Human Resources Business Partner

PLEASE READ SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS PRIOR TO APPLYING FOR THIS ROLE! Must Haves: Bachelor's Degree At least 2 years of direct Union experience STRONG Manufacturing experience The Value You’ll Bring The Smithfield Foods Human Resources team is searching for an ambitious, hands‑on HR leader to discover, hire, and retain great talent at our St. Charles processing facility. You will serve as the primary conduit for positive employee relations, performance management, and organizational culture. The Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) manages, directs, and coordinates our site’s HR policies and programs—with a heavy emphasis on labor relations, contract administration, compliance, safety, and floor‑level leadership. Additionally, you will be a key stakeholder embedded within the plant leadership team to identify opportunities, troubleshoot barriers to operational success, and drive location goals across the organization. What You’ll Do Labor & Employee Relations: Act as the primary decision‑maker for policy and collective bargaining agreement (CBA) interpretation. Maintain a positive labor environment by counseling managers/employees, resolving grievances, and proactively identifying solutions to mitigate legal or compliance‑related risks. Production Floor Presence: Maintain a highly visible, hands‑on presence on our manufacturing floor. You aren't someone who stays behind a desk; you will regularly interact with our hourly production team to gauge plant dynamics and support workforce stability. Salaried Talent Acquisition: Own the selection process for all salaried personnel at the St. Charles facility, partnering with hiring managers to interview and select leadership talent. (Note: Our dedicated HR Generalist handles hourly production hiring.) Team Leadership: Directly supervise, coach, and mentor local HR staff. Plan and assign workflows, evaluate job performance, and build a high‑performing HR unit. Talent Strategy & Retention: Partner with facility leadership to execute succession planning, continuous workforce assessment, and targeted retention strategies for both administrative and hourly manufacturing staff. Data‑Driven Insights: Perform data analysis and prepare HR metric/KPI reports to construct sound business cases, helping plant leadership champion operational improvements. Compliance Management: Own the compliant execution of the location’s Affiantative Action Plan (AAP) across all hiring, promotions, and transition processes. Manage site compliance with FMLA, ADA, and multi‑state employment regulations. What We’re Seeking Experience: 5+ years of progressive HR experience, with a mandatory background working within a manufacturing/industrial environment (food processing background is a plus, but any fast‑paced manufacturing industry is welcome). Union Mastery (Required): Proven, hands‑on experience navigating collective bargaining agreements, managing union employee relations, and addressing grievances directly with union representatives. Education: A Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field is highly preferred. However, candidates with an equivalent, exceptional track record of relevant, hands‑on manufacturing/union HR experience will be fully considered. Leadership: 2+ years of demonstrated experience in team management, employee development, or direct project leadership. Compliance & Legal Knowledge: General, robust knowledge of federal/state employment laws and practices (EEO, OSHA, FMLA, ADA). Operational Agility: Ability to thrive, build trust, and remain highly approachable in a fast‑paced, demanding industrial environment. Willingness to travel 5-10% as needed. Other Skills That Make You Stand Out Bilingual Skills (English/Spanish): Highly preferred. Approximately 80% of our St. Charles workforce is Spanish‑speaking. The ability to natively converse, conduct workplace investigations, and build relationships on the floor in Spanish is a massive advantage. HRIS Systems: Prior experience utilizing Workday is a strong plus, though not required. Our Interview Process We value transparency and efficiency. If your profile matches our needs, our process moves as follows: 1st Round: Virtual interview with our Talent Acquisition Specialist. 2nd Round: Virtual interview with our Human Resources Director. 3rd Round: Onsite interview and facility tour with the leadership team at our St. Charles, IL facility. 4th Round: Final virtual interview with our Senior Director of HR. Physical Demands & Work Environment Capable of sitting or standing for extended periods of time. Must be comfortable walking through an active manufacturing plant environment. Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times. Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception. Smithfield Foods is an Equal Opportunity Employer. #J-18808-Ljbffr