Director of People (HR Manager)

About this position Halco Group is a Southeast Michigan company that owns and operates several businesses across the automotive sector, real estate and more. Our automotive group includes auto service centers, towing and car wash operations, with about 120 team members. We grow by acquisition, and we are building a leadership team to match. Join a growing organization where performance is recognized, leadership is developed, and career advancement is earned. The Opportunity We are looking for a hands-on People & Operations Manager to lead our people function and build the systems, talent pipeline, and management discipline required to support continued growth. This is not a narrowly defined corporate HR position. We need someone who understands HR fundamentals but also thinks like an operator—someone who can recruit aggressively, solve problems, coach managers, improve processes, analyze workforce trends, and take ownership without requiring constant direction. You will work directly with ownership and operational leadership and will have significant influence over how we hire, onboard, develop, manage, and retain our people. What You’ll Own Own full-cycle recruiting across our locations. Build and maintain an active pipeline of technicians, service advisors, managers, administrative employees, and future leaders. Proactively source candidates rather than relying exclusively on inbound applications. Manage job postings, screening, interviewing, background checks, reference checks, and hiring workflows. Develop relationships with technical schools, trade programs, recruiting platforms, referral sources, and other talent pipelines. Work with operational leaders to anticipate staffing requirements before vacancies become operational problems. Track recruiting metrics including open positions, time-to-fill, source effectiveness, acceptance rates, and turnover. Hold managers accountable for participating effectively and promptly in the hiring process. The objective is not simply to fill vacancies. It is to create a repeatable talent pipeline that keeps the organization properly staffed. Onboarding & Employee Lifecycle Build and manage a consistent onboarding process across all locations. Coordinate new-hire documentation, background checks, employment verification, orientation, benefits enrollment, and required training. Establish structured 30-, 60-, and 90-day employee and manager follow-up. Manage employee status changes, promotions, transfers, compensation changes, and offboarding. Ensure employee records and HR systems remain accurate and current. Conduct periodic audits of personnel files, I-9s, and required employment documentation. Employee Relations & Management Support Serve as the primary HR resource for managers and employees. Conduct fair, thorough, and well-documented workplace investigations. Guide managers through performance issues, attendance problems, disciplinary actions, coaching, and terminations. Improve consistency in how managers apply company policies and document employee issues. Coach managers on communication, employee accountability, and difficult conversations. Identify recurring organizational or management problems and develop solutions rather than repeatedly treating symptoms. Handle sensitive and confidential matters with appropriate judgment and discretion. HR Compliance & Risk Management Maintain working knowledge of applicable federal, Michigan, and local employment requirements. Maintain and continuously improve company policies, employee handbooks, job descriptions, and HR procedures. Manage or coordinate FMLA and other leaves of absence. Coordinate workplace accommodations and ADA-related processes. Manage workers’ compensation administration and return-to-work coordination. Support unemployment claims and employment-related documentation. Maintain compliant hiring, disciplinary, termination, recordkeeping, and employee-relations practices. Partner with outside advisors when specialized legal or compliance guidance is required. Payroll, Benefits & HR Systems Ensure new hires, terminations, compensation changes, deductions, PTO, and employee-status changes are properly authorized and communicated. Review HR and payroll processes for accuracy and internal control. Support employee benefits administration and open enrollment. Help employees and managers resolve benefits and HR-system questions. Maintain accurate employee data within ADP Workforce Now. Improve utilization of HR technology, reporting, automation, and workflows. Evaluate existing processes and eliminate unnecessary manual work where possible. Establish practical performance-management processes that managers actually use. Help managers establish clear expectations and accountability. Identify high-potential employees and internal advancement opportunities. Develop manager training around interviewing, onboarding, coaching, documentation, employee relations, and leadership. Create repeatable processes for management development and succession planning. Support organizational changes as the company continues to grow. People Analytics & Organizational Improvement We expect this person to understand what the workforce data is telling us. You will develop and monitor metrics including: Headcount and staffing levels Open positions Time-to-fill Employee turnover Overtime and labor trends Recruiting source effectiveness Compensation trends Employee-relations activity Training and development progress You will use this information to identify problems and recommend practical solutions to ownership and operational leadership. Who We’re Looking For You will likely succeed in this position if you are: Highly organized and process-driven. Assertive and comfortable holding people accountable. Comfortable working directly with ownership and senior leadership. Able to operate effectively in an entrepreneurial organization. Capable of creating structure where structure is missing. Resourceful and comfortable solving problems independently. Comfortable making routine decisions without unnecessary escalation. Strong at recruiting and proactive candidate sourcing. Able to move quickly while maintaining accuracy. An effective communicator with both frontline employees and executives. Practical and business-minded. Comfortable having difficult conversations. Able to balance employee advocacy, company standards, and business realities. Interested in improving systems rather than simply maintaining them. Qualifications Preferred experience: 5+ years of progressive Human Resources, People Operations, or related experience. Previous experience as an HR Manager, People Operations Manager, Senior HR Generalist, HR Business Partner, or similar hands-on HR leader. Strong employee-relations and workplace-investigation experience. Demonstrated recruiting and talent-acquisition experience. Working knowledge of federal and Michigan employment practices. Experience supporting hourly, salaried, and variable-compensation employees. Experience supporting a multi-location workforce strongly preferred. Automotive, retail, hospitality, field services, multi-unit operations, or another high-volume service environment strongly preferred. Experience with Rippling or ADP Workforce Now strongly preferred. Experience using recruiting platforms, HRIS systems, reporting, and workforce analytics. Bachelor’s degree preferred but not required. SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification is a plus but not required. We place greater emphasis on demonstrated results, judgment, ownership, and ability to execute than on credentials alone. What We Offer $120,000 to $135,000 base, based on experience - Performance bonus up to $15,000 a year Medical, dental and vision. Paid time off and paid holidays 401(k) with Company Match Paid Training & Professional Development A direct line to the CEO, a seat on the leadership team and a People function that grows as we grow We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. #J-18808-Ljbffr HALCO MANAGEMENT