HR Business Partner

HR Business Partner

At Bel, we are a company on a Mission, built on 160 years of bold innovation, family values, and a commitment to social purpose. With beloved brands like Babybel®, GoGo squeeZ®, The Laughing Cow®, and Boursin®, our snacking solutions bring more than joy; they want to serve as a force for good. Our U.S. Mission? To help close the critical 80% nutrition gap by making it easier for Americans to eat more fruits, veggies, and dairy as part of their daily lives. The company has headquarters in Chicago and New York City and operates 4 manufacturing plants in Little Chute, WI; Brookings, SD; Traverse City, MI; and Nampa, ID. #IWorkForAllForGood

The Manager, HR Business Partner is responsible for applying HR knowledge to ensure effective business operations, regulatory compliance, and strong employee relations within a strong, growing company. They are a strategic partner and advisor to business leaders, providing expert HR guidance and support to drive business objectives. They will collaborate closely with leaders, managers, and employees to develop, implement, and lead factory HR programs and initiatives that align with factory business goals and priorities.

Essential Duties & Functions:

• Owns relationship with factory operations leadership and represents HR function at factory.
• Collaborates closely with factory director and steering team to understand goals, priorities, challenges, and workforce needs.
• Acts as a member of the steering team.
• Provides strategic HR guidance and recommendations to support factory objectives, improve organizational performance and workforce engagement.
• Ensures HR function is aligned to provide necessary talent, leadership, and services to support factory operations.
• Analyzes metrics and results of HR initiatives in relation to established goals and develops new approaches to effect continual improvements.
• Provides leadership and coaching to factory managers related to various workforce matters, including staffing, training, performance management, attendance and leave of absence, and general employee relations.
• Responsible for participating in integrated management system and ensuring compliance with Food Safety, Health and Safety and/or Environmental in order to maintain management system certifications.
• Collaborates throughout budget cycle with factory and HR leadership to provide insights, alignment on salary and workforce planning, and ensures accurate factory HR budget is established.
• Responsible for Talent Acquisition and Recruitment program management.
• Collaborates with factory leadership to understand talent needs and develop effective recruitment strategies in partnership with Talent Management and Shared Services team.
• Oversees full cycle of resource planning for in partnership with factory leadership and HR Team.
• Analyzes factory workforce planning and talent acquisition results in relation to established goals and recommends new approaches to effect continual improvement.
• Oversees the end-to-end recruitment process for all factory positions, including processes to post jobs, source candidates, conduct interviews and selections, and extend job offers.
• Directly manages full Talent Acquisition process for factory salary positions in partnership with HR Talent Specialist.
• Ensures compliance with legal requirements and industry best practices in recruitment and selection processes.
• Leads Talent Management and Development programs.
• Supports talent management initiatives, including impact management, career development, and succession planning.
• Supports managers in setting performance expectations, providing ongoing feedback, and conducting performance evaluations.
• Identifies skill gaps and recommends development plans to enhance employee capabilities.
• Oversees the onboarding and orientation process for new hires, ensuring a smooth and welcoming integration into the organization.
• Owns Employee Relations and Engagement within factory.
• Fosters positive employee relations by developing and implementing employee engagement initiatives, effective communication strategies, and conflict resolution processes.
• Addresses employee concerns, grievances, and disciplinary matters with confidentiality, fairness, and consistency.
• Collaborates with managers to create a respectful work environment that promotes employee satisfaction, retention, and strong sense of belonging.
• Aligns employee engagement programs with DEI&B strategies and programs.
• Oversees investigations and discipline, ensuring consistent approach to addressing corrective action.
• Ensures management and HR leadership are aligned on recommendations.
• Facilitates smooth off-boarding processes for departing employees.
• Contributes to Compensation and Benefits programs and ensures consistent local application.
• Oversees the employee experience associated with compensation and benefits programs within the factory, ensuring alignment and consistency with corporate programs.
• Provides input on compensation local market trends and reviews recommendations for hourly and salary wage structure adjustments, identifies pay gaps and proposes changes to improve employee experience and attraction/retention.
• Monitors the administration of various fringe benefit programs to ensure accuracy and compliance with policies.
• Oversees annual open enrollment, ensuring timely and accurate dissemination of information and materials.
• Manages workers' compensation and wellness programs and ensures compliance with related standards and regulations for the location.
• Partners effectively with HR Centers of Excellence to assess organizational needs and implement programs timely and consistently.
• Responsible for ensuring HR Compliance and Policies and Procedures within factory.
• Develops and enforces HR policies, procedures, and guidelines to ensure legal compliance, fairness, and consistency.
• Ensures consistent application and adherence to HR policies and procedures across the organization.
• Conducts audits and investigations to assess compliance with HR policies and address any non-compliance issues.
• Stays updated on relevant employment laws and regulations, assisting with compliance efforts, and ensuring HR practices align with legal requirements.
• Leads HR team to develop, review, and update HR policies and procedures, ensuring consistent application and adherence.
• Provides guidance and ensures accurate administration of programs pertaining to attendance/absenteeism, HR and safety metrics and dashboards, recruiting, training and development.
• Leads local HR Team
• Provides leadership, guidance, and support to successfully accomplish department goals, objectives, and priorities.
• Leads a team of HR professionals, providing coaching, guidance, and developmental opportunities.
• Fosters a collaborative and high-performing HR team culture.
• Provides continuous feedback and support to team members in achieving their goals and professional growth.
• Demonstrate the Company's values and winning behaviors while adhering to all company policies and practices, including safety and environmental protocols, quality standards, and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
• All other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Human Resources or related field required, Master's degree preferred.
• HR certification preferred.
• Experience: 5+ years of Human Resources experience in a HR Business Partner or similar HR leadership role, preferably with a strategic capacity. Experience in a union environment preferred.

Required Skills:

• In-depth knowledge of HR practices, employment laws, and regulations.
• Strong leadership and team management skills, with the ability to motivate and inspire a team.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build collaborative relationships at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to think strategically and translate business goals into HR initiatives.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Demonstrated understanding of change management principles.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to work with data and metrics.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with professionalism and discretion.
• Proficiency in HRIS (Human Resources Information System) and other HR software.

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions:

• Work is performed largely in an office environment with routine exposure to the manufacturing plant floor.
• Hours of work will generally be during regular business hours with at least 40 hours a week. At times there will be some variation in work hours due to special projects, deadlines and other concerns.
• Ability to occasionally lift up to 20 pounds.
• Occasional travel intermittently via airplane within the U.S. and internationally 5 % Occasional exposure to loud machinery or equipment. Must be able to wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Bel Brands is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity