VP of HR, Ingredients North America

Job Title: Vice President of Human Resources, Ornua Ingredients North America

Reports to: HR Director, Ornua Foods and Ingredients

location: Hilbert, Wisconsin

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Company Background

Ornua is a dairy co-operative which sells dairy products on behalf of its members, Ireland’s dairy processors and, in turn, Irish dairy farmers. It is Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products, exporting to 110 countries worldwide. Headquartered in Dublin, Ornua has annualised sales of over €3.5 billion and a global team of 3,000 employees.

Ornua is structured across two divisions: Ornua Foods and Ornua Ingredients. We operate from 10 business units worldwide, including 16 production facilities, and have sales and marketing teams working in-market across the globe in Africa, Asia, Germany, Ireland, the Middle East, Spain, the UK, and the US.

You may know us by our brands Kerrygold, Dubliner, Pilgrim’s Choice, Avantage, Forto, and BEO.

Reporting into the HR Director, Ornua Foods & Ingredients, the role provides strategic HR business partnership to all functions and businesses based in Ornua Ingredients in Hilbert, Whitehall and Hillsboro, Wisconsin and Byron, Minnesota, including: Operations, Finance, Research & Development, Sales & Marketing, Supply Chain and Procurement.

At our Wisconsin facilities, Ornua Ingredients North America custom formulates and manufactures a complete line of pasteurized processed cheese and imitation cheese products, while supported by state-of-the-art Innovation Centres.

At our Minnesota facility, Ornua Ingredients North America supplies value added cheese ingredients to the industrial cheese sector as well as providing custom formulation ingredient cheese solutions.

The Vice President of Human Resources will lead the support of circa 700 employees in a rapidly growing business that has consistently delivered 10% volume growth.

Ornua’s Values

At Ornua, our Values lie at the core of everything that we do and how we behave both individually and as a business. Our five values, and their underlying behaviours, encourage us to Seek and Embrace New Ideas, Make It Happen, Be Our True Selves, Show You Care and Achieve Great Things Together.

Ornua’s Growth

At Ornua, our co-operative ethos lies at the heart of how we do business. We care passionately about driving sustainable, profitable growth, underpinned by our ambitious ‘Path to Prosper’ strategy. We have delivered significant growth in our core business, and we have ambitious plans for continued growth over the next five years.

Key Areas of Responsibility

Vice President of Human Resources will be a member of the Ornua Ingredients North America Executive Leadership team. The role will be responsible for leading the OINA People agenda to support the strategic direction of OINA and the Leadership Team. Develop and implement a People Plan that supports the delivery of Ornua’s strategic goals and business performance.

Contribute as a strategic member of the Global HR Team.

Spearhead the critical cultural and change transformation for the region working directly with the Senior Leadership to shape and implement.

Develop and deliver solutions across the spectrum of HR aspects to further develop the organization, including:

• High-performance culture, performance improvement interventions and approaches.
• Employee engagement and culture development, including diversity, inclusion and belonging.
• Attraction and retention.
• Employee Relations.
• Organisation change and communications.
• Talent management, succession and talent development.
• Leadership development and delivering core training interventions.
• Further driving HR effectiveness, policy, practices and approaches.
• Have an agile approach moving from strategic people plan discussions to more tactical problem solving e.g. employee relations and further developing HR effectiveness.
• Provide expert advice to line management on employment related queries, including performance, grievance and disciplinary matters.
• Play a key role in influencing all stakeholders on HR ways of working and supporting technology.
• Lead and coach a high-performing HR Team, ensuring their development and growth and valued contribution to business success.
  
  

Key Requirements And Competencies

• At least 10 years post-qualification experience in a HR/people environment ideally in a manufacturing business.
• Strong stakeholder and relationship management skills with a track record of providing strategic HR partnership to business leaders.
• Experience of managing in a multi-site environment with expected travel across sites of between 20% to 40% of the time.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and teamwork skills, with a strong customer service focus and attitude.
• Proven skills and experience in change programmes and cultural transformations.
• Skilled in strategic HR practices including talent acquisition and retention, employee engagement, employee relations, leadership development, coaching and performance management.
• Business and Commercial acumen to understand the OINA business model. Preferred candidate will be able to add input into overall OINA business decisions.
• A strong role model of the Ornua values and behaviours.
• Excellent people leadership skills and associated track-record, with a clear commitment to developing talent.
• A career-oriented senior HR professional who is keen to grow and build their career.
  
  

Ornua Competencies

• FORWARD LOOKING: Leads others through change and contributes to competitive challenges and functional strategy plans. Be strategic in your mindset and want to contribute at this level
• CUSTOMER FOCUS: Advocates for the customer, balances customer and business needs and spots opportunities for growth. Has commercial acumen so can contribute as a credible stakeholder in business meetings
• RIGOUR: Applies effective professional skill, analysis and decision-making and planning and reviewing. Strong analytical capability both written and verbal. Is resilient in style and doesn’t get swayed by change in strategy or plan
• WORKING TOGETETHER: Ensures own team effectiveness; facilitates and leads cross-functional working.
  
  

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an Employment Visa at the time.