HR Services Director

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

Unity. Loyalty. Advancement. Charity. It's what drives United Legwear & Apparel Co. to be the best global designer, manufacturer, and distributor of legwear, bodywear, apparel, and accessories. Founded in 1998 by Isaac E. Ash to make the very best legwear on the market, ULAC is an industry leader offering a full range of products for babies, kids, teens, and adults. We strive to sell our products at affordable prices for families. Hard work and exponential growth year by year has transformed ULAC into a global apparel and accessories company. If you share our vision of delivering superior products in a culture of growth, excellence, and caring, then we want to hear from you!

JOB SUMMARY

The HR Services Director is a senior HR leader for United Legwear & Apparel Co., responsible for overseeing and elevating the corporate Human Resources function across the New York City and New Jersey offices as well as our US retail services, while also directing enterprise-wide recruitment strategy and execution for open positions across the US and Canada. This role provides strategic and operational leadership for the Corporate HR team, driving consistency, compliance, and a connected employee experience across ULAC's NY and NJ locations while serving as a trusted advisor to senior business leaders.

Reporting directly to the VP of Human Resources, the HR Services Director leads and develops the NJ-based HR Manager, the broader NY/NJ HR Generalist and Specialist team, and the Corporate Recruiter — the latter with direct oversight of recruitment strategy, hiring plans, and full life-cycle execution for open positions across the US and Canada — ensuring high-quality, consistent delivery of HR programs across the corporate footprint. This role is a visible, credible senior HR presence — anticipating business needs, resolving complex employee relations matters, and partnering with executive leadership to design and implement HR strategies that support organizational effectiveness and growth.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO)

HR Leadership & Team Management

• Directly lead, coach, and develop the NJ-based HR Manager, the Corporate Recruiter, and the NY/NJ HR Generalist and Specialist team, setting clear goals, providing regular feedback, and building a high-performing, service-oriented corporate HR function.

• Establish and oversee team workload distribution, coverage plans, and performance standards to ensure consistent, high-quality HR support across the NY and NJ offices.

• Serve as a mentor and escalation point for the HR team on complex employee relations, compliance, and policy interpretation matters, ensuring sound judgment and appropriate escalation to the VP of HR.

• Identify opportunities to improve HR service delivery, processes, and tools across the NY and NJ corporate team; lead process-improvement initiatives in partnership with HR leadership.

• Partner with the VP of HR to design and execute the corporate HR team's structure, staffing plan, and long-term capability roadmap.

• Conduct regular one-on-ones, team meetings, and development planning for direct and indirect reports across the corporate HR team.

• Leverage HR metrics and data to evaluate team performance, identify trends, and inform staffing and resource decisions.

Talent Acquisition & Recruitment Oversight – US & Canada

• Directly lead and manage the Corporate Recruiter, setting recruitment priorities, service-level expectations, and performance standards for full life-cycle hiring across the US and Canada.

• Partner with hiring managers and business leaders across all US locations and Canada to define role requirements, sourcing strategy, and selection criteria for corporate, retail, and distribution positions.

• Establish and monitor recruitment metrics — including time-to-fill, pipeline health, and quality-of-hire — to drive consistent, efficient, and compliant hiring outcomes across all US states and Canada.

• Ensure recruitment practices comply with applicable US federal and state employment law and Canadian employment and human rights legislation, including job posting, interview, and offer practices.

• Partner with the VP of HR on employer branding, talent pipeline development, and workforce planning to support ULAC's growth across US and Canada markets.

• Oversee the selection, use, and administration of recruiting and sourcing applications (ATS, job boards, LinkedIn Recruiter, and similar platforms), ensuring the Corporate Recruiter has the right tools to source and manage candidates efficiently across the US and Canada.

• Manage and cultivate external recruiting partnerships — including staffing agencies, university and early-career pipelines, and industry associations — to expand and diversify the talent pipeline across the US and Canada.

Strategic HR Business Partnering

• Serve as a strategic HR business partner and trusted advisor to senior leaders across the NY and NJ corporate offices on organizational design, workforce planning, and talent strategy.

• Proactively engage business leaders to understand goals, team capabilities, and organizational gaps; translate insights into actionable HR recommendations.

• Partner with the VP of HR on enterprise-wide HR initiatives, including performance management, compensation planning, engagement, and retention strategy.

• Consult with leaders on workforce planning, role design, succession planning, and organizational structure to support ULAC's growth objectives.

• Represent HR in senior leadership discussions on business unit priorities, restructuring, and change management initiatives affecting the NY and NJ corporate population.

• Partner with business leaders and the Corporate Recruiter to align hiring plans, job design, and compensation decisions with market benchmarks and internal equity across the US and Canada.

• Track and present HR metrics — including turnover, engagement, headcount, and employee relations trends — to the VP of HR and senior business stakeholders.

• Support enterprise-wide HR projects and initiatives as assigned by the VP of HR.

Employee Relations & Investigations – NY & NJ

• Serve as the senior HR point of contact for employee relations matters across the NY and NJ corporate offices, providing guidance grounded in policy, employment law, and sound judgment.

• Coach and advise managers through performance management conversations, corrective action, and disciplinary processes; ensure documentation and process consistency across the team.

