Ocean Mist Farms · 2 hours ago
Human Resources Director
Castroville, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
$140K/yr - $180K/yr
10+ years expOcean Mist Farms is seeking a Director of Human Resources to provide strategic and operational leadership across various HR functions. The role involves managing a team, optimizing HR operations, and ensuring compliance with market standards while enhancing the employee experience.
AgricultureFood and Beverage
Hiring Manager
Judy Kelso
Responsibilities
Design, implement, and manage competitive compensation that are internally equitable, market competitive, and compliant, while supporting overall business objectives
Service as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, providing market insights, talent intelligence, and strategic recommendations to meet business needs
Partner with VP of HR, to build efficient, scalable, best-in-class systems, and processes to support OMF's people growth
Align hiring strategies with workforce planning, compensation philosophy, and total rewards programs
Lead annual compensation review processes, including merit and incentive programs
Oversee market benchmarking, pay equity, comp-ratio modeling, and range penetration analysis
Oversee the design and delivery of health, retirement, time-off and voluntary benefit programs that balance cost effectiveness with employee value
Drive rewards analytics and reporting to inform decision-making, track trends, and optimize program performance. Ensure compliance with all relevant laws and regulations and ensure regulatory compliance reporting is completed (ACA, ERISA, IRS, DOL)
Partner with vendors, consultants and brokers to ensure OMF health benefits remain competitive in a complex Ag labor market
Maintain knowledge of market trends, regulatory requirements, and best practices in compensation and benefits
Lead strategic direction for talent acquisition through oversight of the Talent Acquisition Manager. Partner with leaders to align hiring strategies with workforce planning and organizational priorities
Develop innovative sourcing and recruiting strategies, leveraging technology and AI to attract top talent in a competitive market
Ensure a consistent, positive, and inclusive candidate experience that strengthens OMF’s employer brand
Oversee payroll operations and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations
Provide strategic oversight of HR technology platforms driving automation, scalability, and data integrity
Develop workforce analytics dashboards and predictive models to inform leadership decisions on pay, headcount, turnover, and organizational health
Lead, coach, and develop a team of HR professionals across Total Rewards and Talent Acquisition
Build strong partnerships with internal stakeholders and external vendors/consultants to ensure programs are competitive, effective, and sustainable
Build communications and change management strategies to clearly articulate the value of Total Rewards to employees and leaders
Leverage ADP Workforce now for automation and program efficiency
Other duties as assigned
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Management, or related field
10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, including 5+ years in senior roles with expertise in compensation, benefits, and HR operations
Proven experience leading organizational effectiveness, job architecture frameworks, and employee engagement initiatives
Advanced analytical, financial modeling, and HRIS/data management skills; ability to present insights clearly to executives
Experience managing vendors, brokers, and consultants; skilled in negotiation and cost optimization
Solid knowledge of federal and state employment laws (FMLA, CFRA, PDL, COBRA/Cal-COBRA, ACA, ERISA, DOL, etc.)
Demonstrated success managing payroll, benefits, recruiting, and labor analytics teams
Exceptional leadership, communication, project management, and process improvement capabilities
High integrity, confidentiality, and discretion; ability to perform under pressure while balancing compliance, cost, and employee experience
Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook); HRIS and workforce analytics tools required
Willingness to travel as needed
Preferred
advanced coursework or certification (PHR/SPHR, CCP, SHRM-SCP)
Strong background in total rewards strategy (cash compensation, incentive design, benefits programs) with knowledge of ag/food industry labor practices
Bilingual (English/Spanish) and experience working in bilingual, bi-cultural environments
Benefits
Health, retirement, time-off and voluntary benefit programs
Company
Ocean Mist Farms
Ocean Mist Farms has provided multiple generations of customers with the freshest Artichokes and vegetables, and is still family owned.
201-500 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageLeadership Team
Brenda Perez
HR Partner
Recent News
Precedence Research
2025-11-19
Company data provided by crunchbase