Director Human Resources

Advanced Drainage Systems is a leading manufacturer of stormwater and onsite septic wastewater solutions, committed to sustainability and innovation. With a vast manufacturing and distribution network, we deliver high-quality products across multiple industries while recycling over half a billion pounds of plastic annually. At ADS, we foster a culture where diverse perspectives drive better ideas, ensuring every employee feels valued, heard, and empowered to make an impact.

“The status quo will enable us to achieve all of our growth goals,” said nobody……ever.

Many organizations fill job postings and communications with buzz words about changing and “re-inventing” themselves.  At ADS, we don’t just talk about it, we are living it…every day.  If you don’t believe us, take a look at our financial performance and growth over the last decade.  That doesn’t happen by accident….and we are just getting started.

Learn a little more about us at www.ads-pipe.com. 

All about the job

Below you will find some specifics about what you will be working on, but let us give you a brief headline.  This role will be partnering with the leaders of the commercial side of our business (sales, marketing etc..) to drive growth through alignment of “people programs” to business priorities.  What does that mean?

1. You will spend time learning and understanding how our business operates. This knowledge is key to getting the right people programs in place.  Your seat at the table is waiting with your name on it.  Keeping it is up to you.
2. We don’t have all of the right people in the right place at the right time. We need you to lead talent planning with an eye toward improved succession readiness.  Don’t go through the motions in annual events, make this stuff live and breathe.  We want to aggressively grow our business and need the right people to do so.  Sometimes this means we develop internally, sometimes it means we hire from the outside.  You’ll help make the call and make it happen.
3. You will help drive and communicate change to ensure our people understand the what, and more importantly, the why behind decisions made and direction taken.
4. You will lead initiatives to ensure that our compensation programs are driving the right behaviors to drive profitable growth.
5. You will help leaders create their long-term vision for their function and create the necessary organization plan to achieve their goals.
6. While we would love for all employees and leaders to make good choices and decisions every day, we live in the real world. Stuff happens and has-to be dealt with.  You will investigate issues, get to the root cause and drive solutions, not be the judge and jury. 
7. You will help develop our leaders to make a great work environment and deliver results. You will help employees be successful.  That isn’t meant as all sunshine and unicorns, sometimes that means carrying and reinforcing tough messages.  Respect keeps our culture alive and thriving even in times of difficulty.  Champion it.
8. You will lead our annual culture survey process for your areas of responsibility. Study the results, listen to employees and help us take the right actions to respond to the feedback and keep ADS a great place to work. 
9. You will take your role as an HR leader seriously in developing the next generation of talent. You will start with one direct report but will be ready and willing to lead others whether it is through direct or indirect influence.
10. As always, there will be “Other duties as assigned” because we can’t predict it all in a one-time job description. Flexibility and dealing with ambiguity is important. 

Now that you know more about us and the job, here is a little more about you, the perfect candidate:

1. You are intellectually curious
   • You love asking questions and figuring out why and how things work
   • You live outside of the box and thrive in ambiguity, but strive to bring order to chaos
2. You have strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills
   • You have a keen ability to get past symptoms to understand root cause
   • Your ability to simplify the complex is the envy of others
3. You think like a businessperson first and HR person second
   • HR for HR’s sake has no place here
   • Data and metrics are important and will be a key component to solving our problems and defining success
4. You have passion
   • What we are leading is hard work, you wake up every day excited to lead change
   • You are not an order taker; you are a thought leader and have a point of view but understand the importance of getting on board when a decision is made.
   • You care enough about where you work to resist passing trash on the floor without picking it up
5. You would be fun to go on a road trip with
   • Your personality builds trust and people want to work with you
   • You don’t take life too seriously and have a sense of humor, but know when it is time to “Turn it on”
6. You are a self-starter
   • You don’t wait to be told what to do, conversely, you find yourself being told to rein it in from time to time
   • You are excited about the highly visible work you are going to be able to do here, but don’t need to be given the playbook to get it done
7. You have strong influencing skills
   • You lead with facts and data, not emotion
   • You pick your battles to keep relationships intact while ensuring we do the “right” thing
8. You have the experience and wisdom that typically comes with a bachelor’s degree and at least 10 years of HR work.  If you feel perfect for the role and don’t have all of that, don’t sweat it, we’d still love to hear from you.

If you read all of the above and thought, “I could do that job,” please move on to the next job posting.  If you read the above and thought, “That is me, I’m perfect for that role,” then we’d love to hear from you. 

#LI-JC1

#LI-Onsite

Health & Welfare Benefits: Medical and prescription drug plans, telemedicine (with medical plan), High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) and Health Savings Account (HSA), dental and vision plans, virtual physical therapy*, an employee assistance program (EAP)*, and voluntary accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnification programs.

 Financial Benefits: Retirement 401k program with company match, an employee stock purchase plan (voluntary), financial wellness planning*, paid parental leave*, flexible spending accounts (FSA) for child care and health care, short-term and long-term disability*, basic life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D)*, adoption financial reimbursement*, tuition reimbursement*, voluntary life insurance (for employees, spouses, and children), and voluntary identity theft and fraud protection.

*100% paid by ADS.

Growth Opportunities & Global Presence: With a global network of approximately 70 manufacturing plants and 40 distribution centers, ADS offers extensive opportunities for career growth and development in various locations around the world.

Inclusive and Creative Work Culture: ADS fosters a culture of passion, innovation, and continuous improvement, empowering employees to shape industry-leading solutions. We value diverse perspectives, recognizing that they drive better ideas, processes, and performance. Our workplace is built on respect, inclusivity, and shared responsibility, ensuring every team member feels valued and contributes to our collective success.

Innovative & Sustainability Focused: Advanced Drainage Systems is one of the largest plastic recyclers in North America, ensuring over half a billion pounds of plastic is kept out of landfills every year.

Learn More: https://www.adspipe.com/about-us