VP of Human Resources in Memphis, Tennessee at Dobbs Peterbilt

Dobbs Truck Group operates 25 commercial truck dealerships through two operating companies – Dobbs Peterbilt and Western Truck Center. These dealerships represent some of the best commercial truck brands including Peterbilt, Volvo, Mack, Autocar, and Hino and include locations in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington.

I. General Job Description

The Vice President of Human Resources is a member of the senior leadership team and is responsible for leading HR operations, employment practices, and talent programs. This leader partners closely with the CEO and executive team to ensure the organization has the leadership, workforce, and workplace practices needed to support business performance and continued growth.

The Vice President leads the full HR function for a geographically dispersed organization of approximately 800 employees across seven states. Responsibilities include organizational development, talent acquisition, learning and development, employee relations, compensation, benefits, leave administration, workers’ compensation, safety, employment compliance, and HR technology.

This role requires an experienced and practical HR executive who can support business objectives through practical HR execution while remaining closely connected to operations. This is a hands-on HR leadership role focused on execution, consistency, compliance, talent sourcing, and practical support for operations rather than serving as a primary advisor on overall company strategy.

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the role.

Responsibilities

HR Leadership and Business Support

• Work with company and operational leaders to ensure HR priorities support operating goals, staffing needs, and compliance requirements
• Provide practical HR guidance to leaders on workforce planning, employee relations, staffing, policy application, and employment risk.
• Lead workforce planning to ensure the company has the structure and capabilities needed to meet current and future business demands.
• Guide leaders through organizational growth, restructuring, leadership transitions, acquisitions, integrations, and other significant changes.
• Establish company-wide HR priorities and use workforce data to measure progress, identify risks, and support business decisions.

Talent Acquisition, Technician Recruiting, and Workforce Development

• Develop, implement and manage policies and processes for attracting, selecting, developing, and retaining talent across the organization.
• Oversee recruiting and onboarding practices, with particular focus on skilled technicians, operational leaders, sales professionals, and other critical roles.
• Coordinate practical training programs that help managers apply company policies, improve employee supervision, and support consistent execution across locations.
• Establish performance management practices that reinforce clear expectations, meaningful feedback, employee development, and accountability.
• Use employee feedback, turnover trends, and other workforce information to identify and address cultural and retention concerns.
• Establish the company’s learning and development strategy and oversee employee training programs, including leadership development, compliance training, onboarding, and other company-wide learning initiatives.

Employee Relations and Compliance

• Provide leadership and sound judgment in complex employee relations matters, workplace investigations, corrective actions, and employment separations.
• Ensure employment decisions are fair, consistent, appropriately documented, and aligned with company policy and applicable law.
• Maintain employment policies and practices that are practical for the business and compliant with federal, state, and local requirements.
• Ensure the company remains current with employment requirements across its operating footprint, particularly in California and Washington.
• Partner with legal counsel and other advisors to manage employment claims, litigation, and emerging areas of risk.
• Ensure employees have credible ways to raise concerns and that reported concerns are reviewed objectively and addressed appropriately.

Compensation and Benefits

• Support compensation administration, including job structure maintenance, pay recommendations, incentive plan coordination, and market data review, while ensuring leadership retains responsibility for broader compensation philosophy and major plan design decisions. Advise leadership on employee compensation decisions, workforce investments, and labor cost considerations.
• Oversee employee benefits, retirement plans, and wellness programs, balancing employee needs, market competitiveness, and cost.
• Evaluate plan performance, employee utilization, and vendor effectiveness to guide benefit strategy and future investment.

Leave, Workers’ Compensation, and Safety

• Oversee company-wide leave and disability accommodation practices to ensure employees are supported and requirements are administered consistently.
• Lead the company’s workers’ compensation and return-to-work strategies, including claims oversight and efforts to reduce injury-related costs.
• Work with insurance carriers, brokers, safety partners, and other advisors to improve outcomes and manage organizational risk.

