Generalist Business Partner

Freudenberg Group; Bristol (VA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Freudenberg Group is seeking an experienced Senior HR Business Partner to collaborate with site leadership on workforce strategies that align with operational goals. You will advise on organizational effectiveness, talent management, and change management while shaping employee relations and leadership development.

You will drive a positive employee experience through proactive communication, data-driven insights, and cross-functional partnership with HR Centers of Excellence to support growth

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field; equivalent experience will be considered.
• Seven or more years of progressive HR experience supporting manufacturing, industrial, distribution, operations, or similarly fast-paced environments.
• Strategic HR Business Partner experience with hands-on HR initiatives and employee support activities.
• Strong employee relations experience including investigations, conflict resolution, performance management, labor or employee relations, and leadership coaching.
• Business acumen linking workforce strategies to operational and financial outcomes.
• Experience using workforce metrics and analytics to identify trends and influence leadership decisions.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and influencing skills at all levels.

Responsibilities

• Partner directly with the Site Leader and leadership team to develop and execute people strategies that support operational goals, workforce stability, and business performance.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to leaders on organizational effectiveness, talent management, employee relations, workforce planning, change management, and leadership development.
• Drive a positive employee experience through regular floor presence, proactive communication, and initiatives that strengthen engagement, retention, and workplace culture.
• Lead complex employee relations matters, including investigations, conflict resolution, performance management, corrective actions, and policy interpretation with fairness and consistency.
• Coach and develop leaders to enhance communication, accountability, leadership effectiveness, and team performance across the organization.
• Analyze workforce metrics including turnover, absenteeism, overtime, vacancies, engagement, and employee relations trends to identify opportunities for improvement and drive data-informed decisions.
• Collaborate with Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, Compensation, Benefits, Payroll, Compliance, and other HR Centers of Excellence to deliver integrated people solutions that support organizational growth.

Skills

HR Business Partner

Employee Relations

People Analytics

Leadership Coaching

Change Management

Strategic Planning

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR or related field

Tools

MS Excel

HRIS

Job description

Working at Freudenberg: We will wow your world!

Responsibilities:

• Partner directly with the Site Leader and leadership team to develop and execute people strategies that support operational goals, workforce stability, and business performance.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to leaders on organizational effectiveness, talent management, employee relations, workforce planning, change management, and leadership development.
• Drive a positive employee experience through regular floor presence, proactive communication, and initiatives that strengthen engagement, retention, and workplace culture.
• Lead complex employee relations matters, including investigations, conflict resolution, performance management, corrective actions, and policy interpretation with fairness and consistency.
• Coach and develop leaders to enhance communication, accountability, leadership effectiveness, and team performance across the organization.
• Analyze workforce metrics including turnover, absenteeism, overtime, vacancies, engagement, and employee relations trends to identify opportunities for improvement and drive data-informed decisions.
• Collaborate with Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, Compensation, Benefits, Payroll, Compliance, and other HR Centers of Excellence to deliver integrated people solutions that support organizational growth.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field; equivalent experience will be considered.
• Seven or more years of progressive HR experience supporting manufacturing, industrial, distribution, operations, or similarly fast-paced environments.
• Demonstrated success serving as a strategic HR Business Partner while also executing hands‑on HR initiatives and employee support activities.
• Strong employee relations experience, including investigations, conflict resolution, performance management, labor or employee relations, and leadership coaching.
• Business acumen with the ability to connect workforce strategies and talent decisions to operational and financial outcomes.
• Experience using workforce metrics and analytics to identify business trends, solve problems, and influence leadership decision-making.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and influencing skills with the ability to build credibility at all levels of the organization.

The Freudenberg Group is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion. Employment opportunities are available to all applicants and associates without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, genetic information, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, protected military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Freudenberg-NOK General Partnership