Vice President of People & Culture
Apply NowCompany: Bake n Joy Foods, Inc.
Location: North Andover, MA 01845
Description:
Family owned and operated, Bake'n Joy Foods, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of top-quality bakery products that began over eighty years ago in 1941. We manufacture a variety of products for professional bakers including frozen scoop batters, predeposited muffin, cornbread, loaf cakes and Boston Coffee Cakes, mixes as well as an expanding line of fully baked items such as coffee cakes, loaf cakes and more. We remain committed to providing top quality products, service, and value to our customers.
STAFFING AGENCIES AND RECRUITING FIRMS - PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT BAKE'N JOY FOR THIS ROLE
Vice President, People & Culture
Classification:
Reports To:
JD Review Date:
LINK TO APPLY :
Vice President, People & Culture, Bake'n Joy Foods
COMPANY BACKGROUND
In 1941 a man with a vision set out to build a business by helping busy corner bakeries. Equipped with a small blender, he began producing bread and donut mixes and selling them to local bakers, founding what is now Bake'n Joy Foods, Inc.
Abraham Ogan started a New England family business that is still thriving today with the third generation of leadership. For more than 82 years, Bake'n Joy has survived the ups and downs of business through product innovation, the desire and ability to take risks, and bringing customers what they need and want.
From 1941 through 1980, the company focused on providing quality mixes and bases for breads, donuts, muffins, Danish, and cookies to a growing number of bakery, supermarket and foodservice customers.
Recognizing the workforce challenges facing the baking industry, Bake'n Joy's innovative Research & Development team created the first ever thaw-scoop-and-bake frozen batters in 1980. Since then, the frozen category has become central to the Company's growth and has set the standard for new product development.
Bake'n Joy's product offerings have grown well beyond mixes and frozen scoop batters for muffins and loaf cakes. Today they are the premier maker of the highest quality preportioned/predeposited muffin and PanFree predeposited batters for muffins, loaves and cupcakes.
Today, Bake'n Joy is proud to call Boston Coffee Cake their own! Since the brand's inception 25 years ago, Boston Coffee Cake products have been heralded for their high quality and strong customer following. In 2009, a new bakery was built at the North Andover headquarters to produce the high-quality coffee cakes, loaf cakes and dessert cakes under the Boston Coffee Cake brand.
Bake'n Joy has expanded heavily into the fully baked bakery category through the acquisition of a long time customer, L&M Bakery, in 2021, followed by the opening of a state-of-the-art baking facility in January 2022. Bake'n Joy continues to expand product offerings through innovative branded and private label thaw and serve products for the retailers and food service operators across the nation!
Driven by its strong family history, Bake'n Joy operates with a deep commitment to their customers' success. This has resulted in their focus on innovation and extraordinary customer service. Their dedication to providing the highest quality products and the best possible service drives their success. This applies to the internal culture of Bake'n Joy as well. As a family-owned and operated business with the fourth generation at the helm, they take pride in treating their employees fairly, embracing a collegial and deeply collaborative work-environment and an unwavering commitment to doing the right thing.
OVERVIEW
As a key member of the executive leadership team, the Vice President, People & Culture will have significant responsibility and visibility as a culture driver for the organization. Effective change management, strategic thinking and the ability to design scalable solutions will be keys to success in this role. A player/coach mentality will be essential, and changing the way in which People & Culture operates inside the Company is also critical. This means raising expectations about the role of People & Culture throughout the organization, and then delivering on those expectations.
Bake'n Joy's VP of People & Culture will be responsible for developing and executing human resource strategy in support of the overall business plan and strategic direction of the organization, specifically in the areas of succession planning, talent management, organizational and performance management, training and development, and compensation. The VP, People & Culture provides strategic leadership by articulating People & Culture needs and plans to the executive management team, building consensus and then plays a key role in its implementation and execution. An integral part of this role is assessing, recommending, and implementing technology to drive performance and engagement.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Plans, develops, organizes, implements, directs and evaluates the organization's people & culture function, team and performance.
