Vice President Manufacturing Operations Jobs in Indiana

Position Summary:

The Vice President of Human Resources is a senior executive responsible for leading the full spectrum of HR strategy and operations for the company’s largest U.S. manufacturing operation. Reporting to the President/COO, this role serves as a strategic partner to executive leadership and a key liaison to Japan-based parent company stakeholders.

This position aligns human capital strategies with business objectives to drive organizational performance, workforce capability, and a high-performance culture while ensuring compliance in a complex global manufacturing environment. It also leads organizational design and transformation initiatives to support growth, scalability, and operational efficiency.

This is a key leadership role with significant influence on business strategy, organizational growth, and operational performance. The Vice President will play a critical role in strengthening leadership capability, stabilizing and developing the workforce, and building a sustainable talent pipeline to support long-term business success.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following:

Strategic Leadership and Business Partnership

• Serve as a key advisor and strategic influencer to the President/COO and executive leadership team on all human capital matters
• Develop and execute HR strategies aligned with business goals, operational priorities, and long-term growth plans
• Align workforce strategies with operational goals, including productivity, quality, and cost efficiency
• Establish, monitor, and report on key HR and workforce metrics (e.g., turnover, engagement, staffing, safety) to drive executive decision-making, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Lead workforce planning, succession planning, and leadership pipeline development to ensure long-term organizational capability
• Lead organizational design, restructuring, and change management initiatives to optimize performance and scalability

Talent and Workforce Strategy

• Oversee enterprise-wide talent acquisition, performance management, compensation, and benefits programs
• Develop and lead integrated strategies to attract, retain, and develop talent in a competitive manufacturing labor market
• Establish and drive enterprise-wide talent management processes, including succession planning, high-potential development, and workforce capability building to create a sustainable leadership pipeline and organizational capability
• Design and implement leadership development and training programs that support operational excellence and career progression
• Align talent strategies with productivity, quality, and cost objectives

Culture and Employee Relations

• Champion and embed organizational culture, values, and leadership behaviors across all levels
• Lead employee engagement and retention initiatives to strengthen morale and workplace effectiveness
• Provide executive oversight and decision authority on complex employee relations matters, including investigations, conflict resolution, and disciplinary actions
• Ensure consistent, fair, and legally compliant employment practices and advise leadership on high-risk business and employment decisions

Compliance and Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local employment laws and serve as the primary liaison with regulatory agencies and external legal counsel
• Oversee workplace policies, internal controls, and audit readiness to protect employee data and company interests
• Partner with Operations and EHS leadership to support a strong safety culture, workers’ compensation, and return-to-work programs
• Ensure compliant administration of leave of absence programs, employee accommodations, and attendance practices
• Oversee employment eligibility verification (I-9) and support immigration and global mobility processes for expatriate employees

Global Alignment and Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead cross-cultural HR alignment with Japan-based parent company stakeholders, ensuring consistency in governance, reporting, and strategic initiatives across global operations
• Adapt global programs and policies to meet U.S. legal requirements and cultural expectations
• Communicate organizational risks, workforce trends, and HR initiatives effectively across global leadership

HR Operations and Analytics

• Oversee HR operations including HRIS, reporting, policy governance, and data integrity
• Leverage analytics to identify trends, improve processes, and enhance organizational performance
• Ensure efficient, scalable HR systems and processes aligned with business growth
• Strengthen internal controls that ensure confidentiality of personal and privileged information, including personal data and disciplinary measures.

Functional and Leadership Competencies

• 12+ years of progressive Human Resources experience, including 7+ years in a senior manufacturing Human Resources leadership role.
• Significant experience in manufacturing or other labor-intensive environments (500+ employees) within a global organization. Automotive industry and/or Japanese company experience highly beneficial.
• Demonstrated success leading HR strategy in a complex, fast-paced organization
• Experience working within a global or matrixed organization; exposure to Japan-based or international parent companies strongly preferred
• Experience supporting continuous improvement or lean manufacturing environments is a plus
• Knowledge and practical application of HR disciplines including employment and labor laws, employee relations, management, and leadership development. Experience with positive employee relations preferred.
• Strategic thinking with strong business and financial acumen
• Deep knowledge of employment law and HR best practices
• Proven leadership and team development skills
• Strong employee relations and conflict resolution expertise
• Ability to influence and collaborate across all organizational levels
• High emotional intelligence and executive presence
• Change management and organizational transformation expertise
• Strong analytical capability with the ability to interpret workforce and operational data to drive data-driven business decisions
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills
• Strong critical thinking, judgment, and problem-solving ability
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Strong listening, communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to engage and influence diverse audiences
• Ability to work well under pressure, manage competing demands, and meet tight deadlines, working outside normal Monday through Friday business hours as responsibilities require.
• Experience building or improving a dedicated Human Resource function for a growing company with solid management skills to lead a team and department.
• Commitment to fostering a positive, inclusive, and high-performance culture
• Demonstrated commitment to execution excellence, accountability, and delivering results in a fast-paced environment
• Success in this role will be measured by improvements in workforce stability, leadership capability, employee engagement, and alignment between people strategy and operational performance

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below represent the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

Minimum of 12 years of progressive Human Resources experience, including 7+ years in a senior manufacturing Human Resources leadership role. Bachelor’s Degree required; master’s degree in human resources, business, or related field strongly preferred. SPHR, SHRM-SCP, or other HR-related certifications strongly preferred.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.  Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals/documentation.  Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.  Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. Desire to proactively and collaboratively work toward solutions with cross-functional team input.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Team Member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

CODE OF CONDUCT

Indiana Automotive Fasteners is a team environment. We operate with mission-driven integrity. Our mission of “Ensuring your family’s SAFETY through our team’s QUALITY” is at the heart of all our decisions and actions. We exemplify ethical practices, professionalism, and personal integrity, creating respectful and trusting collaborative work environments where sound advice is valued. We contribute to the IAF team by living the core values of T.E.A.M.W.O.R.K.

• We are Trustworthy. We do the right things right every time. We do our jobs with honest effort every time, every day. We follow all Safety, Quality, and Work Policies.
• We are Engaged. We are eager and enthusiastic to help our team succeed. We persistently pursue excellence every day. We work together to continuously improve.
• We are Accountable. We are responsible for every product and process we touch. Our choices and actions matter because our work matters. We produce Excellent Quality fasteners. Our work is a critical component to critical features on vehicles. It is our responsibility to follow our Quality-controlled procedures to ensure the Safety of our products.
• We are Motivated. Our work drives us. We can achieve, and we will achieve. We care about what we do.
• We are Welcoming. We encourage everyone’s best. We greet everyone with a friendly smile. We care about each other.
• We are Open-minded. We ask. We listen. We consider. We are curious about new possibilities. We are not content with the status quo, and we believe that our diverse backgrounds are what makes us stronger, so we listen to learn from each other.
• We are Respectful. We listen to understand. We help each other. We believe every team member matters and deserves respect.
• We are Knowledge-seeking. We Genchi Genbutsu: Go, Look, See. We keep learning, we keep growing. We strive to understand, so we investigate problems to learn from our mistakes. We train and develop our team so that we continue to grow and improve.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a Team Member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.