HR Director, Optimization

Join the world's largest HVAC company, named by Forbes as one of America's Best-In-State Employers 2025! The HR Director, Optimization is responsible for developing and executing implementation strategies for strategic workforce planning, organizational effectiveness, change management, and operational improvement initiatives across three manufacturing plants in Mexico. Under limited direction, this role will lead cross-functional initiatives for implementation of organizational design, workforce planning, talent management, leadership development, culture transformation, change management, employee engagement, and operational optimization efforts, and will lead integration efforts to strengthen the support and connection between Alliance Air and DAA. You will be entrusted as a strategic advisor to executive and plant leadership, influencing and enabling successful implementation of business transformation priorities, driving initiatives that improve organizational performance, strengthening leadership capability, and optimizing workforce effectiveness. The position combines strategic HR leadership with hands-on program execution, ensuring that people, processes, and organizational capabilities are aligned to support business growth, operational excellence, productivity, quality, and employee engagement objectives. This individual must be equally comfortable collaborating on DAA organizational initiatives and enterprise-level strategies and partnering with DAA HR COEs to execute operational plans within manufacturing environments, influencing leaders at all levels while driving measurable business outcomes.

Location: Plymouth, MN or San Diego, CA - Hybrid

Your Responsibilities:

• Establish the organizational effectiveness and workforce optimization roadmap for Alliance Air Products HR transformation initiatives and lead the implementation of the transformation initiatives, driving alignment towards business priorities and HR strategy.
• Serve as strategic advisor and partner to the business and HR leadership to support and execute large scale organizational change and business optimization initiatives.
• Leads HR Process Mapping and HR process and tools integration efforts to drive process maturity and efficiency
• Leads program integration efforts to support rapid growth and employee retention including company Leadership training, Production Supervisor training, Employee Engagement, and Performance Management
• Oversees the execution and implementation of talent strategy initiatives for an assigned business, group or function, and ensure alignment with business objectives and workforce needs
• Lead change management efforts related to location standards, including standard work week in Mexico, and other HR best practices and collaborates with Manufacturing Ops HR team members on change management for shift expansion
• Provides strategic leadership and business sponsorship while collaborating with DAA Compensation Team on Compensation Structure
• Project Leads HR workstreams for Workday integration, collaborating with DAA Workday Integration Team, and leads the change management and communication efforts to launch the new platform.
• Leads & implements other transformation initiatives and strategies as needed.

Your Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Psychology, or related field
• Master’s degree in Human Resources (preferred)
• 10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience; including 6+ years of people leadership experience and 5+ years leading organizational change, transformation, organizational effectiveness, or strategic HR initiatives
• Experience supporting manufacturing, industrial, operations, or plant environments
• Demonstrated strategic change leadership with track record of successfully leading large-scale organizational change, transformations, and business optimization initiatives.
• Proven ability to develop and execute comprehensive change management strategies that drive adoption, engagement, and sustained behavioral change.
• Expertise in developing and implementing integrated change plans, including change readiness, stakeholder engagement strategies, and targeted communication and implementation plans.
• Experience in talent management processes including succession planning, performance management, leadership assessment, and workforce planning.
• Proven ability to lead multiple complex initiatives simultaneously across multiple locations.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence without direct authority.
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills.
• Proven experience developing and delivering executive-level communications and presentations.
• Equally comfortable collaborating on organizational initiatives and enterprise-level strategies and partnering with CoE's to execute operational plans within manufacturing environments, influencing leaders at all levels while driving measurable business outcomes
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly (up to 50%) between locations
• Fluency in English and Spanish (preferred)
• Working knowledge of Workday (preferred)
• PHR or SPHR

Your Benefits:

Daikin Applied offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

• Multiple medical insurance plan options + dental and vision insurance
• 401K retirement plan with employer match
• Paid time off and company-paid holidays
• Paid sick time in accordance with the federal, state and local law
• Tuition Reimbursement after 6 months of continuous service

Work visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

The typical annual base salary for this position ranges from $113,800-$193,900 + 20% or 25% bonus in Minnesota.

The typical annual base salary for this position ranges from $125,180 - $213,290 + 20% or 25% bonus in California.

The range displayed represents the pay range for all positions in the job grade in which this position falls.

Individual base pay will depend on a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Daikin Applied is not just an HVAC company. We're part of a global technology powerhouse that uses Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) to transform the world. We're innovators and leaders. Not only as a business, but as individuals. And we are honored to say we were named to Forbes' America's Best-In-State Employers list for 2025, ranking #1 in Minnesota for Manufacturing and Engineering.

You see, we're not just innovating on the outside. We're innovating on the inside to unlock people's unlimited potential and bring out the diverse and groundbreaking ideas that will help us solve today's most pressing challenges. That's why Daikin offers more than a job. Here's where you'll be heard, be valued, belong -- and be able to make your mark. Over the past several years, we’ve proudly welcomed several organizations into our family, each bringing unique strengths, deep expertise, and talented teams. As we continue to grow, these partners play a vital role in expanding our capabilities and shaping the future of our organization. Whichever Daikin Applied company you join, you’ll be part of a unified, supportive environment where you can make an impact and grow your career.