Human Resources Business Partner

Kirby Corporation; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Stewart & Stevenson Power Products, a Kirby Corporation Company, is hiring an HR Business Partner to partner with leaders and support employees across eight locations in Texas and Louisiana. The role emphasizes strategic people decisions, performance management, and culture-building while traveling about 30% of the time.

You will drive workforce analytics, on-boarding, development, retention, and succession planning to sustain safe, productive operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Development, or related field
• 5+ years of progressive Human Resources experience — bonus if in service, power generation, industrial equipment, manufacturing, or distribution
• Fluency in employee relations, investigations, performance, talent, and org effectiveness
• Analytical mindset and coaching approach
• Experience supporting hourly, technical, skilled trades, field service, or frontline leader populations
• Comfort with AI, workforce analytics and modern HR tech

Responsibilities

• Partner with leaders to drive strategic people decisions and strengthen performance management
• Attract, onboard, develop, and retain skilled talent and future leaders across locations
• Shape engagement, recognition, and daily employee experience to improve retention
• Turn workforce data and engagement feedback into actionable insights for leaders
• Ensure compliance, leave programs, ADA, FMLA, workers’ comp, attendance, and HR backbone processes

Skills

People management

Employee relations

Talent management

Organizational development

Workforce analytics

Support hourly workforce

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR or related field

Tools

AI & HR analytics tools

Job description

Overview

Stewart & Stevenson is Now Hiring an HR Business Partner at8631 East Freeway Houston, TX 77029.

Stewart & Stevenson Power Products • A Kirby Corporation Company • Houston, TX

The work we do matters.

Every day, the equipment supported by Stewart & Stevenson Power Products helps keep essential operations moving in demanding environments — from power generation and industrial engines to service, parts, and customer support solutions.

Behind that work is a team of skilled technicians, operations professionals, sales and service leaders, and support teams who take pride in delivering reliable solutions to customers. As part of Kirby Corporation (NYSE: KEX), Stewart & Stevenson Power Products is backed by a long-standing legacy of operational excellence, safety, integrity, and commitment to its people.

That's where you come in.

Responsibilities

• 
  

  About the role

  
  

  We're looking for an Human Resources Business Partner who wants to do meaningful HR work close to the business — partnering with leaders, supporting employees, and helping shape a workplace where people and operations can perform at their best.

  
  

  You’ll be a trusted partner to business leaders, a steady resource for employees, and a key contributor to the culture, capability, and consistency that help Stewart & Stevenson Power Products continue to grow and serve customers well.

  
  

  This role will support eight locations across Texas and Louisiana and will require approximately 30% travel to stay connected with leaders, employees, and operations across the region.

  
  

  What you’ll own

  
  

  Be the partner leaders can’t run the business without

  
  

  You’ll work closely with business and operations leaders, helping them think strategically about their people, strengthen performance management, and navigate the day‑to‑day realities of running a service‑focused, customer‑driven operation. When a leader has a tough people decision to make, you’re a trusted partner in the conversation.

  
  

  Build the workforce that builds the equipment

  
  

  From sourcing and onboarding to development, retention, and succession planning, you’ll help attract and grow the skilled talent, frontline supervisors, and future leaders who keep Stewart & Stevenson Power Products moving forward.

  
  

  Champion a culture employees brag about

  
  

  You’ll be visible, approachable, and engaged with employees across the business. You’ll help shape engagement, recognition, and the everyday experiences that make people want to stay. When tough conversations or investigations are needed, you’ll handle them with judgment, fairness, and care.

  
  

  Turn data into decisions

  
  

  Turnover trends, engagement feedback, staffing risk, safety signals, and workforce data — you’ll translate the numbers into clear, actionable insights that help leaders make better decisions. You don’t just report what happened; you help determine what should happen next.

  
  

  Keep us strong on the fundamentals

  
  

  You’ll make sure we’re rock‑solid on compliance, leave programs, ADA, FMLA, workers’ comp, attendance, and the HR operational backbone that lets everything else work. The basics are done brilliantly.

  
  

  What success looks like in your first year

  
  
  
  
  • Leaders describe you as \"essential\", not \"helpful\".
  
  
  • Frontline supervisors are measurably stronger at coaching, accountability, and engagement.
  
  
  • We see the right talent moving up, and the right risks getting addressed early.
  
  
  • Turnover, engagement, and staffing trends are moving in the right direction — and you can support it with data.
  
  
  • The culture across the business feels more connected, consistent, and aligned with the values we expect every day.
  
  
  
  

Qualifications

• 
  

  What you bring

  
  
  
  
  • Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Development, or related field
  
  
  • 5+ years of progressive Human Resources experience — bonus points if it’s in service, power generation, industrial equipment, manufacturing, distribution, or another operationally intense environment
  
  
  • Real fluency in employee relations, investigations, performance, talent, and org effectiveness
  
  
  • An analytical brain and a coach’s heart
  
  
  • Experience supporting hourly, technical, skilled trades, field service, or frontline leader populations
  
  
  • Comfort with AI, workforce analytics and modern Human Resources tech
  
  
  
  

  Why Stewart & Stevenson Power Products

  
  
  
  
  • Safety first, always. Every employee, every shift — safety is non‑negotiable and built into how we work.
  
  
  • Real impact. You’ll support a business that helps customers keep critical equipment, power systems, and operations running.
  
  
  • A seat at the table. You’ll partner directly with business and operations leaders and have visibility into the decisions that matter.
  
  
  • Room to grow. Kirby is a place where careers — not just jobs — get built.
  
  
  
  

  Ready to build something that lasts?

  
  

  If you want to do HR work that shows up in stronger leaders, safer operations, more engaged employees, and a healthier business, we’d love to meet you.