Manager, Human Resources

The J.M. Smucker Company; Georgia; On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

The J. M. Smucker Co.

seeks a Human Resources Manager for our Columbus, GA site to act as senior HR leader and strategic advisor to plant leadership. This onsite role focuses on workforce strategy, labor relations, leadership development, and employee engagement to drive operational excellence. You will partner with union leadership and plant management to strengthen labor-management relationships, succession planning, and workforce capability, shaping a culture built on trust and performance

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressive Human Resources experience.
• 3+ years working in a unionized environment.
• Experience administering and interpreting collective bargaining agreements and advising leaders on labor relations.
• Demonstrated success building productive union-management partnerships.

Responsibilities

• Serve as strategic HR business partner to the Plant Manager and leadership team, aligning people strategies with objectives.
• Lead all site HR activities including employee relations, labor relations, talent acquisition, talent management, org development, and performance management.
• Develop and maintain constructive labor-management partnerships to support engagement and plant performance.
• Develop and execute labor relations strategies to strengthen collaboration and positive employee experiences.
• Lead labor-management discussions on communication, workforce challenges, and continuous improvement opportunities.
• Oversee collective bargaining agreement administration, contract interpretation, grievance management, investigations, and arbitration preparation.

Skills

Labor relations

Leadership development

Unionized manufacturing

People strategy

Stakeholder influence

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

Tools

Workday

HRIS

Job description

Your Opportunity as the Human Resources Manager

Join the leadership team at our Columbus, Georgia Hostess bakery, where we proudly produce iconic snacks including Mini Cupcakes, Ding Dongs® and Zingers®. As the senior Human Resources leader for the site, you will serve as a strategic advisor to plant leadership, driving workforce and labor strategies that enable business growth, operational excellence, and a highly engaged workforce. This is a highly visible leadership role with the opportunity to shape the employee experience and influence the future of the organization. This role offers the opportunity to influence the people strategy for a bakery producing some of Hostess' most iconic products, while serving as a key voice in shaping the site's culture, workforce capability, and long-term success. You will lead labor relations strategy, strengthen union-management partnerships, guide workforce planning, and leadership development initiatives, and help create a culture built on trust, accountability, and performance. Serving as the primary bridge between employees, union leadership, and business leaders, you will play a critical role in fostering collaborative labor-management relationships that support both employee and business success.

Success in this role will be measured not only through effective contract administration, but through your ability to improve employee engagement, strengthen workforce stability, develop leadership capability, reduce workplace conflict, enhance organizational effectiveness, and create an environment where employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute to the site's success.

Location: Columbus, GA

Work Arrangements: 100% Onsite

Willingness to work extended hours and flow to the work as needed.

In this role you will:

• Serve as the strategic Human Resources business partner to the Plant Manager and leadership team, aligning people strategies with operational and business objectives.
• Lead all site Human Resources activities including employee relations, labor relations, talent acquisition, talent management, organizational development, and performance management.
• Serve as the primary site leader responsible for developing and maintaining constructive labor-management partnerships that support workforce engagement, operational excellence, and plant performance.
• Develop and execute labor relations strategies that strengthen union-management collaboration, support business objectives, and create positive employee experiences.
• Lead regular labor-management discussions focused on communication, workforce challenges, employee concerns, and continuous improvement opportunities.
• Serve as the site's chief advisor on labor relations matters, including collective bargaining agreement administration, contract interpretation, grievance management, investigations, arbitration preparation, and labor risk mitigation.
• Partner closely with union leadership to proactively identify and resolve workplace concerns before they escalates, fostering trust, workforce stability, and organizational effectiveness.
• Champion initiatives that improve labor-management communication, strengthen employee engagement, and reinforce a culture of respect, accountability, and collaboration.
• Support labor negotiations preparation activities and help develop long-term labor relations strategies that position the site for sustained success.
• Lead workforce planning initiatives to ensure the site has the talent, leadership capability, and organizational structure needed to achieve current and future business goals.
• Provide oversight for hourly hiring, bid administration, and headcount management, ensuring consistent processes, staffing accuracy, and workforce alignment across the operation.
• Develop and execute talent strategies focused on attraction, retention, succession planning, leadership development, and critical role readiness.
• Lead site leadership development initiatives, including frontline supervisor onboarding, leadership training programs, coaching frameworks, mentoring programs, and development planning processes.
• Facilitate talent reviews and succession planning discussions with site leadership to identify high-potential employees and prepare future leaders for advancement opportunities.
• Partner with leaders to create individual development plans that strengthen leadership capability, technical expertise, and employee growth across the organization.
• Coach leaders on employee engagement, performance management, conflict resolution, workforce planning, communication, and leadership best practices.
• Partner with plant leadership to identify organizational effectiveness opportunities and implement solutions that improve productivity, engagement, culture, and team performance.
• Lead change management efforts associated with business transformation, operational improvements, organizational redesign, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Analyze workforce data, employee relations trends, and organizational metrics to identify opportunities, mitigate risks, and drive data-informed business decisions.
• Lead workplace investigations and ensure timely, fair, and compliant resolution of employee concerns in alignment with company policies and legal requirements.
• Manage employee recognition programs, community outreach activities, employee events, and engagement initiatives that strengthen site culture.
• Ensure consistent application of company policies, Human Resources programs, and employment practices while maintaining compliance with labor and employment laws.

What we are looking for:

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressive Human Resources experience.
• 3+ years working in a unionized environment.
• Demonstrated success developing and implementing Human Resources strategies within a unionized manufacturing environment.
• Significant experience administering and interpreting collective bargaining agreements, managing grievance processes, and advising leaders on labor relations matters.
• Demonstrated success serving as a strategic labor relations leader, building productive union-management partnerships and driving positive workforce outcomes in a unionized manufacturing environment.
• Experience building productive union-management partnerships and successfully navigating complex employee and labor relations situations.
• Manufacturing site experience.
• Experience leading leadership development, succession planning, workforce planning, and organizational capability-building initiatives.
• Experience leading and developing employees while fostering a positive workplace culture.
• Experience driving Human Resources process improvements and organizational effectiveness initiatives.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to influence leaders, drive organizational change, and align people strategies with business objectives.
• Strong communication, coaching, and relationship-building skills.

Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role:

• Human Resources Generalist leadership experience.
• Food manufacturing or consumer packaged goods experience.
• Experience supporting labor negotiations and collective bargaining processes.
• Experience designing or implementing leadership development programs, talent review processes, and succession planning frameworks.
• Workday experience.
• Experience working within high-performance organizations, lean manufacturing, or continuous improvement environments.
• Professional certifications such as Professional in Human Resources (PHR), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP), or Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

The Right Place for You

We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs. Stay connected with us on LinkedIn® We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, age, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status.

We’re a community of passionate, talented professionals dedicated to creating food people and pets love—while supporting the communities in which we work and live.

We value what makes each person unique, champion growth and development, and foster collaboration that fuels productivity and drives our shared success.

Learn more about our Thrive Together purpose At Smucker, we're passionate about creating a workplace where you truly belong. With a culture rooted in our Basic Beliefs and a competitive Total Rewards program, we aim to support every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs. Learn more about working at Smucker Our culture is sustained and brought to life every day by the people of Smucker and our hiring process is designed to identify the right candidate for every position at our company. Learn more about our hiring process The J. M. Smucker Co. (the “Company”) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. No person will be discriminated against in hiring or in any other aspect of their employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, transgender status, marital status, familial status, disability, genetic information, protected veteran/military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.