Participates in the development of the organization's plans and programs as a strategic partner, with a particular emphasis on their impact on people.
Translates the strategic and tactical business plans into People & Culture strategy. Evaluates and advises on the impact of long-range planning of new programs/strategies and regulatory action as those items affect the Company's ability to attract, motivate, develop and retain the people resources of the organization.
Develops staffing strategies and implementation plans and programs to identify talent within and outside the organization for positions of responsibility. Identifies appropriate and effective external sources for candidates for all levels within the organization.
Develops progressive and proactive compensation and benefits programs to support engagement & motivation, and provide performance-aligned incentives and rewards.
Develops programs to allow the organization to embrace applicants and employees of all backgrounds and to permit the full development and performance of all employee
Develops people & culture planning models to identify competency, knowledge and talent gaps and develop specific programs to fill the identified gaps. Areas of activity will include talent management through proper succession planning programs for key contributor and management positions, training and development programs for preparing employees for more significant responsibilities, and general business development programs to enhance employee knowledge and understanding of the business of the Company and the bakery industry.
Continually assesses the competitiveness of all programs and practices against the relevant comparable companies, industries and markets.
Establishes credibility throughout the organization as an effective listener and problem solver of people issues.
Develops appropriate policies and programs for effective management of the people resources of the organization. Included in this area would be programs that support effective and positive employee relations through sexual harassment awareness & training, resolution of employee complaints, and provision of external education and career development, among others.
Develops, enhances, implements, and enforces People & Culture policies and procedures of the organization with scalable systems that will improve the overall operation and effectiveness of the organization. In particular, manages the HRIS and provides necessary reports for critical analyses of the People & Culture function and the people resources of the organization.
Provides technical advice and knowledge to others within the HR discipline.
Manages the budget and other financial measures of the People & Culture department.
Continues improving the programs, policies, practices and processes associated with meeting the strategic and operational people issues of the organization.
Evaluates the People & Culture organizational structure and team plan for continual improvement of the efficiency and effectiveness of the group as well as for providing individuals with professional and personal growth opportunities.
LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES
People & Culture Strategy & Functional Effectiveness
Can conceive, implement and sustain HR plans and strategies that effectively communicate and support the Company's mission, strategic vision and overall business objectives.
Will support People & Culture strategy decisions through effective metrics, estimating, forecasting, and anticipating requirements, trends, and variances; aligning financial resources; developing action plans; analyzing results; initiating corrective actions; minimizing the impact of variances.
Function as a strategic business advisor to the executive/senior management of each business unit or specialty group regarding key organizational and management issues.
Collaborate with senior leaders on merger and acquisition opportunities, operating model transformations, and strategic investments.
Continue to evolve People & Culture into a core business function capable of addressing strategic workforce issues. Provide overall leadership and guidance to the function by overseeing employer branding, talent acquisition, leadership & career development, workforce planning, compensation & benefits, and other HR functions.
Assess, upgrade, and/or optimize all core HR systems, technologies, processes, and practices to enable effective and competitive management and operation of the workforce.
Ensure the building of an People & Culture organization (staff, vendors & providers) that meets the evolving needs of Bake'n Joy and enhances the Company's ability to hire, motivate, develop, and retain superior talent.
HR Policy & Practice
Provide leadership and insight on best practice and competitive practice on workforce-related topics & issues.
Collaborate on and execute strategies to attract, develop and retain key talent.
Work with leadership team members in the development of a compensation structure across the enterprise including establishment of pay grades and job leveling as well as incentive programs, both short- and long-term.
Establish Bake'n Joy as an employer of choice. Develop and implement an HR philosophy which strives to create an attractive employer brand, a positive employee environment, and place where people are engaged and motivated to do their best work.
