HR Specialist

Scope of Position

The HR Specialist serves as a key member of the Human Resources team, supporting plant leadership and employees in achieving operational and business objectives. This role provides comprehensive HR support across employee and labor relations, talent acquisition, performance management, employee engagement, compliance, leave administration, onboarding, and HR operations. The HR Specialist serves as a trusted resource for employees and managers, fostering a positive workplace culture and ensuring compliance with company policies, collective bargaining agreements, and applicable employment laws.

Responsibilities

Employee & Labor Relations

• Partner with managers and employees to address employee relations matters, policy interpretation, workplace concerns, and performance management issues.
• Support labor relations activities, including contract interpretation, grievance administration, and maintaining positive union-management relationships.
• Provide coaching and guidance to leaders and employees on HR policies, procedures, and best practices.
• Foster a positive and inclusive work environment that promotes employee engagement, accountability, and retention.

Talent Acquisition & Onboarding

• Manage full-cycle recruitment activities for hourly and salaried positions, including sourcing, interviewing, selection, and onboarding.
• Collaborate with hiring managers to identify staffing needs and develop effective recruitment strategies.
• Coordinate onboarding activities with Training, Payroll, Benefits, Environmental Health & Safety (EHS), and plant leadership to ensure a seamless employee experience.

Leave Administration & HR Operations

• Administer leave-of-absence programs, including FMLA, ADA, workers’ compensation coordination, and company leave policies, in partnership with third-party vendors.
• Maintain accurate and confidential employee records in compliance with company policies and legal requirements.
• Provide payroll backup support as needed.
• Assist with unemployment claims, EEOC responses, civil rights matters, and other employment-related reporting requirements.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, labor regulations, and company policies.
• Monitor HR processes and practices to identify compliance risks and recommend corrective actions.
• Investigate employee concerns and complaints, partnering with leadership to resolve issues effectively and consistently.
• Maintain required labor law postings and personnel documentation.

Employee Engagement & Organizational Support

• Support employee engagement initiatives, recognition programs, company events, and culture-building activities.
• Partner with plant leadership to promote a positive employee experience and strengthen workforce engagement.
• Contribute to HR projects, continuous improvement initiatives, and departmental process enhancements.

Data Analytics & Reporting

• Prepare and analyze HR metrics and reports to support data-driven decision-making.
• Track key workforce indicators such as turnover, attendance, recruiting effectiveness, employee relations trends, and engagement metrics.
• Provide insights and recommendations to HR and plant leadership teams.

Safety & Environmental Support

• Promote a strong safety culture and support plant safety initiatives.
• Provide HR support related to workplace injuries, return-to-work programs, and health and safety incident response as needed.

Additional Responsibilities

• Participate in special projects and perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field required.
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification preferred.

Experience

• Minimum of three (3) years of Human Resources experience required.
• Experience supporting manufacturing, food manufacturing, consumer packaged goods (CPG), or industrial environments strongly preferred.
• Experience working in a unionized environment required.

Technical Skills

• Experience with Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS); Workday experience preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Experience with SharePoint, Adobe Acrobat, and HR reporting systems preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong understanding of HR policies, practices, employment law, and employee relations.
• Knowledge of labor relations, collective bargaining agreements, and contract interpretation.
• Strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt to changing business needs in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to continuous improvement.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across functions.

Work Environment

• Manufacturing and production facility environment with regular interaction on the plant floor.
• A combination of office and production floor presence is required. 

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