HR Manager - Manufacturing

HR Manager - Manufacturing

AFL manufactures industry-leading fiber optic cable, connectivity and accessories and provides engineering and installation services for some of the largest telecom customers in the world. Our company was founded in 1984 with a single fiber optic cable and today, we manufacture thousands of products, generate an excess of $3B in revenue, and employ approximately 12,000 associates worldwide. At AFL, we recognize that our employees are our greatest asset. We hire and train each individual, investing in them to ensure success in their careers. With a commitment to professional development and growth, let us connect you to your next career opportunity.

What We Offer:

• Flexible time off policy
• 401K Company match (up to 4% - dollar for dollar)
• Professional development, training, and tuition reimbursement programs
• Excellent medical, dental, vision, and life insurance policy options
• Opportunities for career advancement with an industry leading company!

The Human Resources Manager partners with plant leadership and frontline teams to deliver HR programs that support safe, compliant, and efficient manufacturing operations. This role leads employee relations, staffing, performance management, and HR compliance for hourly and salaried populations, while driving continuous improvement through workforce analytics and standardized processes.

The HR Manager maintains strong business literacy for the plant (production goals, labor spend, overtime, turnover, and attendance trends) and acts as a trusted advisor to supervisors and managers to improve engagement, retention, and productivity across all shifts.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Partner with Plant Manager and department leaders to execute the site people plan aligned to safety, quality, delivery, cost, and morale objectives.
• Support hourly workforce staffing for multiple shifts (recruiting, selection, onboarding, orientation), including coordination with temporary labor partners as applicable.
• Coach leaders on performance management, attendance, corrective action, and consistent application of policies and work rules.
• Manage complex employee relations investigations and resolutions, conflict resolution, and escalation management.
• Ensure compliance with employment laws and plant requirements (e.g., wage and hour, leave administration, recordkeeping) and partner with Legal/Corporate HR as needed.
• Support a safety-first culture by partnering with EHS on training coordination, incident/near-miss follow-up support, and required documentation processes.
• Drive training and development for supervisors and hourly teams (onboarding, skills/qualification tracking, leadership fundamentals, and compliance training).
• Support workforce planning, org changes, succession planning, and internal mobility to meet changing production demands.
• Partner with Payroll/Timekeeping on accurate time capture, schedule setup, overtime monitoring, and pay practice adherence.
• Track, analyze, and communicate HR KPIs (turnover, absenteeism, overtime, time-to-fill, safety training completion, and engagement indicators) and lead countermeasures.
• Continuously improve HR processes through standard work, audits, and simplification—ensuring a consistent employee experience across departments and shifts.
• Maintain HRIS data accuracy and confidentiality; ensure personnel file administration meets internal and regulatory requirements.

Core Competencies

• Hands-on leadership and ability to influence in a fast-paced, production-driven environment.
• Strong employee relations capability with sound judgment and discretion.
• Working knowledge of wage and hour, attendance practices, investigations, and documentation standards.
• Ability to build trust with hourly teams and supervisors across all shifts.
• Process improvement mindset; comfortable using data to identify root causes and drive countermeasures.
• Clear communication skills for shop-floor audiences (written, verbal, and group facilitation).
• High organization and follow-through; able to manage multiple priorities and time-sensitive issues.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field; Master's degree and/or SHRM/PHR certification preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive HR experience, including significant employee relations and performance management responsibility.
• 3+ years of HR experience in a manufacturing/industrial environment supporting an hourly workforce; multi-shift operations experience strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of wage and hour compliance, timekeeping practices, and leave administration.
• Experience partnering with EHS and Operations in a safety-critical environment; familiarity with OSHA recordkeeping and training coordination preferred.
• Demonstrated capability using HR metrics (turnover, absenteeism, overtime, time-to-fill) to drive actionable improvement.
• Proficiency with HRIS, timekeeping, and Microsoft Office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Working Conditions

• Split time between office/administrative work and production floor presence; required to wear appropriate PPE while in manufacturing areas.
• Support across shifts as needed; may include early mornings, evenings, or occasional weekend coverage based on operational needs.
• Occasional travel may be required for training, benchmarking, or multi-site support.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.