HR Business Partner - Ops

UNFI; Centralia (WA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

401K Program

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Short-term and long-term disability

Parental leave

Job summary

UNFI is seeking an HR Business Partner to execute human resources strategies across Talent Development, Workforce Planning, and Engagement within our facilities. The role partners with leaders to optimize talent and drive a people-first culture at 50+ distribution centers.

The candidate will manage employee relations, implement programs, and ensure compliance with federal and state laws while supporting a transformational journey toward enterprise productivity and collaboration.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal.
• Analytical skills and ability to assess data to drive decisions.
• Action oriented with initiative and accountability.
• Strong problem-solving capabilities and collaborative mindset.

Responsibilities

• Builds effective working relationships with business leaders.
• Leverages understanding of business needs to optimize human capital to meet strategic plans.
• Acts as a primary point of contact and provides counsel and consulting services to internal partners across all levels, including Senior leaders.
• Provides coaching to individual contributors to enable their success.
• Participates and collaborates in supervisor, management, and staff meetings.
• Reviews metrics to derive insights and uses those insights to solve business problems and improve processes.
• Executes HR activities and programs in alignment with regional and national practices.
• Manages leaves of absence and accommodation requests.

Skills

Excellent communication

Analytical skills

Action oriented

Problem-solving skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business

PHR/SPHR/CHRL/CPHR Certification preferred

Job description

Purpose

The Human Resources Business Partner is responsible for executing action items that support key projects and initiatives within the facility/group. Reporting to the HR Director or Manager, the HR Business Partner is responsible for the effective execution of human resources strategies in areas such as Talent Development, Workforce Planning, Talent Selection, Engagement, Recognition, Performance Management, Organizational Development, Training, Associate Relations, Compensation, Benefits, Wellness, Risk Safety, Labor Relations, Sustainability, and Philanthropy.

What does it mean to be a part of our HR Operations team?

While providing on-site support for our 50+ distribution centers, our HR Operations team ensures effective execution of human resources strategies in areas such as Talent Development, Workforce Planning, Talent Selection, Engagement, Recognition, Performance Management, Organizational Development, Training, Associate Relations, Compensation, Benefits, Wellness, Risk Safety, Labor Relations, Sustainability, and Philanthropy. In addition, this team plays a pivotal role in our current transformation journey. They are instrumental in helping to develop and retain the right talent, who are fully engaged with this strategy, as well as embodying a true “people first” mindset to help drive UNFI’s company culture of collaboration and engagement.

Job Responsibilities

Business Partnership

• Builds effective working relationships with business leaders.
• Leverages an understanding of business needs and works closely with leaders to optimize human capital to meet strategic plans.
• Acts as a primary point of contact and provides counsel and consulting services to internal partners across all levels of the organization, including Senior leaders.
• Provides coaching to individual contributors, with the goal of making others successful.
• Participates and collaborates in supervisor, management, and staff meetings.
• Reviews metrics to derive insights and uses those insights to solve business problems and improve processes.

Talent & Onboarding

• Responsible for implementing the workforce and talent agenda that attracts the right people in a competitive market and drives enterprise productivity, in partnership with Talent Acquisition.
• Conducts new hire orientation and ensures that new associates are well informed of HR benefits, policies, and programs.
• Prepare and communicate information to new employees upon hire date. Provide orientation on the Company policies. Prepare pre-employment and new hire paperwork as required by the Company, State, and Federal regulations.
• Deliver training programs, as assigned.

Engagement & Associate Relations

• Responsible for being a steward of the company culture.
• Uses discretion and ensures that associate questions are promptly and courteously resolved.
• Drive employee engagement efforts through execution of employee feedback survey, analysis of results, and development of action plans, as assigned.
• Addresses associate concerns with open communication techniques and conducts investigations of concerns raised by associates as assigned. Communicates with associates in a timely and courteous manner.
• Handles basic employment relations issues, including reviewing recommendations with HR Manager and escalating, as appropriate.