Understands the Business
Understands key drivers of a business and can actively participate in strategic planning. Has the desire for and capacity to develop a deep understanding of the Company's priorities and their underlying drivers. Must be an excellent HR generalist and business partner, with broad knowledge across all areas of HR, and adept at translating business strategies into actionable HR strategies and objectives:
Exhibits financial literacy and marketplace insight regarding how the business works and how strategies and decisions impact overall financial, operational and sales results. Manages budgets effectively;
Understands the evolving market; knowledgeable on policy, technologies, regulations, and competitive practices that impact the business;
Can negotiate, oversee and manage relationships with external vendors;
Relationship Management, Team Work and Collaboration
Must understand the Bake'n Joy culture and develop strategies to support key cultural differences across functions and integrate these into HR policies, practices and processes. Strong ability to develop and maintain excellent relationships at all levels of the organization. Must be a team player. Balances team and individual interests; exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; gives and welcomes feedback; contributes to building a positive team spirit and collaborative culture; puts success of team above own interests; builds individual engagement and group commitment to goals and objectives; propagates a servant-leader mentality within the People & Culture function.
Leadership and Navigation
Capable of leadership within the senior team as well as overall in the company and within the People & Culture department. Must have a great balance of strategic and tactical skills. Leads others through a service orientation and enables success; recognizes accomplishments and gives credit to all team members. Develops strong, trusting relationships with internal customers (i.e., peers, managers, and employees at all levels); manages difficult employee situations; maintains an on-going understanding of employee needs and responds promptly; solicits employee feedback; responds to requests for service and assistance and drives an employee-responsive culture across the People & Culture function; meets commitments. Builds relationships with all employees and is a trusted advisor that individuals are comfortable consulting with.
Communication
Able to develop robust communications plans for the Company, ensuring that employees understand key strategies, policies, and expectations. Possesses influencing skills that command the respect of the peer group, the broad employee groups, and executives throughout the corporation. Must be able to market ideas to a diverse leadership team. Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive and negative situations; listens and obtains clarification whenever necessary; possesses strong presentation skills; writes clearly and informatively; shares information and keeps coworkers abreast of issues as needed.
Managerial Responsibility
Provides regular feedback to others; supports the actions and decisions of direct reports; helps direct reports learn from their mistakes; shares ownership for successes and failures of the group; acts and empowers others to act by removing obstacles; resolves issues when they occur and settles conflict constructively.
Relating Skills
Warm, friendly, and interpersonally agile; easy to approach and talk to; relates well to all kinds of people; makes a pleasant first impression and builds solid relationships. At ease and relaxed; easy to talk to and get to know; listens attentively; is an open book; has a positive sense of humor; deals calmly with stress and gives people a chance to catch up. Quick to help others; has and shows empathy for others; truly cares and is concerned; goes out of his/her way for others; makes time to listen; makes allowances for those in trouble; handles critical feedback well.
Inspiring Others
Leads by example. Is skilled at getting individuals, teams, and an entire organization to perform at a higher level and to embrace change; negotiates skillfully to achieve a fair outcome or promote a common cause; communicates a compelling vision and is committed to what needs to be done; inspires others; builds motivated, high-performing teams; and understands what motivates different people.
Ethical Practice
Must be able to ensure the company's employee practices meet and/or exceed all standards of compliance and ethics. Must maintain the highest level of personal integrity and ethics. Is a person of high character; is consistent and acts in line with a clear and visible set of values and beliefs; deals and talks straight; walks his/her talk; is direct and truthful but at the same time can keep confidences.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE / QUALIFICATIONS
10+ years of progressive responsibility in HR.
HR experience in manufacturing, ideally food or beverage
Experience in a high performing company.
A blend of experience in high performing large, complex organizations combined with working in a smaller evolving business.
Demonstrated ability to be a player/coach
Experience driving talent initiatives for an enterprise
Experience in culture development initiatives, directing and resolving complex employee issues and participating in organizational change management/operating model transformation processes
Demonstrated talent-building experience and capabilities
Organizational and HR operations compliance in a regulated/accreditation environment is key
EDUCATION + CERTIFICATIONS
A bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, or a related field is required. An MBA or advanced degree in human resources preferred.
