HR Manager - Manufacturing

2061 HR Manager – Manufacturing

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Human Resources Manager to support a manufacturing facility and serve as a key member of the plant leadership team. This is a highly visible, hands-on HR role requiring someone who enjoys being engaged with employees, understands the pace and challenges of a manufacturing environment, and is comfortable supporting both hourly and salaried employees.

The HR Manager will be responsible for employee relations, HR operations, workforce development, compliance, payroll support, and safety/EHS initiatives. This individual should be approachable and collaborative while also being comfortable enforcing policies, maintaining consistency, and addressing difficult employee situations.

This is not a desk-only HR position. The HR Manager is expected to spend approximately 15–20% of their time on the manufacturing floor, building relationships, listening to employees, understanding concerns, and maintaining strong communication between the workforce and plant leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary HR partner and advisor to plant leadership, supervisors, and employees.
• Build strong relationships with hourly production employees and salaried staff through regular interaction and visibility on the manufacturing floor.
• Maintain an active presence on the plant floor, listening to employee concerns and identifying potential issues before they escalate.
• Manage employee relations matters, including coaching, counseling, investigations, conflict resolution, corrective action, and policy interpretation.
• Ensure company policies and procedures are applied consistently and appropriately throughout the facility.
• Partner with plant leadership on workforce planning, retention, staffing, employee engagement, and organizational needs.
• Support recruiting, onboarding, orientation, training, and development activities.
• Coordinate employee training and maintain required HR and plant training documentation.
• Support compensation activities, wage benchmarking, and recommendations as needed.
• Monitor employee attendance, timekeeping, and other workforce trends and use data to identify areas for improvement.
• Support initiatives focused on employee retention, engagement, productivity, and plant culture.
• Maintain accurate employee records and ensure compliance with applicable employment laws and company requirements.
• Provide backup support for payroll using ADP and assist with timekeeping accuracy.
• Partner with supervisors to ensure proper timecard and payroll practices for hourly employees.
• Support HR audits and plant compliance activities.

Safety / EHS Responsibilities

• Serve as an active HR partner in the facility's Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) program.
• Promote a strong safety culture and reinforce safe work practices throughout the plant.
• Partner with plant leadership and employees on safety initiatives, training, and compliance.
• Participate in accident and incident investigations, documentation, and corrective actions.
• Support post-accident processes, medical assessments, workers' compensation, and return-to-work activities as appropriate.
• Assist with safety audits, regulatory compliance, documentation, and employee safety training.
• Track safety-related information and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Maintain a visible presence on the manufacturing floor to reinforce both employee engagement and workplace safety.

The current person in the position is directly responsible for plant payroll, training, accident investigations, medical assessments and early return-to-work activities, and also serves as the facility's safety leader and point of contact for safety audits. Brandon Brace Resume (1)

Required Qualifications

• Previous Human Resources experience within a manufacturing environment is required.
• Prior experience as an HR Manager, HR Business Partner, Senior HR Generalist, or similar plant-level HR role.
• Strong employee relations experience supporting an hourly manufacturing workforce.
• Experience working directly with plant leadership, supervisors, and production employees.
• Working knowledge of employment laws, HR policies, investigations, corrective action, and compliance.
• Experience supporting or partnering with EHS/Safety programs in a manufacturing environment.
• Understanding of workplace safety practices, accident investigations, workers' compensation, and return-to-work processes.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Comfortable using data and workforce metrics to identify trends and support decision-making.
• Strong communication and listening skills with the ability to build trust at all levels of the organization.
• Ability and willingness to spend time on the manufacturing floor.
• Experience supporting both hourly and salaried employees.
• Strong judgment, common sense, and the ability to handle confidential or sensitive situations appropriately.
• Collaborative approach combined with the ability to consistently enforce company policies and procedures.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with ADP or similar payroll/HRIS systems.
• Experience serving as a payroll backup or supporting payroll/timekeeping.
• Experience with safety audits and regulatory compliance.
• Experience with HR audits, ISO environments, or similar manufacturing compliance programs.
• Experience with employee training and development.
• Experience supporting employee retention and engagement initiatives.
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Development, or a related discipline preferred.
• PHR, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, or similar HR certification is a plus.