HR Generalist

Hershey Company; Kansas; On-site; USD 86,000 - 108,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & Wellbeing benefits

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Career development programs

Job summary

The Hershey Company is seeking an HR Generalist to support our Kansas City manufacturing operations, primarily based at the Edgerton, KS plant. You will strengthen organizational capability, develop talent, boost engagement, and implement HR programs that positively impact people and business performance.

You will partner across the organization to deliver practical HR solutions in a dynamic manufacturing environment, guiding stakeholders and driving roductive change.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years HR experience with at least 1 year in leadership.
• Solid knowledge of federal and state employment laws.
• Experience in employee relations, recruitment, compensation, and policy interpretation.
• Experience with FMLA, workers’ compensation, unemployment processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead onboarding for hourly and salaried staff and support learning initiatives.
• Partner with leaders to promote positive employee relations and policy administration.
• Support HR compliance and track attendance, leave, and disciplinary actions.
• Analyze turnover and HR metrics to guide leadership decisions.
• Leverage HR technology and shared services to meet needs.

Skills

HR knowledge

Employment law experience

Employee relations

Analytical decision making

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's in HR Management

PHR/SHRM certification preferred

Tools

HRIS

SAP data entry

Microsoft Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Teams

Job description

HR Generalist

Posted Date: Oct 15, 2026

Requisition Number: 130775

Why Hershey:

At The Hershey Company, our culture is rooted in purpose and inspired by Milton Hershey’s enduring vision that business should create opportunity for others. Through our commitment to corporate philanthropy, we create positive impact by supporting communities, helping children thrive, and operating as a business for good. This includes our deep and long standing partnership with Milton Hershey School, where we invest in education, workforce readiness, and hands on engagement to help students succeed beyond the classroom. Supported by strategic grantmaking, product donations, cross brand collaboration, and strong employee volunteerism, Hershey offers a place to work where making a difference—locally and globally—is part of how we do business every day.

About The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is an industry-leading snacks company known for making more moments of goodness through its iconic brands. With a strong portfolio across chocolate, confectionery, and salty snacks, Hershey delights consumers every day. Our beloved brands include Hershey’s, Reese’s, KitKat®, Dots Pretzels, Lesser Evil, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, and more.

At Hershey, we are committed to making a meaningful difference in the communities where we live, work, and do business. This commitment originated with our founder, Milton Hershey, and continues to shape who we are today.

Guided by our employee value proposition, Lead Today. Create Tomorrow, we empower our people to drive impact now while shaping what comes next. Our One Hershey mindset brings teams together across functions, geographies, and businesses, enabling us to operate with speed, collaboration, and shared purpose.

How will you fit in the big picture?

Hershey Salty Snacks is seeking an HR Generalist to support our Kansas City manufacturing operations, primarily based at our Edgerton, KS plant. In this highly collaborative role, you will help strengthen organizational capability, develop talent, enhance employee engagement, and implement HR programs that positively impact our people and business performance.

You’ll partner across the organization to deliver practical HR solutions while creating a positive and engaging employee experience in a dynamic manufacturing environment.

What will you do?

• Lead onboarding activities for hourly and salaried employees and support talent development and learning initiatives.
• Partner with leaders and employees to promote positive employee relations, proactive communication, timely issue resolution, and fair and consistent policy administration.
• Support HR compliance, including FMLA, ADA, FLSA, workers’ compensation, unemployment claims, and other applicable employment requirements.
• Manage key HR processes, including HRIS/SAP data entry and reporting, attendance and leave tracking, and coordination of disciplinary actions.
• Support employee engagement initiatives and organizational change efforts.
• Analyze turnover, attrition, and other key HR metrics to identify trends and recommend actionable solutions to HR and plant leadership.
• Apply knowledge of the business to support effective decision‑making, consistent HR processes, and organizational performance.
• Identify opportunities to simplify processes, remove barriers, reduce costs, and improve HR service delivery.
• Leverage HR technology, shared services, and available resources to effectively meet employee and business needs.
• Support wage surveys and market‑competitive compensation recommendations.

Experience:

• 3–5 years of Human Resources experience, including at least 1 year in a leadership capacity.
• Working knowledge and practical application of federal and state employment laws.
• Experience with employee/labor relations, recruitment and selection, compensation and benefits, and HR policy interpretation.
• Experience administering FMLA, workers’ compensation, and unemployment processes.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and decision‑making skills with the ability to translate data into actionable recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead projects, manage competing priorities, and collaborate across levels and functions in a matrixed organization.
• Strong written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to facilitate learning with large groups.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams, along with experience working with HRIS systems.
• Human Resources experience in a manufacturing environment preferred.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree or graduate degree in Human Resource Management or a related discipline required.
• PHR or SHRM certification preferred.

At Hershey, we offer competitive pay and a comprehensive total rewards package designed to support your wellbeing, financial security, and life outside of work.

• Health & Wellbeing: Medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus wellness programs that support your physical and mental health
• Financial Security: Competitive pay, annual incentive opportunities, and a 401(k) with company match
• Time Off & Flexibility: Paid time off, company holidays, and flexible ways of working where applicable
• Growth & Development: Career development programs, learning opportunities, and internal mobility

The anticipated base salary range for this role is $86,400 to $108,000 per year. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of job‑related factors, including, but not limited to, experience, skill set, education, and training. In addition to a market‑competitive base salary, our Total Rewards package includes performance‑based incentives and a comprehensive, competitive benefits package designed to support overall physical, mental, and financial well‑being (as applicable). Learn more about Hershey’s benefits and all the resources Hershey provides to support our employees’ physical, emotional, and financial well‑being by visiting the Hershey Digital Employee Experience at www.askHRbenefits.hersheys.com

The Hershey Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The policy of The Hershey Company is to extend opportunities to qualified applicants and employees on an equal basis regardless of an individual’s race, color, gender, age, national origin, religion, citizenship status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other categories protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. The Hershey Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Minority/Female/Disabled/Protected Veterans. You may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our online application process as a result of a disability. You can request an accommodation via phone or email.To request an accommodation via phone, please call [phone] and leave a voicemail with your contact information. You may also email a request for accommodation to [e-mail]. Please be sure to include “Accommodation Needed” in the subject line. This will ensure that your email is routed to the appropriate contact who will handle your request.