• Lead or oversee workplace investigations involving NY and NJ corporate employees, including intake, interviews, documentation, and closing memos; escalate to the VP of HR on matters of significant risk or complexity.

• Ensure compliance with NYC, NYS, and NJ employment laws, including pay transparency, anti-discrimination, leave entitlements, and workplace safety requirements.

• Partner with the VP of HR and legal counsel, as needed, to resolve complex or sensitive employee relations matters with appropriate urgency, discretion, and documentation discipline.

Training & Development – NY & NJ

• Identify learning and development needs across the NY and NJ corporate offices; design, coordinate, or source learning solutions aligned to business priorities.

• Lead enterprise-wide L&D initiatives, onboarding programs, and manager capability-building efforts in partnership with the VP of HR.

• Champion leadership development and culture-building initiatives — including ULAC's manager capability programs — that reinforce company values and strengthen manager effectiveness across the corporate HR footprint.

HR Operations & Compliance – NY & NJ

• Oversee day-to-day HR operations and generalist support across the NY and NJ corporate offices, ensuring consistent, compliant delivery across the full employee lifecycle — onboarding, leave administration, offboarding, and policy interpretation.

• Ensure consistent application of ULAC policies, benefits programs, and HR processes across the NY and NJ corporate population.

• Lead annual HR cycles — including performance reviews, compensation planning, and employee engagement initiatives — for the NY and NJ corporate population.

• Maintain accurate, compliant HR records and documentation across the corporate HR team; uphold HRIS and ATS data integrity standards.

• Serve as a visible, accessible, and trusted senior HR presence across the NY and NJ offices that reinforces a positive, inclusive, and high-performance workplace culture.

• Perform any other duties as assigned in support of company needs and operations.

LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

At ULAC, we are looking for people who share our vision of fostering a collaborative culture of continuous improvement. All team members at ULAC are responsible for contributing to a safe and positive work culture so everyone can deliver their best. Leadership behaviors that model ULAC's mission and values of Unity, Loyalty, Achievement, and Charity include:

• Lead Proactively — Anticipate and solve problems with foresight, reflection, and curiosity. Inspire and motivate team members to be solution-oriented and strive for performance excellence.

• Provide Positive & Frequent Performance Feedback — Maximize performance and motivation by asking for and giving constructive feedback. Acknowledge and reinforce good performance with specific, observable behaviors.

• Initiate Structure and Goal Setting — Establish, communicate, and achieve ambitious and specific goals. Consistently develop structured processes that reinforce company objectives.

• Foster Positive Culture — Perpetuate continuous improvement by fostering an optimistic, trusting, innovative, and open work environment.

• Communicate Effectively — Encourage effective dialogue, problem-solving, and conflict resolution by actively listening and fostering collaboration with peers, leadership, and direct reports.

• Develop Self and Others — Fulfill role-specific training and development; engage in knowledge and skill growth to focus on achieving high performance.

EDUCATION / QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field required; Master's degree preferred; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• SHRM-SCP or SPHR certification strongly preferred; SHRM-CP or PHR required at minimum (with attainment of senior-level certification within 18 months of hire).

• Strong working knowledge of NYC, NYS, and NJ employment law; federal employment law compliance experience required.

• Demonstrated proficiency with HRIS and ATS platforms; ADP experience preferred.

• Working knowledge of recruiting and sourcing applications (ATS, job boards, LinkedIn Recruiter, and similar platforms) and experience managing external recruiting partnerships (staffing agencies, university pipelines, industry associations) required.

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and influencing skills with the ability to build trust and credibility with senior executives and cross-functional leaders.

• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and competing demands with strong organizational discipline, discretion, and attention to detail.

• Demonstrated strategic and consultative approach to HR — comfortable advising senior leaders, identifying organizational gaps, and recommending enterprise-wide solutions.

Preferred

• Experience in the apparel, fashion, consumer goods, or retail industry preferred.

• Familiarity with multi-state HR compliance, particularly NY/NJ employment law.

• Experience building or scaling a corporate HR function or team.

• Experience overseeing or directly managing a recruiter or talent acquisition function, including cross-border (US and Canada) recruitment.

EXPERIENCE

Required

• Minimum 8+ years of progressive HR experience, including at least 5 years in a formal HR leadership role (HR Manager, HR Director, or equivalent) with direct supervisory responsibility for HR staff.

• Proven experience directly managing and developing HR Managers, Generalists, or Specialists, including goal-setting, coaching, and performance management of the HR team itself.

• Demonstrated ability to build effective, trusted relationships with senior leaders and influence at the executive level.

• Experience leading HR process improvements that drive greater consistency, efficiency, or organizational effectiveness across multiple offices or locations.

• Background leading employee relations matters and workplace investigations, including coaching managers through performance and conduct matters, with strong escalation judgment.

• Experience in a fast-paced, multi-location organization with demonstrated ability to balance strategic HR leadership with hands-on operational execution.

Preferred

• 3+ years of direct supervisory experience leading HR Managers, Generalists, or Specialists.

• Experience supporting both exempt and non-exempt employee populations across multiple states.

• Experience partnering with legal counsel on complex employee relations or workplace investigation matters.

Expected to work a minimum of 40 hours per week. This is a hybrid position based in the New York City office. In-office presence is expected a minimum of 4 days per week, with flexibility based on business needs.