What should Maurice do first?

Find an HR bootcamp and get himself trained to meet the demands of the job since he's the obvious person to head HR$.$

Start hiring for the mid$-$level roles in the HR department so at least that work is getting done.

Get involved in the strategic development process to make sure that human capital issues are being addressed appropriately and realistically.

Call an executive recruiter and begin headhunting for an HR executive with experience in highgrowth manufacturing companies.