The HR Manager is a business partner to plant leadership, accountable for building a high‑engagement culture, improving retention, and ensuring the site has the talent and capabilities to meet production, safety, quality, and delivery goals. This role leads strategic hiring, positive employee relations, and end‑to‑end talent development while maintaining compliance and strong HR operations in a fast‑paced manufacturing environment.
Key Responsibilities
Employee Retention & Positive Employee Relations
- Design and execute a site retention strategy with measurable goals (e.g., reduce first‑year turnover, improve engagement and stay interview completion).
- Build manager capability in day‑to‑day people leadership (coaching, recognition, performance feedback, attendance management).
- Lead engagement initiatives: pulse surveys, action planning, listening sessions, skip‑level meetings, and frontline recognition programs.
- Proactively address employee concerns; resolve conflicts and complaints promptly and fairly.
- Maintain a visible floor presence across shifts; cultivate trust and open communication with hourly and salaried employees.
- Partner with EHS and Operations to reinforce a culture of safety, inclusion, and respect.
Strategic Hiring & Workforce Planning
- Lead full‑cycle recruitment for hourly production roles, skilled trades, and key salaried positions; ensure high‑velocity, high‑quality hiring to meet staffing plans across shifts.
- Partner with leaders on workforce planning (headcount modeling, shift coverage, seasonal/volume ramps, and skill mix).
- Implement sourcing strategies for hard‑to‑fill roles (skilled trades, maintenance, CNC/automation) including community partnerships, veteran pipelines, and technical schools.
Talent Development, Capability Building & Succession
- Implement onboarding that accelerates time‑to‑proficiency and first‑year retention; ensure job‑specific training is standardized and effective.
- Facilitate performance management (goal setting, coaching, calibration, development plans).
- Build supervisor/lead training on people leadership, attendance, documentation, conflict resolution, and labor/employee relations basics.
HR Operations, Policy & Compliance
- Ensure compliance with federal/state employment laws (e.g., FLSA, FMLA, ADA, EEO, NLRA, OSHA) and company policies.
- Lead investigations and corrective actions with fairness, confidentiality, and risk awareness; maintain accurate case documentation.
- Administer benefits, leaves, accommodations, workers’ compensation, and attendance programs with consistency and care.
- Maintain accurate HRIS data and personnel files; ensure audit readiness.
- Support compensation and pay practices (market data, internal equity, progression frameworks for hourly roles).
HR Analytics & Continuous Improvement
- Use data (turnover, absenteeism, overtime, labor cost, engagement) to diagnose issues and recommend practical solutions.
- Track and communicate progress on retention, hiring, and development metrics to plant leadership.
- Apply Lean/CI principles to HR processes (e.g., shorten hiring cycle time, standardize onboarding, reduce rework).
Leadership & Culture
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the Plant Manager and leadership team.
- Champion diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B) practices that strengthen team performance and innovation.
- Model the company’s values and hold leaders accountable for people‑first behaviors.
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field (or equivalent experience).
- 5+ years of progressive HR experience; 2+ years supporting a manufacturing or similar 24/7 operations environment.
- Demonstrated success improving retention and employee engagement.
- Experience with high‑volume, hourly hiring and skilled trades recruiting.
- Working knowledge of employment law and HR best practices; experience conducting investigations.
- Proficiency with HRIS/ATS and Excel; comfort with data and metrics.
Preferred
- Experience in a union environment (grievances, contract administration) or demonstrated depth in non‑union positive employee relations.
- Certifications: SHRM‑CP/SCP or PHR/SPHR.
- Lean/CI exposure; facilitation or coaching credentials a plus.
