Automotive HR Director

About the role

Job Title HR Director Location Bay Area of Northern California About Us We are a growing, multi-rooftop automotive dealership group operating throughout Northern California. Our organization is built around operational consistency, strong leadership accountability, and a high standard of professionalism. We support dealership teams focused on delivering an exceptional customer experience while maintaining disciplined, compliant, and consistent internal processes across each location. Position Overview We are seeking an experienced  HR Director  to lead human resources strategy and day-to-day HR execution across our Northern California dealership operations. This is a hands-on leadership role responsible for employee relations, California employment compliance, recruiting support, performance management, workplace investigations, training, policy administration, leave management, and HR process standardization across multiple rooftops. The ideal candidate has  direct automotive dealership HR experience in Northern California  and understands the unique challenges of managing employees across sales, service, parts, BDC, accounting, and administrative departments. This individual will work closely with executive leadership, General Managers, department leaders, and payroll/administrative teams to strengthen accountability, reduce employment-related risk, improve retention, and create consistent HR practices throughout the organization. Key Responsibilities Lead HR operations across multiple California dealerships, ensuring consistent processes, documentation, policies, and employment practices Serve as a strategic HR partner to executive leadership, General Managers, and department leaders regarding organizational structure, staffing, performance, employee relations, and talent needs Manage employee relations matters, including workplace investigations, complaints, corrective action, conflict resolution, performance issues, and terminations Maintain strong compliance with applicable  California and federal employment laws, wage-and-hour requirements, leave requirements, workplace standards, and documentation practices Partner with payroll and dealership leadership to support compliant timekeeping, attendance, compensation, meal and rest period practices, and other wage-and-hour processes Manage and coordinate employee leave and accommodation processes in partnership with appropriate internal and external resources Maintain and update employee handbooks, HR policies, SOPs, forms, and documentation standards Ensure HR policies and procedures are communicated and applied consistently across all dealership locations Support recruiting strategy, candidate screening, hiring processes, background-check procedures, offer processes, and onboarding Improve onboarding consistency and help establish clear expectations for new employees and managers Develop and support management training focused on employee relations, documentation, coaching, compliance, leadership, and accountability Oversee performance management practices and help dealership leaders establish effective coaching, counseling, and performance improvement plans Support benefits administration, HRIS systems, payroll coordination, workers' compensation processes, and employee records management as applicable Partner with leadership to identify employee retention issues and develop practical strategies to improve engagement and reduce unnecessary turnover Monitor HR metrics including turnover, hiring activity, attendance, employee relations matters, terminations, and other workforce trends Identify HR-related risks and recommend practical improvements to processes, policies, training, and leadership practices Promote a professional, respectful, accountable, and performance-focused workplace culture across the organization Qualifications Required: HR leadership experience within the  automotive dealership industry Demonstrated experience managing HR matters for employees located in  California 5+ years of progressive HR experience; multi-location or dealer-group leadership experience strongly preferred Strong working knowledge of California employee relations, wage-and-hour compliance, leave administration, workplace investigations, performance management, and employment documentation practices Experience handling sensitive employee complaints and conducting thorough, objective workplace investigations Proven ability to coach and influence General Managers, department managers, and senior leaders while maintaining consistent HR standards Ability to balance employee advocacy with the operational and business needs of the organization Experience creating and implementing scalable HR processes across multiple locations Demonstrated ability to improve compliance, accountability, employee retention, and management effectiveness through disciplined HR practices Strong written and verbal communication skills Strong conflict-resolution, judgment, organization, and problem-solving abilities High level of integrity and discretion when handling confidential employee and business information Ability to manage multiple priorities and respond effectively in a fast-paced dealership environment Preferred: Experience supporting multiple dealership franchises or rooftops Experience with dealership HRIS, payroll, timekeeping, or DMS-related processes HR certification such as  PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP Why Join Us This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for an experienced automotive HR professional who wants to make a measurable difference across a growing California dealership organization. You will have the opportunity to: Work directly with executive and dealership leadership Strengthen HR practices across multiple rooftops Improve consistency and accountability throughout the organization Develop stronger managers and dealership leaders Reduce employment-related risk through better processes, documentation, and training Improve recruiting, onboarding, retention, and employee engagement Help shape the HR infrastructure of a growth-focused dealer group This role is designed for a  hands-on HR leader  who is comfortable moving between strategic initiatives and day-to-day dealership HR challenges. Benefits Competitive compensation package Medical, dental, and vision coverage options 401(k) retirement plan options Paid time off and paid holidays Employee discounts and dealership benefits Professional development and training opportunities Additional benefits may be available based on position and location How to Apply Submit your resume along with a brief overview of your  automotive dealership HR leadership experience, including your experience supporting Northern California dealership operations, through the platform where you found this posting. Qualified candidates will be contacted regarding next steps.