Director HR Business Partners

About Us:

Panelmatic, Inc. was founded in 1957 in Youngstown, OH to serve manufacturing industries with the design and build of custom electrical, instrument, and pneumatic control panels. Our business has sufficiently grown over the years to support expansion for our clients. We have produced control packages for many of America's top corporations in the chemical, data center, environmental, food & beverage, pulp & paper, material handling, oil & gas, pharmaceutical, renewables, metals, and utility markets. We also deliver equipment for use worldwide. Our rigorous methodology assures compliance with domestic and international standards. We can meet the needs of our diverse clientele from start to finish through sales, design, fabrication, testing, and delivery.

Since 1957, we have been known for our high-quality, custom-built control packages, our comprehensive service, and our technological and manufacturing expertise. This expertise assures you of our ability to handle the largest and most complex packages quickly and efficiently.

Job Summary:

The Director, HR Business Partners reports to the VP of Human Resources and leads the development, transition, and day-to-day direction of the HRBP function across the organization. This role is responsible for leading a team that currently operates as broad HR generalists and transitioning that team into a more defined HRBP model over time, while the broader HR organization continues to mature and establish clearer separation of duties across HR Operations, Compensation & Benefits, Talent, and Learning & Development.

This leader will direct the daily work of the HRBP team in support of business leaders across the U.S. and Canada, while also designing the operating model, processes, expectations, and governance needed for a scalable HRBP function in a rapidly growing company. The role requires a leader who can operate effectively in ambiguity, build structure in a changing environment, and remain hands-on when needed as the HR team evolves. This is both a strategic leadership role and a build-and-scale role, requiring the ability to establish process, manage through transition, and execute directly when necessary until the team structure is fully built.

The organization is in a stage of growth and HR functional evolution. HR team members currently provide broad, generalist-style support as the primary HR contact for the business. Over time, the HR function will continue to expand and refine separation of responsibilities across HR Operations, Compensation & Benefits, Talent, and Learning & Development. This role will be central to that evolution by defining how HR Business Partners operate, clarifying responsibilities, building repeatable processes, and ensuring business continuity throughout the transition.

Job Duties:

• Lead, coach, and develop the HRBP team, including HR Generalists transitioning into HRBP roles.
• Direct the day-to-day delivery of business-facing HR support across assigned functions, geographies, and leadership teams.
• Define and implement the HRBP operating model, including team structure, service standards, workflows, escalation paths, and partnership expectations.
• Transition the team from broad generalist support to a more strategic, business-partnering model while maintaining continuity of service.
• Establish clear role expectations, performance standards, workload priorities, and development plans for current and future HRBPs.
• Build scalable processes, tools, playbooks, and decision frameworks that improve consistency, quality, and responsiveness across the HRBP function.
• Ensure HRBPs effectively support leaders on employee relations, performance management, organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, talent movement, engagement, retention, and change.
• Provide leadership on complex employee relations matters, sensitive workplace issues, investigations, performance concerns, and high-risk people decisions.
• Coach business leaders through difficult people decisions with sound judgment, fairness, consistency, and risk awareness.
• Partner closely with the VP of HR and senior leaders to identify workforce risks, organizational needs, leadership challenges, and people priorities.
• Define and strengthen how HRBPs interface with HR Operations, Compensation & Benefits, Talent, Learning & Development, and business leadership.
• Clarify and reinforce ownership boundaries across HR as the function matures, and identify when work should transition to other HR teams.
• Lead through ambiguity in a changing environment, making sound decisions while roles, processes, and separation of duties continue to evolve.
• Step into tactical or direct support activities as needed to ensure business continuity, effective team support, and appropriate risk management.
• Build team capability in business acumen, consulting, influence, data-informed decision-making, change leadership, and employee relations judgment.
• Monitor workforce trends, employee relations themes, turnover, organizational risks, and other people data to inform recommendations and action.
• Provide the VP of HR with visibility into people trends, team effectiveness, business risks, and areas requiring structural or process improvement.
• Lead an HRBP model that supports both U.S. and Canada operations, ensuring guidance and practices are coordinated appropriately across jurisdictions.
• Partner with Legal and other subject matter experts to ensure HRBP support reflects applicable employment standards, policy requirements, and jurisdiction-specific considerations.
• Support the ongoing growth and evolution of the HRBP function, including future role design, hiring, succession planning, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Development, or related field.
• 10+ years of progressive HR experience, including significant HR business partnership or senior generalist leadership experience.
• 5+ years of people leadership experience.
• Demonstrated experience in a large, scaling, multi-site, or rapidly growing organization.
• Proven experience building or maturing HR processes, structures, or operating models in an evolving environment.
• Strong experience supporting leaders through employee relations, performance, organizational change, and workforce growth.
• Experience operating effectively in ambiguity and building clarity in changing environments.
• Strong business acumen, judgment, coaching ability, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Experience creating process while simultaneously managing ongoing execution.

Strongly Preferred

• Experience leading a transition from generalist-based support to a more structured HRBP model.
• Experience in a private equity-backed environment.
• Experience supporting both U.S. and Canada employee populations.
• Experience partnering with specialist HR functions in an evolving HR model.
• Experience in organizations undergoing rapid growth, integration, or significant organizational change.
• Professional certification such as SHRM-SCP, SHRM-CP, PHR, or SPHR.

Working Conditions / Travel

• Standard office or hybrid working conditions, depending on company policy.
• Periodic travel may be required within the U.S. and Canada to support business leaders, HRBP team members, and organizational initiatives.
• Ability to manage confidential and sensitive matters with discretion is essential.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, HSA, term life, AD&D, STD, LTD
• 100% medical premium paid for by Panelmatic for the employee-only level medical coverage
• 80% paid for by Panelmatic and 20% paid for by the employee on all other level medical coverage (ie employee plus child, employee plus spouse, family)
• 401(k) contributions matched 100% up to 4%
• Scholarships, educational reimbursement, paid volunteerism, and paid personal and professional development provided
• PTO and paid holidays provided
• Career advancement opportunities
• Competitive wages
• Family-friendly environment with average employee tenure above five years