Director of Human Resources

Director of Human Resources

Location: Farmington Hills, MI (Hybrid flexibility available)
Employment Type: Full-time, Exempt
Reports to: Executive Leadership

About the Role

Friedman Real Estate is a multidisciplinary commercial real estate firm with operations across multiple business lines, including brokerage, property and asset management, construction, and related services. Our organization supports a diverse portfolio of clients, properties, and projects, with assignments and employees across multiple states. This creates a dynamic, fast-moving, and operationally complex environment that requires strong leadership alignment, thoughtful systems, and people-centered practices.

We're seeking a Director of Human Resources who is energized by developing people, growing leaders, and strengthening an HR team while serving as a trusted conduit between HR and senior leadership. This role is ideal for an HR leader who leads with empathy, clarity, and accountability, and who believes HR's role is to equip leaders to lead, not to take over management responsibilities.

Our HR function continues to evolve toward a true business partner model, and this role will play a pivotal part in building team capability, leadership effectiveness, and organizational alignment as the organization grows.

What You'll Do

Develop and Lead the HR Team

• Lead, coach, and develop an HR team responsible for supporting all core HR functions, including talent acquisition, performance management, learning & development, compensation & benefits, employee experience, compliance, HR technology, and analytics.
• Strengthen team capability by developing skills, clarifying expectations, and reinforcing consistent standards and approaches across HR disciplines.
• Create an environment where HR team members feel supported, challenged, and confident operating as advisors and partners to leaders.
• Model empathetic leadership while holding the team accountable for quality, professionalism, and follow-through.

Support Managers

• Enable managers to address employee performance, development, and challenges effectively without HR assuming ownership of people management.
• Provide leaders with guidance, tools, and perspective to help them address issues early and appropriately.
• Reinforce leadership accountability while offering thoughtful support, coaching, and partnership.
• Help leaders apply policies and practices consistently and thoughtfully, balancing clarity, fairness, and real-world context.

Strengthen HR as a Strategic Partner

• Act as a conduit between senior leadership and the HR team-translating strategy into clear direction and elevating insights from the team to leadership.
• Partner with executive and senior leaders on people strategy, organizational effectiveness, and change initiatives.
• Promote alignment across teams and lines of business while recognizing that different functions may require different approaches.
• Ensure HR strategy and priorities align with business goals, operating rhythm, and pace of growth.

Build Scalable HR Practices & Infrastructure

• Oversee and continuously improve HR processes, systems, and tools to support a growing and evolving organization.
• Lead HRIS strategy, administration, and optimization to ensure efficient workflows and meaningful reporting.
• Leverage HR technology, automation, and AI-enabled tools to improve effectiveness, consistency, and the employee experience.
• Establish clear, practical processes and documentation that allow HR to scale without becoming overly complex or rigid.

Support Talent & Organizational Growth

• Partner with leaders and the HR team on workforce planning and recruiting for both operational and specialized roles.
• Evaluate roles, structures, and capabilities to ensure the organization has the talent needed today and as it grows.
• Support leadership and employee development initiatives that are practical, relevant, and aligned with business needs.

Who We're Looking For

• 8-12+ years of progressive HR experience, including experience leading and developing HR teams.
• Enjoys coaching, mentoring, and growing others-and sees team development as a core leadership responsibility.
• Has experience supporting leaders across multiple levels and lines of business.
• Understands how all HR disciplines work together to support leaders and the employee lifecycle.
• Leads with empathy and credibility, while remaining clear, direct, and accountable.
• Can support managers effectively without removing ownership or accountability from them.
• Is comfortable operating in a dynamic, growing environment and adapting as priorities evolve.

A Bachelor's degree is required; HR or related certifications are a plus, but not required.

What Success Looks Like

• The HR team is confident, capable, and growing in skill and influence.
• Managers feel supported by HR-but remain accountable for leading their people.
• Leaders experience HR as aligned, practical, and human-centered-not transactional or reactive.
• Communication between HR and leadership is clear, intentional, and consistent.
• HR systems, tools, and processes support the pace of the business while preserving empathy and trust.

Why This Role Is Different

This role offers the opportunity to shape how HR leads and supports, not just what HR delivers. If you enjoy building strong teams, influencing leaders, and helping organizations grow in thoughtful and intentional ways, this role offers both impact and challenge.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Friedman Real Estate is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy, family responsibility, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, transgender status, veteran status, genetic information, disability, or any other protected characteristic in accordance with applicable law.