Human Resources Associate, Ford Energy

Ford Energy; Glendale (KY); On-site; USD 85,000 - 143,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Paid time off

Vehicle discount program

Tuition assistance

Employee resource groups

Paid holidays

Job summary

Ford Energy in Kentucky's Glendale plant is seeking a Plant Sr. HR Associate to balance operational execution with employee advocacy on the manufacturing floor. You will partner with plant leaders to implement HR processes, investigations, and safe, compliant operations.

Role emphasizes workforce analytics, employee engagement, payroll accuracy, and DEI initiatives in a fast-growing startup environment. On-site presence required with strong cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, business, or related field.
• 1-2 years in manufacturing, construction, or fast-paced food service.
• 1–2 years in HR, admin, customer service, or fast-paced office environment.
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Excel, Word) and SharePoint.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a multicultural environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Support HR processes rollout and investigations in manufacturing ops.
• Foster a positive workplace culture and HR visibility.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local labor laws and OSHA.
• Manage timekeeping, payroll accuracy, and leaves of absence.
• Partner with plant leadership to align HR solutions with business objectives.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Organizational skills

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business, Organizational Development, or a related field

Tools

Workday

SAP

SharePoint

Excel

Job description

Job Description

We made history and now we work to transform the future – for our customers, our communities and our families. You'll see your work on the road every day, helping people move freely and pursue their dreams. At Ford, you can build more than vehicles. Come build what matters.

Ford Energy is a newly formed, wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company dedicated to accelerating U.S. energy independence. Leveraging Ford’s century of manufacturing excellence and world-class battery energy storage systems (BESS) technology, Ford Energy designs, manufactures, and services grid-scale and commercial DC battery energy storage systems (BESS). Ford Energy is uniquely positioned to capture the growing demand for reliable, US-built energy storage systems. We are not just building batteries; we are building the infrastructure for the next generation of the American grid.

Why Ford Energy?

At Ford Energy, you have the backing of an industrial manufacturing powerhouse with the agility of a dedicated energy startup offering industry-leading technology. We offer a competitive compensation package including performance-based bonuses, Ford vehicle discounts, and the opportunity to shape the energy strategy of one of the world's most iconic brands.

In this position...

The Plant Sr. HR Associate at Ford Energy is a dynamic, advisory role designed for an HR professional with a passion for customer service and a desire to deeply understand manufacturing operations. This position balances operational execution with employee advocacy, supporting the rollout of HR processes, assisting in investigations, and fostering a positive workplace culture. The successful candidate will act as a key partner to plant leadership, ensuring compliance with all applicable laws while driving sustainable cultural change in a fast-paced startup environment.

Responsibilities

What You’ll Do...

Employee Relations & Business Partnership

Business Acumen

Leverage knowledge of plant operations to build relationships with Supervisors and identify HR solutions that support business objectives.

Employee Engagement

Foster an inclusive environment through proactive initiatives, employee opinion surveys, and DEI programs. Conduct daily floor walks to build rapport, ensure HR visibility, and detect early warning indicators of workplace issues.

Investigations

Support internal investigations regarding corrective action issues, interpersonal conflicts, and ethics/compliance hotline reports. Utilize conflict resolution and critical thinking to ensure fair and consistent application of company policy.

Employee Communication

Partner with local communications staff to execute relevant messaging and foster two-way communication across all shifts.

Employee Advocacy

Act as the first point of contact for employee questions, maintaining a balance between advocacy and the consistent application of established policies.

HR Operations & Compliance

Timekeeping & Payroll

Support timekeeping administration, including schedule reviews, corrections, and payroll accuracy. Ensure compliance with attendance policies and manage tracking systems for leaves of absence (FMLA, ADA, and Worker’s Compensation).

Compliance

Maintain strict adherence to federal, state, and local manufacturing labor laws, OSHA safety documentation, and I-9 protocols.

Data Analytics

Monitor key workforce metrics to identify risks and provide data-driven recommendations to operating leaders.

Process Improvement

Leverage lean methodology to build and improve HR standard work documentation and change management programs.

Talent Management & Support

Onboarding

Assist in new hire orientation, pre-boarding paperwork, and system setup to ensure a seamless entry for new team members.

Talent Planning

Support the talent management process for hourly and salaried employees, including tracking transfers, separations, and manpower reporting.

Health & Safety

Collaborate with safety and occupational health leads to address employee wellness concerns and support safety audits.

Qualifications

You’ll Have...

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business, Organizational Development, or a related field.
• 1-2 years' experience working in a manufacturing, construction, or fast paced food service environment, or similar
• 1–2 years of experience in HR, administrative, customer service, or fast-paced office environment
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Excel, Word) and SharePoint.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a multicultural environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Even Better, You’ll Have...

• Experience with HRIS systems (e.g., Workday, SAP, or similar).
• Professional HR Certification (PHR or SHRM-CP).
• Experience in a high-growth startup or large-scale manufacturing environment.

Key Skills For Ford Energy

• Process Improvement: Ability to take initiative to build processes, not just maintain them.
• Conflict Resolution: Strong empathy and professionalism when handling sensitive employee relations matters.
• Lean Methodology: Ability to use problem-solving tools to drive efficiency.
• Resilience: Ability to thrive in a high-growth, evolving manufacturing setting.

Work Requirements

• This role requires a 100% on-site presence at the manufacturing plant.
• Must be able to spend at least 20% of the time walking and standing on the plant manufacturing floor.
• Involves occasional lifting of up to 10 pounds and repetitive hand-finger actions for office tasks.

This description outlines the general nature and scope of work typically performed in this job. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, knowledge, skills, work requirements, etc. It may vary slightly based on business or geographic needs and is subject to being reviewed and updated periodically.

As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder…or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
• Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
• Tuition assistance
• Established and active employee resource groups
• Paid time off for individual and team community service
• A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.

This position is a salary grade 6 and ranges from $85,400-$143,200.

Final determination of salary grade will be based on the candidate's skills and experience, and base salary will be set within the applicable range according to job scope, responsibility, and competitive market value.

For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/GSR

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

Relocation is not available for this position. Candidates must live within a commutable distance of the facility.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status. In the United States, if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-888-336-0660.

Company: As Ford establishes a wholly owned subsidiary focused on Battery Energy Storage Systems, this role will initially be employed by Ford and is expected to transition to the subsidiary within one year.

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