Human Resources (HR) Generalist

Central Garden & Pet; Sanford (NC); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vis

Free Life insurance

401k

Paid vacation, holidays

Employee Assistance Program

Access to thousands of free online cou

Education Assistance (degrees & certs)

Paid parental leave

Job summary

Central Garden & Pet is seeking an HR Generalist to provide hands-on HR support across multiple manufacturing locations in the Sanford, NC area. The role focuses on staffing, employee relations, training, compliance, and HRIS administration to maintain a positive employee experience on the production floor.

You will partner with operations leaders to manage full-cycle recruiting, onboarding, employee lifecycle activities, and documentation while ensuring confidentiality and compliance with

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Management, or related field preferred.
• 3+ years of Human Resources experience, preferably in manufacturing, distribution, warehouse, or another fast-paced operational environment.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish required, with the ability to communicate effectively with employees verbally and in writing in both languages.
• Experience with high-volume recruiting and staffing strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting employee relations, investigations, corrective action, and employee engagement activities.
• Working knowledge of federal and state employment laws and HR compliance requirements.
• Experience with HRIS and timekeeping systems; ADP experience preferred.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to build relationships with employees at all levels and maintain a visible, approachable HR presence within the workplace.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with professionalism and discretion.
• Ability to regularly travel between assigned locations within the local area.

Responsibilities

• Staffing & Workforce Planning: Partner with operations leaders to anticipate staffing needs and execute hiring plans that support seasonal production requirements.
• Staffing & Workforce Planning: Manage full-cycle recruiting for hourly manufacturing, warehouse, and assigned salaried positions, including sourcing, screening, interviews, offers, pre-employment requirements, and onboarding.
• Staffing & Workforce Planning: Maintain candidate pipelines and coordinate with staffing agencies and recruiting partners as needed.
• Staffing & Workforce Planning: Monitor staffing levels, vacancies, turnover, and hiring progress to identify and address potential workforce gaps.
• Employee Relations & Engagement: Serve as an accessible HR resource for employees and leaders, maintaining a regular presence across assigned facilities and on the production floor.
• Employee Relations & Engagement: Provide guidance on policies, attendance, performance, corrective action, workplace concerns, and other day-to-day employee relations matters.
• Employee Relations & Engagement: Support employee investigations, conflict resolution, and corrective action processes in partnership with HR leadership.
• Employee Relations & Engagement: Coordinate and support employee engagement, recognition, communication, and retention initiatives, including activities designed to strengthen the employee experience and workplace culture.
• Employee Relations & Engagement: Identify employee concerns and workplace trends through regular interaction with employees and recommend opportunities for improvement.
• Employee Lifecycle & HR Operations: Support employee lifecycle activities including hiring, onboarding, job changes, promotions, transfers, leaves, accommodations, corrective actions, and separations.
• Employee Lifecycle & HR Operations: Maintain accurate employee records and HR documentation while ensuring appropriate confidentiality.
• Employee Lifecycle & HR Operations: Partner with Payroll, Benefits, Safety, and other internal resources to resolve employee issues and ensure timely processing of employee changes.
• Training & Orientation: Coordinate and facilitate new hire orientation in both English and Spanish, ensuring employees understand company policies, workplace expectations, available resources, and required training.
• Training & Orientation: Partner with operations and safety leaders to coordinate and document required employee training.
• Training & Orientation: Support employee and supervisor training related to HR policies, attendance, performance management, employee relations, and other workplace practices.
• HRIS, Reporting & Compliance: Maintain accurate employee information within the HRIS, including new hires, employee changes, transfers, and terminations.
• HRIS, Reporting & Compliance: Support employees and managers with HRIS, employee self-service, timekeeping, and other system-related questions.
• HRIS, Reporting & Compliance: Prepare and monitor workforce metrics including headcount, staffing, turnover, attendance, and other HR trends.
• HRIS, Reporting & Compliance: Support compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, company policies, recordkeeping requirements, I-9 requirements, and internal HR practices.

Skills

Bilingual English and Spanish

High-volume recruiting

Employee relations

HR compliance

HRIS administration

Communication

Problem solving

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Management, or related field preferred

Tools

ADP

Job description

Reports to: Sanford Plant, Sr. H.R. Manager

Position Summary

The HR Generalist provides hands-on Human Resources support across multiple manufacturing locations within the local area. This role supports a fast-paced, seasonal workforce with primary responsibility for staffing, employee relations, employee engagement, employee lifecycle activities, training and orientation, HR compliance, and HRIS administration.

