HR Business Partner

Sauder; New Haven (IN); On-site; USD 72,000 - 92,000; Full time

Job summary

Sauder is seeking a Human Resources Business Partner to serve as a trusted advisor to leaders and employees within our Indiana operations. The role focuses on recruitment, employee relations, workforce planning, and engagement, partnering with Operations to align people strategies with business goals.

Responsibilities include full-cycle recruiting, policy interpretation, and compliance across EEO and related regulations, with travel limited to occasional site visits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, business or related field required.
• Minimum 3 years in a Human Resources role required.
• Proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Minimal travel is required.

Responsibilities

• Build partnerships with front-line leaders and senior leadership to support workforce planning and employee relations.
• Lead full-cycle recruiting and onboarding for Operations and other roles as needed.
• Maintain HR records and recruitment metrics in compliance with policies and regulations.
• Advise leaders on employee relations matters and policy interpretation to ensure compliant outcomes.
• Assist with leave programs (FMLA, short-term disability) and regulatory compliance (EEO, OSHA, FLSA).
• Support policy implementation and serve as back-up for other HR functions.

Skills

HR expertise

MS Office

Communication

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

3+ years HR experience

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Important: This is a full-time, in-person position and is not a remote opportunity. Candidates must be able to work on-site.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Human Resources Business Partner serves as a trusted advisor to Business Unit leaders, managers, and employees, providing consultative guidance and coaching on human resources-related matters to support business goals and ensure alignment with company policies and objectives. This role partners closely with Operations leadership to develop and execute people strategies that maximize employee potential and maintain appropriate staffing levels. The HR Business Partner supports multiple stages of the employee lifecycle, with a strong focus on recruitment, employee relations, workforce planning, and employee engagement.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Build and maintain effective partnerships with front-line leaders, managers, and senior leadership, providing consultative support on workforce planning, talent management, employee relations, and organizational development.
• Lead and support employee lifecycle activities, including recruitment, onboarding, workforce planning, performance management, employee engagement, retention, promotions, transfers and separations.
• Manage full-cycle recruiting for Operations and other roles as needed, including sourcing, candidate selection, offers, pre-employment processes, and new hire and benefits orientation.
• Maintain accurate HR records, personnel files, recruitment metrics, and employment data, including applicant flow, interviews, hires, transfers, promotions, and terminations, while ensuring compliance with legal, regulatory, EEO, Affinitve Action, and company requirements.
• Advise and coach leaders and employees on employee relations matters, workplace concerns, disciplinary actions, and policy interpretation to ensure consistent and compliant outcomes.
• Investigate employee concerns and support the administration of leave programs, including FMLA, short-term disability, and other leaves of absence.
• Assists in compliance efforts to meet regulatory requirements such as EEO, AAP, OSHA, worker’s comp , unemployment, and FLSA.
• Manage the employee disciplinary process, ensuring consistency and compliance with company policies.
• Time and Attendance approval.
• Assists with implementing policies and procedures involving HR and the Business Unit.
• Servers as back-up for other HR as needed.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

Education & Experience

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, business or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience required
• Minimum of 3 years’ in a Human Resources role required
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Minimal travel is require

Preferred

• SHRM or HRCI certification preferred
• Previous Human Resources experience in a manufacturing environment preferred.

Key Skills & Capabilities

• Initiative to work across teams, and be an integral partner to Operations leaders
• Ability to work with confidential information, with the integrity to not disclose information
• Highest level of reliability and credibility
• Ability to multi-task and work with minimal supervision on complex tasks

PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORK ENVIRONMENT

This position is primarily performed in a professional office environment. While performing the duties of this role, the employee is regularly required to communicate effectively, including talking and hearing, and frequently required to sit, stand, walk, and move throughout office, manufacturing, warehouse, or campus facilities. Regular use of hands and fingers is required for writing, computer operation, and telephone use, as well as the use of standard office equipment such as computers, printers, and other business technology.

Noise levels are typically low to moderate in office environments but may vary when visiting operational or manufacturing areas.

Employees must work in a manner consistent with Sauder's safety practices, policies, and expectations and wear required personal protective equipment when entering designated production areas.

Occasional travel between company locations, attendance at meetings, training events, conferences, or customer visits may be required. Travel of approximately 5% expected.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.