Director of HR - Industrial Automation Group

About Duravant:

Duravant is a global engineered equipment company with an over 100-year operating history.  Through our portfolio of operating companies, we deliver trusted end-to-end process solutions for customers and partners through engineering and integration expertise, project management and operational excellence.  With worldwide sales distribution and service networks we provide immediate and lifetime aftermarket support to all the markets we serve in the food processing, packaging and material handling sectors.  Duravant’s market-leading brands are synonymous with innovation, durability and reliability.

As the HR Director for the Industrial Automation Group, you will serve as the senior Human Resources leader and strategic business partner to the Group President and Group leadership team. This role is responsible for aligning people strategies with business objectives to drive growth, operational excellence, organizational effectiveness, and employee engagement across the Group’s operating companies.

The HR Director will lead talent and organizational initiatives that strengthen leadership capability, build high-performing teams, support business transformation, and reinforce a culture of accountability, collaboration, and customer focus. This role combines strategic leadership with hands-on execution in a fast-paced, decentralized industrial manufacturing environment.

What You Will Do:

Strategic Business Partnership

• Serve as a trusted advisor and thought partner to the Group President and leadership team on organizational, talent, and leadership matters.
• Align HR strategies and priorities with the Group’s commercial, operational, and financial objectives.
• Provide guidance and coaching to leaders on organizational effectiveness, team performance, change leadership, and talent decisions.
• Support organizational design and workforce planning initiatives to optimize scalability, efficiency, and business performance.
• Drive alignment between Group priorities and operating company HR execution.

Talent Management & Leadership Development

• Lead talent management by driving succession planning, developing high-potential leaders, addressing capability gaps, enhancing leadership effectiveness, and supporting executive hiring and integration.

Employee Engagement & Culture

• Champion a high-performance, values-driven culture focused on teamwork, customer success, innovation, and accountability.
• Drive engagement, support organizational health, lead change initiatives, and foster a culture of inclusion, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.

HR Operations & Organizational Effectiveness

• Partner with operating company HR leaders to ensure consistent execution of HR programs, policies, and processes.
• Drive organizational effectiveness initiatives that improve decision-making, accountability, communication, and team alignment.
• Utilize workforce metrics and analytics to support business decisions and identify trends.
• Partner with Corporate HR on compensation, benefits, talent acquisition, leadership development, compliance, and HR systems initiatives.
• Support acquisition integration and organizational transition activities as needed.

Employee Relations & Compliance

• Provide oversight on employee relations, ensure legal and policy compliance, and partner with leadership on sensitive workforce matters and governance.

What You Will Have:

• Strategic Thinking
• Business Partnership
• Organizational Agility
• Talent Development
• Change Leadership
• Communication & Influence
• Collaboration & Teamwork
• Results Orientation
• Customer Focus
• Continuous Improvement

Additional Requirements:

The position is an office-based position in Downers Grove, IL. Up to 50% domestic and international travel is involved to the operating companies.

What You Will Need: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field required; Master’s degree preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience within industrial manufacturing, automation, engineered products, or related industries.
• Demonstrated success supporting senior business leaders in a strategic HR business partner capacity.
• Strong experience in talent management, organizational design, leadership development, and change management.
• Proven ability to influence senior leaders and drive organizational initiatives in a decentralized business environment.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to connect people strategies to operational and financial outcomes.
• Excellent communication, coaching, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience supporting multi-site and/or global organizations preferred.