (Torque has remote sales employees across multiple states)
• Familiarity with HRIS platforms (BambooHR, Paylocity, ADP, or similar) and ability to evaluate/implement new systems
• Experience supporting both B2B and DTC sales team compensation structures
• Background in organizational development, change management, or leadership coaching
• Experience with workplace safety programs in a warehouse/distribution environment
• Master’s degree in HR, MBA, or related advanced degree

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN THE FIRST YEAR

TIMELINE/MILESTONE

First 30 Days

Complete an HR audit: employee files, compliance gaps, benefits review, policy documentation. Meet with every department head to understand team dynamics, pain points, and hiring needs.

60 Days

Launch updated employee handbook. Establish structured onboarding program. Begin supporting the 2026 KPI bonus program alongside Finance. Fill any critical open positions.

90 Days

Implement performance review framework. Conduct compensation benchmarking study. Present retention strategy and engagement plan to leadership.

6 Months

First quarterly KPI bonus cycle completed accurately. Employee engagement baseline established. Training/development calendar in place. All compliance gaps closed.

12 Months

Employee retention at or above 90%. All 2026 hiring needs filled. Compensation structure market-validated. HR function running as a trusted strategic partner to leadership, not just an administrative function.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Base Salary Range

$100,000 - $125,000 base salary

KPI Bonus

Opportunity for KPI bonus program (50% profit pool, 50% individual KPIs)

Benefits

Health, dental, vision insurance; 401(k); PTO; fitness equipment employee discount

Work Arrangement

On-site at Coon Rapids, MN headquarters (required for employee relations and culture-building)

WHY TORQUE FITNESS

• This is Torque’s first dedicated HR hire — you will define the function, not inherit someone else’s systems Build from the ground up:
• You report to the CFO and sit at the leadership table from day one Direct C-suite access:
• Small enough to know every employee by name, large enough to need professional HR infrastructure Real impact on all employees:
• Torque is a flexible fast growing organization with large goals— you’ll help build the team that gets them there Growth trajectory:
• The company’s KPI bonus program means everyone is aligned to profitability — including you Performance culture:
• Premium commercial and home fitness equipment supplier trusted by gyms, facilities, and athletes nationwide/worldwide Product you can be proud of 120000

Torque Fitness LLC | Coon Rapids, MN | torquefitness.com

Pay: $100,000.00 - $125,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Referral program
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Salary : $100,000 - $125,000