Human Resources Manager

Mid-states Distributing Llc; Lincoln (NE); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Fantastic benefits package

Job summary

Mid-states Distributing Llc is seeking an HR Manager to lead the site’s people strategy, employee relations, and workforce planning at our Lincoln distribution center. The role partners with operations leadership to optimize scheduling, retention, and compliance while driving a strong safety culture and cost-conscious labor practices.

You will manage investigations, benefit inquiries, and HR programs, ensuring consistent policy implementation and data-driven decisions across shifts and functions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, business, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5–7 years of progressive HR experience, including hourly workforce (warehouse/distribution).
• Strong knowledge of federal and state employment law (FLSA, FMLA, ADA, Title VII, NLRA, OSHA).
• Experience using workforce data and metrics to influence operations leadership.
• Proficiency with HRIS/payroll and Excel-based analysis.

Responsibilities

• Strategic HR Leadership: own site HR metrics and lead change initiatives.
• Employee Relations & Risk Management: manage complex investigations and progressive discipline.
• Talent & Workforce Planning: lead hiring for salaried/leadership roles and retention strategies.
• Compliance & Policy: administer leave, accommodations, and policy updates; audit-ready records.
• HR Operations & Team Direction: oversee payroll liaison, HRIS data, onboarding, and employee engagement.
• Safety & Workers’ Compensation: support claims, return-to-work, and safety culture.

Skills

Employee relations

Workforce analytics

HRIS/Payroll

Excel

Policy compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/Business or related field

PHR or SHRM certification

Tools

Paycom

Microsoft Excel

Job description

About Us:Mid-States Distributing is the leading Farm, Ranch, and Home Retail Organization. Our 72+ year old company is owned by 29 independent Farm, Ranch & Home retailers (“Members”) who operate approximately 700 stores across the US with combined annual sales in excess of 7.5 billion dollars. Our member/owners retail items such as agriculture parts & supplies, petroleum products, hardware & tools, pet food, lawn & garden, animal health supplies, apparel & footwear, sporting goods, and various other products for the Farm, Ranch, and Home.We are looking for enthusiastic people who like to win! We place a tremendous amount of emphasis on creating a dynamic and positive company culture. Most of our employees will tell you that Mid-States is the best place they’ve ever worked. We value high-energy people with positive attitudes who believe in the concept of “serving to wow”! Our consumers are primarily rural people raising kids, pets, cows, and crops so traditional values like God, family, and patriotism are important virtues. So, if you are enthusiastic, competitive, have a great attitude, have excellent written and verbal communication skills, like to build strong relationships, like to win, and refuse to eat meat grown in a lab – Mid-States may be the place for you! If you are not, please apply with our competitors!Position SummaryThe HR Manager is the senior HR leader for the distribution center and a member of the facility leadership team, owning the full HR agenda for the site: employee relations, workforce planning, talent, compliance, safety partnership, and culture. Reporting to the HR Director, this role operates with a high degree of autonomy — setting the site’s people strategy in alignment with company direction and serving as a trusted advisor to operations leadership on organizational design, retention, and labor cost decisions. The HR Director is engaged as a strategic partner and on matters of significant legal exposure or enterprise policy; the day-to-day people leadership of the facility belongs to this role.Key ResponsibilitiesStrategic HR LeadershipServe on the facility leadership teamOwn site HR metrics — turnover, absenteeism, time-to-fill, overtime utilization, incident trends and present insights and recommendations to facility and corporate leadershipLead change management for facility initiatives such as shift restructuring, automation, process changes, and policy rolloutsEmployee Relations & Risk ManagementOwn employee relations for the facility; lead complex and sensitive workplace investigations end-to-end and render defensible findings and recommendations with HR DirectorSet the standard for corrective action across the site: ensure consistent, well-documented progressive discipline and approve written warnings and separations, escalating terminations with elevated legal risk to the HR DirectorMonitor the facility climate and proactively address emerging issues, including positive employee relations strategies and early identification of organizing riskPartner with the HR Director on charges, claims, and litigation support, including document preparation and witness coordinationTalent & Workforce PlanningOwn workforce planning for the facility, including peak season ramp strategy, temporary labor mix, and performance managementLead hiring for salaried and leadership roles at the site; oversee hourly recruitingBuild supervisor and lead capability through coaching, training programs, and performance management, drive succession and development planning for front-line leadershipDesign and execute retention strategy, with particular focus on first 90-day attrition and critical-skill rolesCompliance & PolicyAdminister complex leave and accommodation cases, exercising judgment on the interactive process and undue hardship questions in consultation with the HR DirectorRecommend policy and handbook changes based on regulatory developments, facility experience, and operational needsAccountable for facility compliance with employment law and company policy, including I-9/E-Verify, FLSA, FMLA, ADA, and OSHA recordkeeping; ensure audit-ready documentation at all times.HR Operations & Team DirectionServe as the facility-level liaison to payroll for timekeeping corrections, pay discrepancies, and new hire/termination processingMaintain HRIS data accuracy and run standard workforce reports for facility leadershipLead new hire orientation, recognition programs, and facility-level engagement efforts; support open enrollment communication and benefits questionsSafety & Workers’ CompensationAssist with workers’ compensation claims management, return-to-work programs, and carrier relationships; monitor claim trends and drive cost-containment strategiesPartner with operations and safety leadership to drive the facility safety culture, including incident review, root-cause analysis, and corrective action follow-throughQualificationsRequired:Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field, or equivalent experience5-7 years of progressive HR experience, including at least 3 years in a warehouse, distribution, manufacturing, or other hourly-workforce environmentDemonstrated ownership of complex employee relations matters, investigations, and corrective action with minimal oversightStrong command of federal and state employment law (FLSA, FMLA, ADA, Title VII, NLRA fundamentals, OSHA recordkeeping)Experience using workforce data and metrics to drive decisions and influence operations leadershipProficiency with an HRIS/payroll platform and Microsoft Office, including Excel-based analysisPreferred:PHR or SHRM-SCP certificationPaycom platform a plusExperience supporting multi-shift operations, including peak season workforce rampsExposure to positive employee relationsWorking ConditionsPosition is based on-site with regular time on the warehouse floor across all shifts. Requires flexibility to support second and weekend shifts as business needs dictate. Occasional lifting up to 25 lbs and exposure to a non-climate-controlled warehouse environment.A few words from our COO:I have had the pleasure to work for some incredible companies during my career, but Mid-States is truly the best company I have ever worked for. Lead by our dynamic CEO, Tom Mahlke, our team strives to provide a unique, exciting, fun, and fulfilling work environment for our staff. Things like drama, laziness, and entitlement have no place in Mid-States, which makes Mid-States a refreshing place to work. We offer competitive salaries, have fantastic benefits package, and believe in rewarding those who produce. We serve a wonderful industry, and we are financially sound and growing rapidly. If you are an enthusiastic, high-energy person with a positive attitude and the skills described above, you may have just found the last job you will ever apply for! I look forward to meeting you. – Jeff Rash, COO