Sr HR Manager

Description

The HR Leader is the people leader for ZT Automotive’s multi-brand, multi-location dealership portfolio. This role translates business strategy into a practical people agenda that strengthens leadership capability, attracts and retains dealership talent, improves the employee experience, and supports disciplined growth. The leader serves as a trusted advisor to portfolio executives, market leaders, general managers, and functional partners while building consistent HR standards that remain responsive to each dealership’s operating environment.

The successful candidate combines strategic judgment with hands-on execution. They will establish scalable HR infrastructure, use workforce data to guide decisions, lead employee relations and compliance, and support acquisition integration—all while maintaining visible, credible relationships in the field.

Key Leadership Accountabilities

Business Partnership & People Strategy

· Partner with portfolio leadership and dealership operators to translate growth plans, operating priorities, and financial objectives into an integrated people strategy.

· Advise leaders on organization design, workforce planning, leadership effectiveness, succession, retention, compensation, and complex employee matters.

· Build strong relationships with general managers and market leaders through structured operating reviews, and timely follow-through.

· Balance portfolio-wide consistency with appropriate local flexibility across brands, markets, and dealership functions.

Talent Acquisition, Workforce Planning & Retention

· Develop a proactive talent strategy for high-volume and hard-to-fill dealership roles across Sales, Service, Parts, Finance & Insurance, Accounting, and support functions.

· Strengthen recruiting discipline, candidate experience, selection quality, onboarding, and early-tenure follow-up in partnership with dealership leaders.

· Use headcount, productivity, vacancy, turnover, and labor-cost data to identify workforce risks and recommend action.

Leadership, Performance & Culture

· Build manager capability through clear expectations, coaching, performance management, progressive discipline, and leadership development.

· Create succession and talent-review practices for critical dealership and portfolio roles, with clear development actions and accountability.

· Promote a high-performance culture grounded in integrity, accountability, customer service, safety, inclusion, and respect.

· Strengthen employee communications, recognition, engagement, and listening mechanisms across geographically dispersed locations.

Employee Relations, Compliance & Risk

· Provide sound, timely guidance on investigations, corrective action, workplace conduct, attendance, leave, accommodations, wage-and-hour matters, and separations.

· Ensure HR practices comply with applicable federal, state, and local employment requirements across the portfolio’s operating markets.

· Maintain consistent policies, documentation standards, recordkeeping, and audit readiness while partnering with Legal and other advisors as appropriate.

Pay Plans, Payroll Governance & HR Operations

· Provide strategic oversight of dealership pay-plan governance, benefits, retirement programs, paid time off, and related employee communications.

· Partner with Finance, Payroll, and dealership leadership to strengthen pay accuracy, controls, approval practices, issue resolution, and compliance for hourly, salaried, commission, draw, and flat-rate populations.

· Standardize core employee lifecycle processes—including hiring, onboarding, transfers, status changes, leaves, and terminations—through clear ownership, service levels, and controls.

· Advance effective use of HR technology (Paylocity), reporting, self-service, workflow automation, and data quality to improve service and reduce administrative friction.

M&A Integration & Organizational Growth

· Lead HR due diligence and post-close integration planning for dealership acquisitions, including workforce data, compliance, compensation and benefits, payroll, systems, communications, and retention risk.

· Deliver a structured employee transition experience that preserves business continuity, establishes trust, and drives adoption of ZT Automotive practices.

· Create repeatable integration playbooks, milestones, risk tracking, and leadership reporting to support continued portfolio expansion.

HR Team Leadership & Governance

· Lead, coach, and develop the HR team; establish clear roles, priorities, service standards, escalation paths, and performance expectations.

· Build an operating model that positions HR close to the business while maintaining appropriate governance, subject-matter expertise, and process discipline.

· Manage external partners and vendors with clear expectations for service, compliance, cost, and outcomes.

Measures of Success 

· Reliable payroll and HR operations, accurate workforce data, effective controls, and responsive employee service.

· Consistent policy execution, timely employee-relations resolution, and reduced compliance and workforce risk.

· Disciplined, employee-centered integration of newly acquired dealerships.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related discipline; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.

· 7+ years of progressive HR experience, including at least 3 years leading an HR function, major business unit, or complex multi-site organization.

· Demonstrated experience advising senior executives and operational leaders in a fast-paced, decentralized environment.

· Strong command of employee relations, employment law, talent management, compensation, benefits, payroll governance, and HR operations.

· Experience building scalable processes, leading change, and using workforce analytics to influence business decisions.

Preferred Qualifications

· Automotive retail, dealership group, multi-unit retail, hospitality, or another high-volume, operationally intensive industry.

· Experience supporting acquisitions, integrations, rapid growth, or private-equity-backed portfolio operations.

· HR certification such as SPHR, SHRM-SCP, or GPHR.

· Experience with HRIS/payroll platforms, applicant tracking systems, dealership management systems, and dashboard reporting.