Lucas Group Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Lucas Milhaupt, LLC. ("Lucas" and/or "the Company") is the most diversified, vertically integrated brazing alloy producer in the United States. We melt, process, and fabricate high-precision alloys with industry leading lead times and reduced risk of supply disruptions. With manufacturing facilities in North America, China and France, Lucas is an equal opportunity employer valuing safety, teamwork, respect, integrity, commitment, and inclusion.
Steel Partners Diversified Industrial Group
Lucas is part of the Steel Partners Holdings L.P. ("Steel Partners") Diversified Industrial Group. Steel Partners is a diversified global holding company that engages in multiple businesses through consolidated subsidiaries, associated companies and other interests. It owns and operates businesses and has significant interests in leading companies in various industries, including diversified industrial products, energy, defense, supply chain management and logistics, banking and youth sports.
Steel Business System
Lucas utilizes the Steel Partners Business System (SBS) to maximize its productivity and eliminate waste. Using Lean Manufacturing, Design for Six Sigma, Six Sigma, Strategy Deployment and other operational efficiency initiatives that form the foundation of this program, Lucas is committed to embedding continuous improvement within our organization as a means of achieving profitable growth.
Kids First
Lucas is a proud supporter of the Kids First initiative of Steel Partners, and our sister company Steel Sports. The purpose of Kids First is to forge a path of success for the next generation of leaders by helping kids thrive, instilling our core values of Teamwork, Respect, Integrity and Commitment, and teaching life lessons through sports. Lucas encourages employees to become youth sports coaches and we offer youth sports camps facilitated by the Steel Sports team not only to our employees' children and grandchildren, but also underprivileged kids in our communities.
Position
The Vice President HR/EHS plays a critical role in aligning HR and EHS strategies with overall business goals. This role requires a proven track record of building and maintaining a culture that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion, all with a safety mindset. While strategy is a primary focus, critical to success will be the ability to balance short- and long-term planning with day-to-day execution and employee engagement. The VP HR/EHS must achieve goals by building the necessary relationships with people to achieve a reputation of care and concern.
Key Data Points
Manager: Chief Operating Officer - Greg Simpson
Direct Reports: 2 HR Managers, 2 EHS Managers, 1 Executive Administrative Assistant
Other Key Partners: CFO, VP Operations, VP Sales & Marketing, VP Engineering
Locations/Employees: Milwaukee, WI (258); Warwick, RI (123); Riberac, France (50); Suzhou, China (25).
Major Responsibilities
• SLT Membership - Partner with the President to effectively engage Lucas Leadership Team to accomplish collective objectives and achieve business financial and strategic goals. Ensure a strong leadership team is in place and fully developed and succession plans are maintained for key roles.
• Talent Acquisition and Retention - Develop, implement, and execute a recruitment and retention strategy with consistent process and tools. Apply engagement and talent development strategies to drive retention. Maintain a talent pipeline of internal high potential candidates, candidates from internship programs and hiring from the outside.
• Culture - Utilize strong engagement strategies to achieve a dynamic culture, pushing employees to apply discretionary effort to achieve company goals. Utilize communication to bring employees together and understand how they individually contribute to the success of the whole.
• Compensation and Benefits - Effectively implement Steel Partners benefits and performance management processes. Communicate compensation and incentive programs to achieve transparency. Assess and communicate to Steel Partners the competitiveness of total rewards programs and practices to drive recruiting and retention.
• Talent and Organizational Development - Effectively implement the Steel Partners performance management system. Identify and promote high potential employees, and ensure key positions have successor candidates. Encourage employees to make use of all
development tools, including learning management system and tuition reimbursement.
• Employee Relations - Deliver effective employee relations strategies to support the culture/values and ensure business success. Establish relationships with employees. Provide coaching and act as adviser to employees, management, and senior leaders.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Actively promote the organization's efforts to encourage diversity and foster an inclusive environment. Ensure HR practices, policies, programs, and guidelines support diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
• HR Operations - Maximize the use of HR systems, and recommend new tools as necessary,
to support achievement of HR strategies and company goals. Encourage employee self-service to drive efficiency and transparency.
• EHS - Ensure EHS program complies with regulatory requirements and reporting. Support EHS team to implement necessary programs in Operations to achieve safe work, even if at odds at times with production goals. Promote health and wellness through leading EHS and HR programs and tools.
• KPIs - Identify metrics annually for HR and EHS that allow progress against goals to be tracked regularly. Adjust action plans as necessary to ensure goals are met, implementing countermeasures for missed targets.
Ideal Experience and Skills
• Bachelor's Degree with an emphasis in Human Resources or related focus.
• 8+ years HR experience with a minimum of 5+ years in a Director or VP role.
• Comprehensive knowledge and experience in talent relations, employment laws and compliance with the ability to integrate applicable changes effectively and timely.
• Experience creating and scaling people functions and developing, implementing, and facilitating training around new policies, practices, systems, tools and resources.
• Demonstrated project management skills with the ability to map out a project, effectively manage stakeholder's expectations and drive towards completion.
• An active listener and exceptional communicator in both written and verbal interaction.
• Proven track record of developing and implementing people strategies that engage, promote, and support an inclusive and equitable workplace.
• High-performance organizational experience - a demonstrated track record of supporting companies that operated with a high-impact culture, outperformed competition, and developed a reputation for strong, diverse talent.
• Knowledge of DEI principles and best practices, including experience leading and developing DEI initiatives.
• Ability to travel 10% to 15% and internationally as required.
• SPHR, SHRM-SCP Certification preferred.
Capability & Other Characteristics:
• Exceptional business acumen with the ability to utilize critical thinking to research, leverage, and synthesize macro events and activities to enhance and strengthen the People function.
• Demonstrated organizational and interpersonal skills with a passion for improving the employee experience.
• Outstanding facilitation and negotiation skills with the ability to engage all levels of the organization.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and objectivity, practice sound judgment, build and foster trust.
• Comfortable working with ambiguity in a fluid environment, be resourceful and creatively find solutions to meet the tasks and challenges at hand.
• A doer who is able to work at fast pace, with a bias towards action.
• Engaged leader, mentor and team player with strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills at all levels and can inspire and manage people to grow professionally.
• Excellent analytical and strategic skills, as well as high emotional intelligence.
• An entrepreneurial spirit, eager to try new things and be innovative.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Lucas is an equal employment opportunity (EEOC) employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age or other legally protected status.
We will ensure individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact Lucas to request accommodation.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
At Lucas, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. If you are excited about this role but your experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or another role.