The HR Generalist works closely with employees and operational leaders to maintain appropriate staffing levels, support a positive employee experience, address workplace concerns, and ensure consistent application of HR policies and practices. This position requires regular visibility on the production floor and across assigned locations, with the ability to effectively communicate with employees in both English and Spanish.

Human Resources (HR) Generalist

Location: Sanford, NC

Reports to: Sanford Plant, Sr. H.R. Manager

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Staffing & Workforce Planning

  • Partner with operations leaders to anticipate staffing needs and execute hiring plans that support seasonal production requirements.
  • Manage full-cycle recruiting for hourly manufacturing, warehouse, and assigned salaried positions, including sourcing, screening, interviews, offers, pre-employment requirements, and onboarding.
  • Maintain candidate pipelines and coordinate with staffing agencies and recruiting partners as needed.
  • Monitor staffing levels, vacancies, turnover, and hiring progress to identify and address potential workforce gaps.

• Employee Relations & Engagement

  • Serve as an accessible HR resource for employees and leaders, maintaining a regular presence across assigned facilities and on the production floor.
  • Provide guidance on policies, attendance, performance, corrective action, workplace concerns, and other day-to-day employee relations matters.
  • Support employee investigations, conflict resolution, and corrective action processes in partnership with HR leadership.
  • Coordinate and support employee engagement, recognition, communication, and retention initiatives, including activities designed to strengthen the employee experience and workplace culture.
  • Identify employee concerns and workplace trends through regular interaction with employees and recommend opportunities for improvement.

• Employee Lifecycle & HR Operations

  • Support employee lifecycle activities including hiring, onboarding, job changes, promotions, transfers, leaves, accommodations, corrective actions, and separations.
  • Maintain accurate employee records and HR documentation while ensuring appropriate confidentiality.
  • Partner with Payroll, Benefits, Safety, and other internal resources to resolve employee issues and ensure timely processing of employee changes.

• Training & Orientation

  • Coordinate and facilitate new hire orientation in both English and Spanish, ensuring employees understand company policies, workplace expectations, available resources, and required training.
  • Partner with operations and safety leaders to coordinate and document required employee training.
  • Support employee and supervisor training related to HR policies, attendance, performance management, employee relations, and other workplace practices.

• HRIS, Reporting & Compliance

  • Maintain accurate employee information within the HRIS, including new hires, employee changes, transfers, and terminations.
  • Support employees and managers with HRIS, employee self-service, timekeeping, and other system-related questions.
  • Prepare and monitor workforce metrics including headcount, staffing, turnover, attendance, and other HR trends.
  • Support compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, company policies, recordkeeping requirements, I-9 requirements, and internal HR practices.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Management, or related field preferred.
• 3+ years of Human Resources experience, preferably in manufacturing, distribution, warehouse, or another fast-paced operational environment.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish required, with the ability to communicate effectively with employees verbally and in writing in both languages.
• Experience with high-volume recruiting and staffing strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting employee relations, investigations, corrective action, and employee engagement activities.
• Working knowledge of federal and state employment laws and HR compliance requirements.
• Experience with HRIS and timekeeping systems; ADP experience preferred.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to build relationships with employees at all levels and maintain a visible, approachable HR presence within the workplace.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with professionalism and discretion.
• Ability to regularly travel between assigned locations within the local area.

Key Competencies

• Employee Relations Recruiting & Staffing Employee Engagement Workforce Planning HR Compliance HRIS Administration Communication Judgment & Problem Solving Organization & Follow-Through Operational Partnership

BENEFITS PACKAGE & EMPLOYEE PROGRAMS

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Free Life insurance
• 401k
• Paid vacation, holidays
• Employee Assistance Program
• Access to thousands of free online courses
• Discounts on cell phones, movie tickets, gym memberships, and more!
• Education Assistance (both college degrees and professional certifications)
• Paid parental leave

Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ: CENT) (NASDAQ: CENTA) is a leading consumer goods company in the pet and garden industries. Guided by the belief that home is central to life, the Company's purpose is to proudly nurture happy and healthy homes. For over 45 years, its innovative and trusted solutions have helped lawns grow greener, gardens bloom bigger, pets live healthier, and communities grow stronger. Central is home to a diversified portfolio of market-leading brands including Amdro®, Aqueon®, Best Bully Sticks®, Cadet®, C&S®, Farnam®, Ferry-Morse®, Kaytee®, Nylabone®, Pennington®, Sevin® and Zoёcon®. With fiscal 2025 net sales of $3.1 billion, Central has strong manufacturing and logistics capabilities supported by a passionate, entrepreneurial growth culture. The Company is headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, and employs over 6,000 people, primarily across North America. Visit www.central.com to learn more. We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.