Human Resources Governance Partner

Great Lakes Cheese; Hiram Township (OH); On-site; USD 95,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Great Lakes Cheese is seeking an HR Governance Partner to act as a strategic guardian of organizational integrity across policies, audits, and risk management. You will oversee leave administration, federal/state reporting, internal investigations, and policy implementation.

Based in Ohio operations, the role partners with Legal and IT to ensure compliant, transparent people processes, accurate data, and proactive risk mitigation while guiding site teams through audits and compliance programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in HR, Business Administration, or related field.
• 6 years of progressive HR experience, with 3–5 years on Employee Relations / HR Operations / Risk Mitigation.
• Ability to conduct complex internal investigations and provide actionable summaries.
• Strong written and verbal communication for policy interpretation.
• Proven ability to operate independently in ambiguous environments.

Responsibilities

• Monitor changes in labor laws to ensure compliance.
• Draft and update the Employee Handbook and HR policies.
• Translate complex regulations into clear guidelines for managers.
• Oversee pre-employment screening and vendor management of drug screening.
• Prepare government reports (EEO-1, New Hire, VETS-4212).
• Conduct internal HR audits (I-9, E-Verify) to identify vulnerabilities.
• Serve as main contact for external audit firms and coordinate logistics.
• Support safety, integrity, and data accuracy across sites.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Investigation skills

Regulatory awareness

Risk management

Independent work

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in HR or related field

6 years HR experience

Job description

Job Overview

The HR Governance Partner serves as a strategic guardian of organizational integrity. This role is responsible for ensuring that all people-related processes from handbook policies to ADA interactive dialogues are executed with accuracy and objective fairness. The Partner mitigates organizational risk by overseeing complex leave administration, maintaining federal and state reporting requirements, and conducting high-level internal investigations. This role will partner with cross-functional teams to drive clear communication, data integrity, and proactive risk management.

The HR Governance Partner serves as a strategic guardian of organizational integrity. This role is responsible for ensuring that all people-related processes from handbook policies to ADA interactive dialogues are executed with accuracy and objective fairness. The Partner mitigates organizational risk by overseeing complex leave administration, maintaining federal and state reporting requirements, and conducting high-level internal investigations. This role will partner with cross-functional teams to drive clear communication, data integrity, and proactive risk management.

Job Responsibilities

Policy & Handbook Management

• Monitor changes in federal, state, and local labor laws (e.g., FLSA, FMLA, ADA, EEOC) to help ensure the organization remains compliant.
• Draft, update, and maintain the Employee Handbook and internal HR policies/guidelines.
• Translate highly complex regulations into clear, actionable guidelines for managers and employees.
• Oversee the pre-employment screening process and the vendor management aspects of the drug screening program.

Regulatory Reporting

• Prepare and file required government reports, such as monthly New Hire Reporting, Annual EEO-1, and VETS-4212.
• Conduct internal HR audits (e.g., I-9 audits, E-Verify, personnel file reviews) to identify vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with company policies.

Audit Preparedness & Advisory

• Serve as the main point of contact for external third-party audit firms, scheduling assessments and managing on‑site logistics.
• Establish and communicate clear compliance benchmarks across all site teams based on social responsibility audit requirements, specifically SMETA. Develop checklists, pre‑audit dashboards, and document repositories to streamline site‑level preparation.
• Conduct workshops, coaching sessions, and mock walkthroughs to prepare local management and employees for third‑party auditor interactions. Provide onsite, direct support for high‑risk audits, or newly formed teams and acquired facilities, to establish baseline compliance.
• Manage the Corrective Action Plan Report (CAPR), ensuring all audit findings are thoroughly investigated.
• Collaborate with site HR and operations leads to design, execute, and document robust timely solutions for non‑conformances.
• Upload evidence, track verification timelines, and maintain an updated, accurate company profile on the Sedex platform.

Compliance Support

• Create, launch and oversee compliance‑based processes for the organization (interactive process, communication of ADA process, etc).
• Serve as the primary liaison for our third‑party FMLA administrator, ensuring policy and legal alignment across all leave types.
• Serve as the first point of contact for legal notices (EEOC, federal/state claims, etc.), preparing initial documentation and case summaries for legal review.
• Provide mentorship and support for internal investigations, ensuring process consistency, proper documentation, and objective outcomes.
• Partner with cross‑functional teams, including Legal and IT, as needed to support project goals and ensure HR requirements are met.
• All GLC employees are expected to perform any assignment or job task according to the stated safety policies and procedures.
• All GLC employees are expected to produce our products in a manner that exceeds the quality and value expectation of our customers and consumers by adhering to Good Manufacturing Practices, Policies and Procedures outlined in our Safe Quality Food Program.
• Other responsibilities as assigned by the manager.

Required Education And Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, a related field, or commensurate experience.
• 6 years of progressive HR experience, with at least 3–5 years specifically focused on Employee Relations, HR Operations, or Risk Mitigation.
• Ability to conduct complex internal investigations, maintain objective documentation, and provide actionable summaries for legal and executive review.
• Strong interpersonal skills to partner effectively with cross‑functional partners.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, specifically in interpreting complex policies into "people-first" language for the employee handbook.
• Proven ability to operate independently in ambiguous environments.
• Strong problem solving and hands on trouble shooting skills.
• Excellent attention to detail on multiple simultaneous tasks.

Preferred Education And Experience

• Specialized certification in Employee Relations or HR Risk Management.
• 8-12 years of progressive HR experience, with at least 5 years specifically focused on Risk Mitigation.
• Strong working knowledge of SMETA 2-pillar and 4-pillar audit methodologies, the ETI Base Code, and local labor laws.
• Management of ADA Interactive Processes and overseeing third‑party administrators for FMLA/LOA.
• Deep understanding of federal and state employment laws, including FMLA, ADA, EEOC, and FLSA.

Working Conditions

• Occasional exposure to industrial operations including: temperature extremes from approximately 35ºF to 100ºF; noise levels in excess of 85 dB; moisture and moving machinery.
• Travel up to 40%
• Work is performed in an office setting.

EEOC & Disclaimer

Great Lakes Cheese is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities.

Great Lakes Cheese strives for continued vendor diversity. Due to this, we will not respond to solicitations from search firms from our posted positions.