LINK TO APPLY:
Vice President, People & Culture, Bake'n Joy Foods
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
Bake'n Joy provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
STAFFING AGENCIES AND RECRUITING FIRMS - PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT BAKE'N JOY FOR THIS ROLE
Vice President, People & Culture
Classification:
- Exempt
Reports To:
- President/CEO
JD Review Date:
- September 2024
LINK TO APPLY :
Vice President, People & Culture, Bake'n Joy Foods
COMPANY BACKGROUND
In 1941 a man with a vision set out to build a business by helping busy corner bakeries. Equipped with a small blender, he began producing bread and donut mixes and selling them to local bakers, founding what is now Bake'n Joy Foods, Inc.
Abraham Ogan started a New England family business that is still thriving today with the third generation of leadership. For more than 82 years, Bake'n Joy has survived the ups and downs of business through product innovation, the desire and ability to take risks, and bringing customers what they need and want.
From 1941 through 1980, the company focused on providing quality mixes and bases for breads, donuts, muffins, Danish, and cookies to a growing number of bakery, supermarket and foodservice customers.
Recognizing the workforce challenges facing the baking industry, Bake'n Joy's innovative Research & Development team created the first ever thaw-scoop-and-bake frozen batters in 1980. Since then, the frozen category has become central to the Company's growth and has set the standard for new product development.
Bake'n Joy's product offerings have grown well beyond mixes and frozen scoop batters for muffins and loaf cakes. Today they are the premier maker of the highest quality preportioned/predeposited muffin and PanFree predeposited batters for muffins, loaves and cupcakes.
Today, Bake'n Joy is proud to call Boston Coffee Cake their own! Since the brand's inception 25 years ago, Boston Coffee Cake products have been heralded for their high quality and strong customer following. In 2009, a new bakery was built at the North Andover headquarters to produce the high-quality coffee cakes, loaf cakes and dessert cakes under the Boston Coffee Cake brand.
Bake'n Joy has expanded heavily into the fully baked bakery category through the acquisition of a long time customer, L&M Bakery, in 2021, followed by the opening of a state-of-the-art baking facility in January 2022. Bake'n Joy continues to expand product offerings through innovative branded and private label thaw and serve products for the retailers and food service operators across the nation!
Driven by its strong family history, Bake'n Joy operates with a deep commitment to their customers' success. This has resulted in their focus on innovation and extraordinary customer service. Their dedication to providing the highest quality products and the best possible service drives their success. This applies to the internal culture of Bake'n Joy as well. As a family-owned and operated business with the fourth generation at the helm, they take pride in treating their employees fairly, embracing a collegial and deeply collaborative work-environment and an unwavering commitment to doing the right thing.
OVERVIEW
As a key member of the executive leadership team, the Vice President, People & Culture will have significant responsibility and visibility as a culture driver for the organization. Effective change management, strategic thinking and the ability to design scalable solutions will be keys to success in this role. A player/coach mentality will be essential, and changing the way in which People & Culture operates inside the Company is also critical. This means raising expectations about the role of People & Culture throughout the organization, and then delivering on those expectations.
Bake'n Joy's VP of People & Culture will be responsible for developing and executing human resource strategy in support of the overall business plan and strategic direction of the organization, specifically in the areas of succession planning, talent management, organizational and performance management, training and development, and compensation. The VP, People & Culture provides strategic leadership by articulating People & Culture needs and plans to the executive management team, building consensus and then plays a key role in its implementation and execution. An integral part of this role is assessing, recommending, and implementing technology to drive performance and engagement.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Plans, develops, organizes, implements, directs and evaluates the organization's people & culture function, team and performance.
Participates in the development of the organization's plans and programs as a strategic partner, with a particular emphasis on their impact on people.
