Senior Director Human Resources

Johnson Outdoors is a global leader in innovative outdoor recreation equipment, dedicated to creating the best possible outdoor experiences for consumers around the world! With a portfolio of market-leading brands and a passion rooted in adventure, the company designs and manufactures premium products across fishing, diving, camping & watercraft categories.

With 1,300 employees, 18 global facility locations and selling into over 80 countries, the Johnson Outdoors team is continuing to grow! The Senior Director Human Resources serves as a strategic leader responsible for designing, executing, and continuously enhancing core HR functions, including compensation, benefits, HRIS/HR analytics, and talent management. Collaborates with HR leaders across business units to implement consistent enterprise-wide policies and best practices, promoting a unified and high-performing HR strategy.

Leads centralized HR operations and acts as a strategic business partner to senior leadership, driving operational excellence and organizational effectiveness. Leads and sets the vision for enterprise-wide strategic initiatives that shape Johnson Outdoors’ future. Serves as the central driver of organizational strategy by aligning priorities, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and ensuring results-driven execution. Guides strategic planning, governance, and change leadership to deliver measurable outcomes, enhance organizational agility, and advance long-term business goals.

Located at our beautiful Headquarters along Lake Michigan in downtown Racine: 555 Main Street, Racine, WI.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Alignment

• Provides strategic leadership across centralized HR functions, compensation, benefits, HRIS/HR analytics, and talent management. Additionally, directs initiatives in employee relations, organizational design, employee engagement and recognition, workplace safety and health, and performance management in close collaboration with executive leadership.
• Acts as a strategic advisor to executive leadership on workforce planning, organizational structure, and HR policy development, ensuring alignment with long-term business goals and operational effectiveness.

Compensation

• Oversees the development and management of compensation programs, including base pay and incentive plans, ensuring market competitiveness, internal equity, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Oversees the development and management of employee benefits programs, including health and welfare plans, retirement savings, wellness initiatives, and leave policies. Monitors utilization, cost-effectiveness, and employee satisfaction.
• Oversees the HRIS function, ensuring optimal efficiency, data integrity, and user experience.
• Drives the development of HR analytics capabilities to enable data-driven decision-making and workforce insights.

Talent Management & Development

• Collaborates with executive leadership to develop and implement performance management, succession planning, leadership development, employee engagement, and career growth strategies that build organizational capability and a high-performing workforce.
• Promotes a culture of continuous learning and career growth across the organization.

Policy & Compliance

• Collaborates with HR leaders across business units to develop and implement consistent, enterprise-wide HR policies and practices that reflect organizational values and ensure legal compliance.
• Leads audits and risk assessments to maintain compliance with employment laws and internal standards.
• Drives innovation by identifying and implementing emerging HR trends, technologies, and process improvements that enhance employee experience and organizational agility.

Strategic Advisor

• Advises business unit human resources leadership on the interpretation, administration, execution and communication of employment regulations, company policies, enterprise practices, and HR best practices. Serves as a change leader in driving enterprise HR initiatives and transformation efforts.
• Leads HR operations for centralized functions including improving processes, service delivery, and employee experience.

Other

• Champions an AI-first mindset and the responsible integration of AI and other digital technologies into business strategy, prioritization, risk management, decision-making, and operations. Guides organizational adoption while ensuring alignment with company governance, security, privacy, and ethical standards.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Supervisory…