HR Generalist

The Marzetti Company; Wareham (MA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Marzetti Company in Wareham, MA is seeking an HR Generalist to provide coaching, leadership, and HR services to build capability, boost engagement, and support talent acquisition across plant operations.

You will partner with plant leadership and an agile HR team to champion a people-first culture, advise managers on policy interpretation and performance coaching, and help implement enterprise Total Rewards programs while ensuring compliance with applicable laws.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, business administration, or related field preferred.
• Minimum 3 years of progressive HR experience in a manufacturing environment preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, as well as union-related regulations.
• Strong experience in building and sustaining a positive organizational culture.
• Solid business acumen and analytical skills with data-driven decision making.
• Strong communication, coaching, and consulting skills with the ability to influence leaders at all levels.
• Experience with change management and organizational transformation.
• Project management skills with the ability to balance multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite including Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

Responsibilities

• Promote positive associate, corporate, and community relationships.
• Leads recruitment lifecycle for hourly workforce and temporary labor.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and company policies.
• Implement process improvements to increase HR efficiency and enhance talent management practices.
• Partner with operations to develop scalable training programs for the hourly workforce.
• Perform other duties as required by management.

Skills

Human Resources

Employee relations

Policy interpretation

Data-driven decision making

Coaching & consulting

Change management

Project management

Microsoft Excel

UKG HRIS

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

Tools

UKG HRIS

Microsoft Office

Job description

Overview

The HR Generalist is responsible for providing coaching, leadership, and HR services to build capability, maximize associate engagement, and drive talent acquisition. Partnering closely with plant leadership and an agile HR team, this role supports key internal customers with their talent needs to enable business success. The HR Generalist assists the HRM in championing a people-first culture, serving as a consultant to management, a culture guardian, and a role model for positive workplace practices. While actively bringing The Marzetti Way to life by modeling our values and growth behaviors and inspiring others to nourish growth with all that we do.

Responsibilities

Engagement

• Promote and maintain positive associate, corporate, and community relationships.
• Serves as a visible, approachable resource for associates on the floor, building credibility and trust across all levels of the organization.
• Maximize associate engagement and minimize risk by advising leaders and associates on policy interpretation, conflict resolution, and performance coaching.
• Actively participate in associate engagement activities and empowers leaders to develop action plans to address survey feedback or identified opportunities.
• Meet quarterly with the HR Marzetti community to share best practices, assess progress, and align on enterprise HR goals.
• Conducts new hire check‑ins to assess integration, address concerns, and support retention.
• Maintains an open door for associates at all levels, offering consistent support and solutions to workplace concerns.
• Updates employee communication boards and supports execution town halls in partnership with corporate communications to ensure timely and consistent messaging.
• Executes open enrollment administration and supports the facilitation of all other enterprise Total Rewards programs and initiatives

Talent Acquisition

• Manage all phases of the recruitment life cycle for hourly workforce and temporary labor
• Leads new hire orientation and onboarding to ensure a consistent, welcoming experience that sets associates up for success from day one
• Partner with managers to support creation of accurate job descriptions and hiring criteria.
• Develop and implement innovative, cost‑effective sourcing strategies to attract high-quality candidates.
• Oversee job postings, application reviews, interview scheduling, and candidate communications.
• Assist managers during interviews and guide the selection and offer process, including salary recommendations and start dates.
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local employment laws and company policies.
• Represent the company at college job fairs and other recruiting events.

Compliance

• Tracks and reports HR metrics such as turnover, absenteeism, and time-to-fill to identify trends and support data driven decision making.
• Supports FMLA, LOA, and ADA accommodation administration in coordination with the HRM and COE.
• Processes employee system transactions in UKG as required by company policy, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Maintains working knowledge of and ensures compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws; handles company policy adherence around I-9, terminations, and unemployment .

Building Capability

• Implement process improvements to increase HR efficiency and enhance talent management practices.
• Engage proactively with employees to reinforce a strong, positive workplace culture.
• Partner with the HR Manager on organizational change initiatives and cultural transformation efforts.
• Partners with operations to develop a sustainable, scalable training program for the hourly workforce.
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as required by management

Supervisory Responsibility

This position has no direct supervisory responsibility. The HR Generalist works closely with plant leadership, managers, and associates across all departments to support HR programs, employee relations, and talent development initiatives.

#TMZ23

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 3 years of progressive HR experience in a manufacturing environment preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, as well as union‑related regulations.
• Strong experience in building and sustaining a positive organizational culture.
• Solid business acumen and sound judgment with proven problem‑solving and analytical skills; ability to use data in decision‑making.
• Strong communication, coaching, and consulting skills with the ability to influence leaders at all levels.
• Experience with change management and organizational transformation.
• Project management skills with the ability to balance multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite required, including Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Experience with UKG or other HRIS platforms preferred.
• Collaborative mindset and ability to build partnerships across diverse stakeholders.
• Preferred: HR experience in a regulated, fast‑paced manufacturing environment.

Working Conditions/Environment

Works primarily in an office environment with regular interaction on the manufacturing floor. The associate is regularly required to speak, read, sit, stand, and walk while moving about the facility. Will be required to flex work hours as needed to meet with all shifts and/or weekends as needed. The employee may periodically be exposed to non‑ambient temperatures, odors, dust, and noise in the plant environment. Hair/beard nets, safety glasses, and slip‑resistant/steel‑toed shoes are required per company GMP and safety standards when on the production floor.

We are committed to a safe work environment where people safety and food safety are our top priorities. All employees are expected to follow safety, sanitation, and quality protocols, are provided appropriate training and protective equipment, and are empowered to report hazards and stop work if unsafe conditions arise.