Human Resources Director

Matlock’s Used Cars & Parts has been family-owned and operated for over 80 years, growing from a single salvage yard into a multi-location, multi-state auto parts business with over 100 employees today. Now in its third generation of family leadership, Matlock’s has built its reputation on knowing its customers and its inventory better than anyone else in the region and on treating employees like part of the family.

About the role

As the company grows, Matlock’s is looking for an experienced HR professional to scale and run the human resources function alongside that growth. The Director of HR will provide hands-on day-to-day execution while developing strategic initiatives. This individual will own payroll, employee relations, compliance, and recruiting support, while also serving as a go-to resource for ownership on people-related decisions as the business scales.

Responsibilities

• HR Operations & Compliance
  • Own core HR functions: administer and continuously refine the company's pay structure, benefits administration, employee relations, policy development, and compliance
  • Ensure the organization stays current with federal, state, and local employment law requirements
  • Maintain and continuously improve employee handbook, policies, and procedures
  • Oversee and act as backup for payroll each cycle, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with wage and tax requirements
  • Advise ownership on organizational structure and workforce planning as the business grows
• Safety Leadership
  • Support the company's workplace safety program, including OSHA compliance tracking, safety training coordination, and incident documentation
  • Coordinate workers' compensation claims, including carrier communication and return-to-work follow-up
• Vendor & Program Management
  • Manage and optimize relationships with HR vendors (benefits brokers, payroll providers, vendor platforms, background check services, etc.)
  • Flag contract renewals, cost changes, or service issues to ownership for review
• Culture & Employee Relations
  • Champion company culture and employee engagement initiatives
  • Serve as an escalation point for complex employee relations matters, investigations, and conflict resolution
  • Partner with managers to build a high-performance, low-drama workplace
• Recruiting & Talent Acquisition
  • Own full-cycle recruiting for open roles, including sourcing, screening, interviewing, and offer negotiation
  • Build repeatable hiring processes, job descriptions, and candidate evaluation criteria across departments
  • Work with external, fractional recruiting firms as needed
• Talent Development & Training
  • Coordinate onboarding, training, and skills-building initiatives for employees

Qualifications

• Required
  • 5+ years of progressive HR generalist experience, ideally including direct payroll ownership
  • Experience as the primary or sole HR practitioner at a company of similar size, where you owned the full breadth of HR functions directly
  • Strong working knowledge of employment law, compliance, and HR best practices
  • Demonstrated ability to manage day-to-day relationships with HR vendors (benefits brokers, payroll providers, background check services)
  • Excellent judgment, discretion, and professionalism in handling confidential and sensitive matters
  • Willingness to personally own hands-on, in-the-weeds execution alongside the role's broader HR strategic responsibilities
• Preferred
  • Bachelor's degree in HR, Business Administration, or related field (or equivalent experience)
  • SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or equivalent certification
  • Experience in a blue-collar, industrial, or operations-driven environment
  • Experience supporting a workplace safety program, including OSHA compliance and safety training

Pay

$95,000 to $105,000

Location: Claremont, NC (Full-Time/On-site)