HR Manager

Oilgear; Traverse City (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO

Paid holidays

401(k) with company match

Medical, Dental, Vision insurance

HSA with employer contribution

FSA options

Life and disability insurance

Tuition assistance

Job summary

The Oilgear Company seeks an experienced HR Manager to serve as the on-site HR leader at its Traverse City, MI headquarters, supporting several locations across the U.S. and remote teams.

You will own employee relations, compliance, safety, payroll oversight, and performance processes for the supported sites, collaborating with the HR Director and HR Generalist. You will coach managers, lead HR programs, coordinate recruiting for hourly roles, and ensure multi-state compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field.
• 5+ years of progressive HR experience.
• Experience as an HR business partner to operations, preferably in manufacturing.
• FMLA, ADA investigations and terminations experience.
• Knowledge of multi-state employment law and payroll compliance.
• Experience with ADP Workforce Now or comparable HRIS/payroll system.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the on-site HR leader and primary HR partner to leaders in Traverse City, Houston, Georgetown, New Berlin, and remote teams.
• Lead implementation of company-wide HR programs and policies at supported locations.
• Coach managers on employee relations, performance, and documentation.
• Deliver People Leader training to new hires and promoted supervisors, leads, and managers.
• Assist Staffing Specialist with recruiting for hourly roles and coordinate with hiring managers.
• Lead workplace investigations and advise on disciplinary actions in collaboration with the Director.
• Own the safety program and manage workers' compensation claims and return-to-work processes.
• Review payroll before release and audit HRIS data for accuracy and compliance.
• Produce HR metrics and interpret policies in partnership with the Director.

Skills

HR Leadership

Employee Relations

Payroll Oversight

Multi-State Compliance

Training & Coaching

Investigation Expertise

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/Business

Tools

ADP Workforce Now

HRIS

Job description

As a leader in high-performance hydraulic solutions, The Oilgear Company offers a collaborative environment where innovation, efficiency, and reliability drive every decision. We empower employees with ownership of their work and support ongoing growth through professional development and continuous improvement.

Summary:

The HR Manager is the on-site Human Resources leader at The Oilgear Company's Traverse City, MI headquarters, supporting Traverse City; Houston, TX; the Georgetown, TX shared services office; the New Berlin, WI office; and remote sales and field service employees across the United States. The role is the primary HR partner to site leadership and owns employee relations, accommodations, HR compliance, safety, performance processes, and payroll and benefits oversight for the supported locations.

The HR Manager exercises independent judgment, works as part of a collaborative HR team with the HR Generalist, and keeps the Director of Human Resources informed of high-risk matters. Supervisory responsibility for the HR Generalist may be added to this role in the future.

Responsibilities and Duties:

HR Leadership and Business Partnership:

• Serve as the on-site HR leader and primary HR partner to leaders in Traverse City, Houston, Georgetown, New Berlin, and remote teams.
• Lead implementation of company-wide HR programs and policies at supported locations.
• Coach managers on employee relations, performance, and documentation.
• Deliver People Leader training to new hires and newly promoted supervisors, leads, and managers, covering Oilgear policies, performance and attendance management, documentation, leave and accommodation basics, respectful workplace expectations, and when to involve HR.
• Assist the Staffing Specialist with recruiting for hourly roles, including screening, interviewing, and coordinating with hiring managers.
• Serve as backup to the Director of Human Resources.
• Build leadership capability as the HR team grows; supervisory responsibility for the HR Generalist may be assigned in the future.

Employee Relations and Compliance:

• Lead workplace investigations and recommend corrective action, working closely with the Director on harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and whistleblower matters.
• Lead the ADA interactive process and make routine accommodation decisions, aligning with the Director before any request is denied.
• Advise managers on discipline and separations, and align with the Director before involuntary terminations.
• Ensure compliance with federal and state employment laws in Michigan, Texas, Wisconsin, and states where remote employees work, bringing the Director in on agency inquiries and legal notices.
• Support the Director with EEO-1, VETS-4212, and ACA reporting by compiling data for supported locations.

Safety and Workers' Compensation:

• Own the safety program for supported locations, including safety initiatives, training coordination, and incident follow-up.
• Maintain OSHA recordkeeping and quarterly safety statistics.
• Manage workers' compensation claims and return-to-work.

Payroll and Benefits Oversight:

• Review payroll before release, and assume payroll approval once trained on Oilgear's multi-state payroll and ADP Workforce Now.
• Audit payroll, benefits, and HRIS data in ADP Workforce Now for accuracy and compliance.
• Serve as the escalation point for complex payroll, benefits, and carrier issues.

Performance, Retention, and Reporting:

• Manage the mid-year and annual performance review cycles in partnership with the Director, and guide managers on performance improvement plans.
• Lead 30/60/90-day new hire check-ins and exit interviews, and share turnover and engagement trends with the Director.
• Produce HR metrics for supported locations, including headcount, turnover, and compliance.
• Interpret HR policies, and partner with the Director on policy and program updates.
• Participate in weekly HR team syncs to share updates and priorities.
• Keep the Director informed of sensitive employee matters as they come up.
• Partner with the HR Generalist on shared events and open enrollment, and cross-train on payroll so coverage is always in place.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field.
• 5+ years of progressive HR experience.
• Experience as an HR business partner to operations, preferably in manufacturing.
• Demonstrated experience with FMLA, ADA, investigations, and terminations.
• Working knowledge of FLSA, Title VII, OSHA recordkeeping, COBRA, ERISA, and Form I-9 compliance.
• Working knowledge of multi-state employment law and payroll compliance.
• Experience with ADP Workforce Now or a comparable HRIS and payroll system.
• Excellent communication, documentation, and judgment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 7+ years of progressive HR experience, preferably in a manufacturing or industrial environment.
• Experience supporting multi-site and remote employees.
• Recruiting experience, preferably for hourly or skilled-trade roles.
• Supervisory or lead experience. Candidates without it will be developed toward supervisory responsibility.
• SHRM-CP, PHR, or equivalent HR certification.

What We Offer

• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Paid holidays
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match
• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with employer contribution
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options
• Employer-paid life and disability insurance
• Optional hospital, critical illness, and accident insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Safety shoe reimbursement program
• Safety glasses reimbursement program
• Tuition assistance up to $5,000 per year

Equal Employment Opportunity & Accommodation Statement

The Oilgear Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

The Oilgear Company is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable state laws. Applicants or employees requiring accommodation may contact Human Resources.

Employment Status Statement

Employment with The Oilgear Company is at-will. This means that either the employee or The Oilgear Company may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice, in accordance with applicable law.

Nothing in this job description or any other Company document should be interpreted as a contract of employment, an offer of continued employment, or a guarantee of employment for any specific duration.