Translates the strategic and tactical business plans into People & Culture strategy. Evaluates and advises on the impact of long-range planning of new programs/strategies and regulatory action as those items affect the Company's ability to attract, motivate, develop and retain the people resources of the organization.
Develops staffing strategies and implementation plans and programs to identify talent within and outside the organization for positions of responsibility. Identifies appropriate and effective external sources for candidates for all levels within the organization.
Develops progressive and proactive compensation and benefits programs to support engagement & motivation, and provide performance-aligned incentives and rewards.
Develops programs to allow the organization to embrace applicants and employees of all backgrounds and to permit the full development and performance of all employee
Develops people & culture planning models to identify competency, knowledge and talent gaps and develop specific programs to fill the identified gaps. Areas of activity will include talent management through proper succession planning programs for key contributor and management positions, training and development programs for preparing employees for more significant responsibilities, and general business development programs to enhance employee knowledge and understanding of the business of the Company and the bakery industry.
Continually assesses the competitiveness of all programs and practices against the relevant comparable companies, industries and markets.
Establishes credibility throughout the organization as an effective listener and problem solver of people issues.
Develops appropriate policies and programs for effective management of the people resources of the organization. Included in this area would be programs that support effective and positive employee relations through sexual harassment awareness & training, resolution of employee complaints, and provision of external education and career development, among others.
Develops, enhances, implements, and enforces People & Culture policies and procedures of the organization with scalable systems that will improve the overall operation and effectiveness of the organization. In particular, manages the HRIS and provides necessary reports for critical analyses of the People & Culture function and the people resources of the organization.
Provides technical advice and knowledge to others within the HR discipline.
Manages the budget and other financial measures of the People & Culture department.
Continues improving the programs, policies, practices and processes associated with meeting the strategic and operational people issues of the organization.
Evaluates the People & Culture organizational structure and team plan for continual improvement of the efficiency and effectiveness of the group as well as for providing individuals with professional and personal growth opportunities.
LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES
People & Culture Strategy & Functional Effectiveness
Can conceive, implement and sustain HR plans and strategies that effectively communicate and support the Company's mission, strategic vision and overall business objectives.
Will support People & Culture strategy decisions through effective metrics, estimating, forecasting, and anticipating requirements, trends, and variances; aligning financial resources; developing action plans; analyzing results; initiating corrective actions; minimizing the impact of variances.
Function as a strategic business advisor to the executive/senior management of each business unit or specialty group regarding key organizational and management issues.
Collaborate with senior leaders on merger and acquisition opportunities, operating model transformations, and strategic investments.
Continue to evolve People & Culture into a core business function capable of addressing strategic workforce issues. Provide overall leadership and guidance to the function by overseeing employer branding, talent acquisition, leadership & career development, workforce planning, compensation & benefits, and other HR functions.
Assess, upgrade, and/or optimize all core HR systems, technologies, processes, and practices to enable effective and competitive management and operation of the workforce.
Ensure the building of an People & Culture organization (staff, vendors & providers) that meets the evolving needs of Bake'n Joy and enhances the Company's ability to hire, motivate, develop, and retain superior talent.
HR Policy & Practice
Provide leadership and insight on best practice and competitive practice on workforce-related topics & issues.
Collaborate on and execute strategies to attract, develop and retain key talent.
Work with leadership team members in the development of a compensation structure across the enterprise including establishment of pay grades and job leveling as well as incentive programs, both short- and long-term.
Establish Bake'n Joy as an employer of choice. Develop and implement an HR philosophy which strives to create an attractive employer brand, a positive employee environment, and place where people are engaged and motivated to do their best work.
