The HR Generalist delivers hands-on human resources support for the Tarboro plant, serving as a trusted, visible resource for employees and supervisors on the production floor. This role carries day-to-day ownership of employee relations, recruiting, onboarding, HR compliance, and HR administration, and supports the site’s proactive, lawful labor relations approach in partnership with the HR Manager, corporate labor relations, and outside legal counsel. Experience supporting labor relations or a union organizing campaign is strongly preferred.
What you’ll do
- Serve as the first point of contact for employees and supervisors on HR questions, workplace concerns, and policy interpretation across all shifts.
- Help carry out the site’s employee relations strategy by coordinating listening sessions, stay interviews, engagement surveys, and town halls, and summarizing themes for the HR Manager and plant leadership.
- Maintain open-door practices and suggestion systems so employees receive fast, credible responses to their concerns.
- Coach frontline supervisors on consistent, fair, and respectful management practices, and help deliver supervisor training programs.
- Conduct employee relations investigations into complaints, disciplinary matters, and policy violations, ensuring thorough documentation and consistent outcomes, and escalating sensitive matters to the HR Manager.
- Support the HR Manager on labor relations and organizing-readiness matters, working under the direction of corporate labor relations and legal counsel.
- Maintain working knowledge of NLRA requirements and help ensure supervisor conduct and site communications stay within lawful bounds (no threats, interrogation, promises, or surveillance — the “TIPS” framework).
- Help prepare and deliver supervisor training on lawful conduct before, during, and after any organizing activity.
- Monitor workplace climate and promptly flag emerging employee concerns or early indicators of organizing activity to the HR Manager.
- Assist with logistics and documentation for legally compliant employer communications and any representation election process.
- Manage full-cycle recruiting for hourly and salaried positions, including job postings, screening, interviews, offers, and coordination with hiring managers and staffing partners.
- Lead new-hire onboarding and orientation, and support training and development programs.
- Administer performance management, compensation, leave (FMLA, ADA accommodations), and benefits processes, serving as a resource to employees on enrollment and questions.
- Ensure HR compliance with federal, North Carolina, and local employment law, including I-9/E-Verify, wage and hour, and required postings and recordkeeping.
- Maintain accurate HRIS data and personnel files, and prepare HR metrics (turnover, time-to-fill, attendance, employee relations case trends) for the HR Manager and plant leadership.
- Partner with Safety and Operations on workers’ compensation, return-to-work, and attendance programs.
What we look for
- Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, or related field (or equivalent experience).
- 6 years of progressive HR generalist experience, with at least 2 years in a manufacturing or industrial environment.
- Demonstrated experience conducting employee relations investigations and coaching supervisors.
- Working knowledge of the NLRA and lawful employer conduct; direct experience supporting a union organizing campaign or labor relations activity strongly preferred.
- Solid knowledge of federal and North Carolina employment law, and experience with HRIS and applicant tracking systems.
- Excellent communication, organization, and judgment, with the ability to build credibility with hourly employees and leadership alike.
- Bilingual English/Spanish a plus.
- PHR/SHRM-CP certification preferred; SPHR/SHRM-SCP a plus.
- Ability to support multiple shifts as needed.
What Success Looks Like
- Employees and supervisors view HR as accessible, fair, and responsive.
- Employee concerns and investigations are resolved quickly, consistently, and with sound documentation.
- Open positions are filled on time with quality hires, and new hires are retained through their first year.
- Supervisors are confident applying policy consistently and engaging with employees lawfully.
- Full compliance with applicable employment and labor law, with no unfair labor practice charges.
- Accurate, timely HR data and reporting that helps the HR Manager and plant leadership act early.
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