Vice President of Human Resources

Job Description

Job Description

Role: Vice President of Human Resources

Location: Fargo, ND

Travel: ~10%

Help us build the organization Anchor needs for its next stage of growth.

Anchor Ingredients is looking for a Vice President of Human Resources who can think big without losing sight of what is happening day to day. We want someone who enjoys building teams, developing people, solving problems, and creating HR practices that will make the business better.

This isn't a role for someone who wants to manage HR from a distance. Our VP of HR will have a seat at the table on important organizational decisions while also being willing to jump into an employee issue, help a manager work through a difficult situation, or adjust priorities as the business evolves.

This role combines strategic leadership with hands-on ownership across four key areas:

People Strategy & Organizational Leadership

• Partner with leadership to develop and execute Anchor’s people strategy, including organizational design, workforce planning, compensation, employee relations, defining, building, and continuously strengthening Anchor’s culture, including leadership expectations, employee engagement, accountability, communication, recognition, and alignment with the Company’s values and strategic objectives, and other significant people decisions.
• Lead the HR work associated with acquisitions, including due diligence, organizational and workforce assessment and employee integration.

Talent & Employee Experience

• Develop and implement scalable talent, training, and development programs tailored to the needs of Anchor’s plant and corporate employees, spanning recruitment, onboarding, job-specific training, professional and leadership development, engagement, career progression, and retention.
• Evolve compensation and benefits strategies that support Anchor’s ability to attract and retain talent while maintaining internal equity and market competitiveness.
• Partner closely with Anchor's Safety function to reinforce a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.

HR Operations, Systems & Compliance

• Oversee core HR functions, including compensation, benefits, policies, employee relations, employment compliance, HR administration, and HR systems, ensuring consistent and compliant practices across the organization.
• Continuously improve scalable HR policies, processes, systems, and programs that can support consistent practices across Anchor’s location and accommodate future growth.
• Establish and monitor HR KPIs related to areas such as recruiting, retention, turnover, engagement, workforce costs, and other organizational priorities, report trends to leadership, and drive measurable improvement.
• Develop and manage the HR departmental budget, including planning and monitoring HR-related investments and expenses.

HR Team Leadership & Business Partnership

• Lead, coach, and develop Anchor's HR team, creating clear expectations, accountability, and opportunities for growth.
• Maintain a strong understanding of Anchor’s operations, facilities, workforce, and business priorities through regular engagement with leaders and employees across the organization
• Build trusting relationships with employees at every level of the company.

The Right Candidate

We're looking for a business-minded, approachable HR leader who can build credibility across all levels of the organization, challenge constructively, develop and hold a team accountable, and move comfortably between strategic leadership and hands-on HR problem solving.

Primary Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive HR experience, including meaningful responsibility for leading people, programs, and organizational initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically while remaining hands-on, with the judgment to know when each approach is needed.
• Proven experience leading and developing an HR team, with broad experience, across talent acquisition, employee development, retention, performance management, compensation, benefits and employee relations.
• Strong business acumen and the ability to translate company objectives into practical people strategies while operating effectively in a growing, changing organization.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships with employees, managers, and executive leadership.
• Experience influencing executive leadership teams and navigating complex business challenges with confidence and credibility. 
• Ability and willingness to travel approximately 10%, with an expectation of meaningful on-site engagement at Anchor facilities. The VP of HR will be a highly visible face of Anchor, building relationships at all levels of the organization, staying connected to plant operations and employees, and reinforcing Anchor’s culture and values.
• Strong analytical capabilities, including experience establishing and improving HR KPIs and using data to drive decisions.
• Ability to operate effectively in a growing organization, manage competing priorities, and adapt as business needs evolve.
• Experience supporting multiple locations, business units, or operational environments; experience in manufacturing, food, agriculture, or a related industry is preferred.
• Experience with acquisitions, HR due diligence, and post-acquisition integration is strongly preferred.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work environment characteristics and physical demands described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This job operates within a professional office environment. While performing the duties of this job inside the office, the employee is frequently exposed to normal working conditions for an office environment with a noise level that is usually quiet to moderate. The role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers and filing cabinets.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee may be required to stand for long periods of time as well as use hands or fingers to reach or handle, and to reach with hands and arms. The employee is regularly required to stand, walk, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee will occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. All vision abilities are required to encompass close-up work. On occasion, employee must be able to tolerate and endure extended seasonal hours and maintain alertness to meet deadlines.

Occasionally while performing the duties of this job, the employee may be exposed to machinery and moving parts, airborne particles including grain dust and hazardous materials or fumes, which may require the use of PPE. The employee may be exposed to adverse weather conditions, extended seasonal hours, high precarious places and confined spaces. The noise level in some of the work environments may require the use of hearing protection.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota, Anchor Ingredients is a customer-centric, innovative, and transparent farm-to-food partner serving the food and pet food industries. Our farm-level relationships and global reach allow us to procure and process ingredients efficiently and meet a wide range of customer needs. Our experienced team is committed to Anchor's mission, vision, and values and to delivering quality and innovation across the food supply chain.

DISCLAIMER

This job description is not a complete description of responsibility, but reflects the general qualifications, duties and/or responsibilities necessary to perform this position.  Anchor Ingredients reserves the right to revise the job description as circumstances warrant.  All candidates who receive a written offer of employment will be required to successfully pass a background check, as well as testing for commonly abused controlled substances in accordance with the company’s Drug Free Workplace Policy. Anchor Ingredients is an at-will employer, which means that either the employee or the company may terminate the relationship at any time, with or without notice, and with or without cause. We are an equal opportunity employer.