Execution of HR Activities and Programs

• Executes on assigned HR functions accurately and in a timely manner.
• Leverages best practices and participates in collaboration within the region/group, and nationally.
• Executes on tactics supporting HR programs within the facility, in accordance with HR processes and programs.
• Builds effective working relationships with the HR team.
• Completes reports and information requests accurately and promptly. Maintains and updates HRIS records and associate files. Ensures associate files are complete and compliant.
• Complete Personnel actions, including partnering with Total Rewards or HR Shared Services to obtain recommendations and approvals, ensuring the transaction is appropriately processed and that associate data is accurate.
• Supports peer networks across the company.
• Executes tactics to support core annual programs, such as performance objectives and goal setting, performance evaluations, compensation planning, talent assessment, succession planning, wellness, annual enrollment, etc.
• Executes tactics to support local/department-level programs for areas such as workforce planning, engagement, recognition, training, wellness, and labor relations.
• Manages and tracks all leaves of absence and accommodation requests.
• Possesses working knowledge of HR policies and procedures as well as federal, state/provincial, and local laws.
• Executes human resources tactics, including recordkeeping, talent development, promotions, employee relations, terminations, and exit interviews, recordkeeping, etc. in accordance with Company procedures and applicable legal requirements. Implements Affi…
• Provides transparency into work.
• Leverages the network for learning when encountering a new challenge.
• Manages personal development following changes to the company, business, and/or HR. Maintains a high level of confidentiality with consistency.
• Performs other job duties as required.

Education/Certification

• Bachelor’s degree in business or PHR/SPHR/CHRL/CPHR Certification preferred.

Experience

• Minimum 3 years of HR experience required.

Knowledge

• Working knowledge of Federal, state/province, and local employment laws.
• Understanding of talent acquisition techniques, including recruitment, interviewing skills, and selection.
• Understanding of compensation and benefit policies and programs, employee relations practices.

Skills/Abilities

• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal.
• Analytical skills.
• Action Oriented.
• Problem-solving skills.

Competencies

• Communicating effectively.
• Demonstrating Initiative.
• Displaying confidence and composure.
• Assessing and Understanding People.
• Delivering high-quality work.
• Good judgment is required for this position as there may be times when direct supervision may not be immediately available.

Physical Environment/ Demands

• Some travel may be required (up to 10%).
• Most work is performed in a temperature-controlled office environment.
• Incumbent may sit for long periods of time at the desk or computer terminal.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.
• Incumbent may use calculators, keyboards, telephones, and other office equipment during the normal workday.
• Stooping, bending, twisting, and reaching may be required in the completion of job duties.

UNFI is an Equal Opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive and respectful environment for all. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other protected ground. Accommodation is available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the job selection process. - Veteran/Disability. VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

Compensation

UNFI anticipates paying the above-referenced pay rate (or within the above-referenced pay range) for this position. Actual Pay, where applicable, will depend on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, education, experience, training, and any requirements under applicable collective bargaining agreements. UNFI is committed to transparency in pay in compliance with applicable state and local laws.

Benefits

For Washington positions (or positions that may be performed remotely from Washington), https://www.unfi.com/jobs-more-info-wa.html for Washington-specific paid time off details.

Candidates hired into this position will also be eligible to participate in the following benefits programs: Paid Time Off; Sick Time; paid holidays and parental leave; 401K Program; medical, dental, vision, life, and accidental death/dismemberment insurance; short-term and long-term disability insurance program, Flexible Spending Account and/or Health Savings Account, subject to meeting the eligibility requirements and the terms and conditions of these programs, and subject to any requirements under applicable collective bargaining agreements.

UNFI’s compensation, benefits, and paid time off policies are subject to change in the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with applicable law. This job posting should not be construed as an offer of employment with certain terms, nor should it be construed as a guaranteed minimum.

Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act.