Director, Human Resources Business Partner

Company Overview

Established in 1935, Mezzetta has grown from a family-owned business into a nationally recognized leader in specialty olives, peppers, and sauces. Our commitment revolves around selecting premium ingredients, crafting products with care, and fostering connections through food that reflect our family legacy and dedication to quality.

Core Values

• Crunchy Crunchy: Striving relentlessly for excellence.
• Own It: Acting with ownership, initiative, and responsibility.
• Connection: Building genuine relationships grounded in trust and open communication.
• Vibrance: Approaching work passionately and sharing a part of oneself through it.

Role Overview

We are seeking a strategic Director of People Operations who will prioritize people-first philosophies to empower teams and business success. Reporting to the VP of People Operations, this role carries ownership of the company's overarching talent strategy including talent management, employee engagement, organizational culture, recognition programs, internal communication, employer branding, and talent acquisition. Located primarily in our Larkspur Landing and American Canyon offices, with one day per week remote allowed, this position complements the Director, People Operations role focused on operational infrastructure and processes.

This leadership position is not centered on transactional HR support but requires a dynamic builder and driver who treats talent and culture as vital competitive advantages and direct contributors to company strategy. The Director will convert people strategies into actionable, well-executed programs measured by impact, from talent frameworks, succession planning, and career development structures to recognition initiatives based on employee feedback and transparent communications fostering trust.

Talent acquisition represents roughly 30% of the role, necessitating strategic ownership and occasional hands-on recruiting including sourcing and screening when required. The remainder of the focus lies in talent strategy, engagement, and culture development.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and continually refine the corporate talent framework, implementing consistent talent assessments and calibrations in partnership with leadership.
• Develop and maintain succession plans for key positions.
• Design and expand a Career Framework to establish clear roles and growth trajectories for employees.
• Lead identification of capabilities gaps and develop learning and development programs targeting these, including management and leadership talent practices.
• Support leadership development efforts utilizing tools such as Predictive Index assessments.
• Collaborate on organizational and operational effectiveness initiatives with People Operations leadership.
• Manage employee engagement programs end-to-end including surveys, data analysis, action planning, and follow-up communication.
• Create and deploy a Recognition and Reward program founded on employee input and encourage widespread participation.
• Embed Mezzetta's core values into behavior standards across hiring, onboarding, recognition, and leadership actions.
• Anticipate and address issues relating to engagement, retention, and morale with data-driven recommendations.
• Oversee a consistent internal communications cadence including Town Hall meetings and updates that build transparency and trust.
• Communicate clearly during organizational changes, partnering with leadership to ensure message credibility.
• Manage the employer brand and reputation externally, actively monitoring and responding on platforms such as Glassdoor and social media aligned with company values.
• Partner with recruiters to ensure top-quality hiring processes; take responsibility for key or sensitive recruitments, including coaching hiring managers.

Candidate Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degrees such as MBA or MSHR, or HR certifications like SPHR or SHRM, are preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years progressive HR experience, including leadership of talent management, engagement, or culture strategies.
• Proven capabilities in designing and executing people programs from concept to adoption.
• A strategic thinker with strong operational execution; adept at both planning and hands-on work.
• Exemplary written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting to senior executives.
• Data savvy with ability to translate analytics related to engagement and retention into actionable strategies.
• Influential leader capable of coaching and guiding without direct authority.
• Experience managing teams or vendor partners with accountability for results.
• Excellent judgment and discretion with sensitive organizational information.
• Hands-on recruiting experience spanning full-cycle processes; skilled at managing recruiters or agencies.
• Effective project and change management abilities; organized and deadline-oriented.
• Prior exposure to talent assessment tools (e.g. Predictive Index) and employer branding initiatives is advantageous.
• Familiarity with AI tools such as Claude or ChatGPT beneficial.

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $180,000 to $190,000 USD annually.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Mezzetta embraces diversity and fosters an inclusive workplace where all employees feel valued and respected. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer prohibiting discrimination or harassment based on any protected characteristic. All employment decisions are merit-based and aligned with business needs.