Sr. HR Business Partner

HR Business Partner

MANE, a 5th generation French family-owned business, is a renowned innovator in the Flavor and Fragrance industry. As sensation enthusiasts, we are dedicated to creating exceptional moments in people's lives through timeless flavors and fragrances. Our passion, creativity, and innovation drive us to capture what moves.

We have an immediate opening for an experienced HR Business Partner at our production facility in Lebanon, OH. The HR Business Partner serves as a strategic and operational partner to leaders and employees in a manufacturing environment. The HRBP translates business priorities into practical people strategies that strengthen workforce capability, employee engagement, performance, and compliance. This role provides trusted, hands-on counsel across the employee lifecycle, with primary responsibility as the center of excellence for employee relations and workplace investigations. The HRBP leads prompt, thorough, impartial, and well-documented investigations; advises leaders on appropriate resolution and corrective action; and helps ensure consistent, respectful application of company policy and employment practices.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Strategic HR Partnership: Partner with leadership and operational teams to understand business needs and deliver HR solutions that support business objectives. Provide guidance on organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, talent acquisition, performance management, change management, and employee engagement.
• Performance Management: Guide leaders through goal setting, performance evaluations, coaching, performance improvement plans, and management of underperformance. Help ensure performance decisions are well documented, consistent, and aligned with business needs and company practices.
• Employee Relations & Workplace Investigations: Serve as the subject-matter expert and primary point of contact for employee relations matters and workplace investigations. Receive, assess, and investigate allegations and concerns, including harassment, discrimination, retaliation, bullying, policy violations, workplace conduct, conflicts, and other employment-related issues.
• Investigation Leadership: Independently plan and conduct fair, timely, objective, and confidential investigations. Interview complainants, respondents, and witnesses; gather and evaluate relevant records and evidence; assess credibility; prepare clear investigation documentation and findings; and maintain appropriate case files and records.
• Case Resolution & Risk Mitigation: Partner with HR leadership, Legal, Security, EHS, and business leaders, as appropriate, to determine next steps and recommend proportionate, consistent corrective action. Identify themes, trends, and systemic risks; recommend preventive actions, training, policy updates, and process improvements; and follow up to support effective resolution and prevent retaliation.
• Manager Coaching: Provide practical coaching to leaders on employee relations, difficult conversations, conflict resolution, performance concerns, attendance, conduct, documentation, and application of company policies. Build leader capability to address issues early, fairly, and consistently.
• Talent & Workforce Planning: Collaborate with the Talent Acquisition team and business leaders to anticipate staffing needs and secure talent required to meet operational demands. Support workforce planning, internal mobility, succession considerations, and onboarding effectiveness.
• Learning & Development: Work with leaders to identify skill, leadership, and development needs. Partner with the Learning & Development team to recommend and support training programs that build capability, improve performance, and support career growth.
• Compliance & Policy Administration: Help ensure consistent implementation of HR policies, employment laws, health and safety requirements, and company standards. Proactively identify HR-related compliance risks within the manufacturing environment and escalate matters appropriately.
• Compensation & Benefits: Partner with the Compensation team and HR team to support implementation of compensation and benefits programs. Provide leaders with appropriate guidance on salary, incentive, and pay-practice questions in accordance with established processes.
• Data, Insights & Reporting: Use HR data and metrics, including employee relations case trends, turnover, absenteeism, engagement, staffing, and other workforce indicators to identify opportunities and provide actionable recommendations to leadership.
• Other duties in support of company objectives
• Consistent with MANE's environmental commitments, every employee shall actively participate in relevant education/training based upon corporate and local environmental objectives. Where these objectives are relevant to job-related and job-specific roles and responsibilities, each employee shall adhere to applicable environmental policies and procedures, as well as act on best practices.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field required.
• Five or more years of progressive HR experience, including at least three years in an HR Business Partner.
• Employee Relations, or comparable advisory role, experience required.
• Experience supporting a manufacturing, industrial, or other operationally complex environment required.
• Demonstrated, substantial experience independently leading complex employee relations investigations from intake through fact-finding, documentation, findings, resolution, and follow-up.
• Strong working knowledge of employment laws, regulations, employee relations practices, and HR best practices.
• Experience with HRIS platforms and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Knowledge of manufacturing operations is a plus.

Desired Skills:

• Exceptional investigation, interviewing, analytical, and report-writing skills, with sound judgment, objectivity, discretion, and the ability to handle highly sensitive and confidential information.
• Strong employee relations expertise and the ability to navigate complex, high-impact, and sensitive workplace matters with empathy, professionalism, and impartiality.
• Ability to interpret and apply policies and employment practices consistently while balancing legal, operational, and employee considerations.
• Credibility and influence to build trusted relationships and work effectively with employees, leaders, and cross-functional partners at all organizational levels.
• Strong business acumen and an understanding of workforce challenges in a manufacturing environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, conflict-resolution, coaching, and problem-solving skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and thrive in a fast-paced, results-oriented environment.
• Ability to analyze and interpret HR data to identify trends, inform decisions, and drive continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated success supporting change, employee engagement, and a positive, accountable workplace culture.

MANE offers industry leading benefits including a generous PTO plan. Additional benefits include paid holidays, annual year-end shutdown, annual and bi-weekly 401(k) contributions, tuition reimbursement, paid parental leave, employee assistance programs and many more. MANE is known for having a culture that focuses on our employees and their well-being. See for yourself why our employees love working at MANE!

MANE is an equal opportunity employer.