Understands the Business
Understands key drivers of a business and can actively participate in strategic planning. Has the desire for and capacity to develop a deep understanding of the Company's priorities and their underlying drivers. Must be an excellent HR generalist and business partner, with broad knowledge across all areas of HR, and adept at translating business strategies into actionable HR strategies and objectives:
Exhibits financial literacy and marketplace insight regarding how the business works and how strategies and decisions impact overall financial, operational and sales results. Manages budgets effectively;
Understands the evolving market; knowledgeable on policy, technologies, regulations, and competitive practices that impact the business;
Can negotiate, oversee and manage relationships with external vendors;
Relationship Management, Team Work and Collaboration
Must understand the Bake'n Joy culture and develop strategies to support key cultural differences across functions and integrate these into HR policies, practices and processes. Strong ability to develop and maintain excellent relationships at all levels of the organization. Must be a team player. Balances team and individual interests; exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; gives and welcomes feedback; contributes to building a positive team spirit and collaborative culture; puts success of team above own interests; builds individual engagement and group commitment to goals and objectives; propagates a servant-leader mentality within the People & Culture function.
Leadership and Navigation
Capable of leadership within the senior team as well as overall in the company and within the People & Culture department. Must have a great balance of strategic and tactical skills. Leads others through a service orientation and enables success; recognizes accomplishments and gives credit to all team members. Develops strong, trusting relationships with internal customers (i.e., peers, managers, and employees at all levels); manages difficult employee situations; maintains an on-going understanding of employee needs and responds promptly; solicits employee feedback; responds to requests for service and assistance and drives an employee-responsive culture across the People & Culture function; meets commitments. Builds relationships with all employees and is a trusted advisor that individuals are comfortable consulting with.
Communication
Able to develop robust communications plans for the Company, ensuring that employees understand key strategies, policies, and expectations. Possesses influencing skills that command the respect of the peer group, the broad employee groups, and executives throughout the corporation. Must be able to market ideas to a diverse leadership team. Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive and negative situations; listens and obtains clarification whenever necessary; possesses strong presentation skills; writes clearly and informatively; shares information and keeps coworkers abreast of issues as needed.
Managerial Responsibility
Provides regular feedback to others; supports the actions and decisions of direct reports; helps direct reports learn from their mistakes; shares ownership for successes and failures of the group; acts and empowers others to act by removing obstacles; resolves issues when they occur and settles conflict constructively.
Relating Skills
Warm, friendly, and interpersonally agile; easy to approach and talk to; relates well to all kinds of people; makes a pleasant first impression and builds solid relationships. At ease and relaxed; easy to talk to and get to know; listens attentively; is an open book; has a positive sense of humor; deals calmly with stress and gives people a chance to catch up. Quick to help others; has and shows empathy for others; truly cares and is concerned; goes out of his/her way for others; makes time to listen; makes allowances for those in trouble; handles critical feedback well.
Inspiring Others
Leads by example. Is skilled at getting individuals, teams, and an entire organization to perform at a higher level and to embrace change; negotiates skillfully to achieve a fair outcome or promote a common cause; communicates a compelling vision and is committed to what needs to be done; inspires others; builds motivated, high-performing teams; and understands what motivates different people.
Ethical Practice
Must be able to ensure the company's employee practices meet and/or exceed all standards of compliance and ethics. Must maintain the highest level of personal integrity and ethics. Is a person of high character; is consistent and acts in line with a clear and visible set of values and beliefs; deals and talks straight; walks his/her talk; is direct and truthful but at the same time can keep confidences.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE / QUALIFICATIONS
10+ years of progressive responsibility in HR.
HR experience in manufacturing, ideally food or beverage
Experience in a high performing company.
A blend of experience in high performing large, complex organizations combined with working in a smaller evolving business.
Demonstrated ability to be a player/coach
Experience driving talent initiatives for an enterprise
Experience in culture development initiatives, directing and resolving complex employee issues and participating in organizational change management/operating model transformation processes
Demonstrated talent-building experience and capabilities
Organizational and HR operations compliance in a regulated/accreditation environment is key
EDUCATION + CERTIFICATIONS
A bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, or a related field is required. An MBA or advanced degree in human resources preferred.
LINK TO APPLY:
Vice President, People & Culture, Bake'n Joy Foods
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
Bake'n Joy provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.