HR Operations and Team Leadership

• Lead, develop, and hold accountable an HR team that is responsive, credible, and capable of supporting both employees and leaders.
• Establish clear priorities, responsibilities, service expectations, and measures of success for the HR function.
• Lead the evaluation, implementation, and continued improvement of HR technology, systems, and processes.
• Ensure employee data and records are accurate, secure, and capable of supporting reliable workforce reporting.
• Simplify and standardize HR practices where appropriate while recognizing legitimate operational and state-specific differences.
• Evaluate HR programs, service delivery, and vendor relationships to improve effectiveness, manage costs, and reduce unnecessary administrative work.

II. Minimum Job Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, organizational development, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of progressive HR leadership experience, including senior-level responsibility for a broad HR function.
• Experience supporting senior operational leaders on employee relations, staffing, compliance, compensation administration, and HR process matters.
• Experience leading HR for a geographically dispersed, multi-location, and multi-state workforce.
• Strong knowledge of federal employment law and demonstrated experience working with complex state requirements (e.g., California, Washington, etc.)..
• Strong background in organizational development and design and talent management, including succession planning and leadership development.
• Experience leading a major HR technology implementation or significant systems improvement initiative.
• Strong business and financial acumen, executive communication, judgment, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to travel regularly throughout the company’s operating footprint.

III. Desired Job Qualifications

• Master’s degree in human resources, business administration, organizational development, or a related field.
• PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, or a comparable HR certification.
• Senior HR leadership experience in the heavy-duty truck industry, preferably within a multi-location dealership, parts, and service organization.
• Experience supporting acquisitions, integrations, organizational restructuring, executive transitions, or significant business transformation.

IV. Mental Capability Requirements

• Comprehension: Ability to understand opposing points of view on highly complex issues, negotiate, and integrate different viewpoints.
• Organization: Ability to organize and prioritize work schedules of others on long-term basis.
• Reasoning & Decision Making: Ability to make decisions with significant impact on department’s credibility, operations, and services.
• Communication: Ability to formulate complex and comprehensive materials, such as legal documents, authoritative reports, official publications of major scope and impacts, and make formal presentations.
• Mathematics: Ability to compute, analyze, and interpret complex statistical data and develop forecasts and computer models.

V. Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, sit, use hands and arms to handle or feel objects, tools or controls, reach with hands and arms, climb stairs, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, talk or hear, and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is not exposed to weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

VI. Common Expectations of Performance for all Employees

The following includes common expectations for all employees of the Company. The evaluation of job performance will be based on these common expectations as well as the position-specific responsibilities described above.

Communications, Teamwork, and Feedback to Others

• Contribute to a work environment that is based on trust and respect.
• Have discussions on a regular basis with their manager to discuss opportunities to best achieve individual performance objectives and departmental goals.
• Suggest ways to improve the efficiency of conducting their job duties.
• Promote continuous improvement and change to support company growth.
• Mentor others unselfishly.
• Give credit where it’s due.

Company Loyal Policies and Work Ethic

• Adhere to the policies contained in the Employee Handbook.
• Adhere to the Company’s Employee Conduct Policy.
• Support management decisions toward meeting company goals.
• Be open and receptive to new ideas, regardless of their origin.
• Make prudent decisions, which are based on the best interest of the Company and its long-term future.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer

Dobbs Truck Group operates 25 commercial truck dealerships through two operating companies – Dobbs Peterbilt and Western Truck Center.

Dobbs Peterbilt and Western Truck Center are equal opportunity employers that values a broad diversity of talent, knowledge, experience, and expertise. We foster a culture of inclusion that drives employee engagement to deliver superior performance to the communities we serve. Dobbs Peterbilt and Western Truck Parts do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, ancestry, pregnancy, genetic information, gender identity, sexual orientation, or marital status; or on the basis of age against persons whose age is 40 and over, or on the basis of physical or mental disability; or to disabled veterans or to Vietnam veterans.

We are proud to be an affirmative action employer and encourage minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and veterans to join our team.