Senior HR Generalist

Tenneco Inc.; Blacksburg (VA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Tenneco Inc. is seeking a Senior HR Generalist to support a fast-paced manufacturing plant.

You will be the on-floor HR resource, partnering with leadership to manage employee relations, staffing needs, onboarding, and training while ensuring policy compliance. You will work with hourly and salaried staff, help implement performance management, and coordinate with labor relations in a unionized environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Industrial Relations, or related field.
• Experience handling employee relations matters and HR compliance.
• Familiarity with federal/state employment laws and HR best practices.

Responsibilities

• Provide HR support on employee relations, recruiting, onboarding, performance, attendance and policy administration.
• Support labor relations in a unionized manufacturing environment, including contract interpretation.
• Coach supervisors on performance feedback, develop talent plans, and track training completion.
• Maintain HR records, assist with staffing, and prepare HR metrics and reports.

Skills

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Problem solving

Organization skills

Confidentiality

Time management

HRIS

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

Tools

HRIS systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Senior Human Resources Generalist is a key member of the plant Human Resources team and provides hands-on HR support to employees and leadership in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. This position serves as a trusted HR resource and supports employee and labor relations, recruiting and onboarding, performance management, attendance, training and development, workforce planning, policy administration, and HR compliance.

The ideal candidate is comfortable working directly on the manufacturing floor, building relationships with employees and supervisors, addressing employee concerns, and balancing employee needs with operational and business requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Employee & Labor Relations

• Serve as a primary HR resource for employees, supervisors, and managers regarding workplace concerns, policies, and HR practices.
• Support positive employee relations through consistent, fair, and timely application of company policies and practices.
• Assist with employee investigations, corrective actions, attendance concerns, and other employee relations matters.
• Support labor relations activities in a unionized manufacturing environment, including grievance administration, contract interpretation, and preparation for labor-management discussions.
• Partner with leadership to address workplace concerns before they escal.
• Partner with operations leadership to understand hourly and salaried staffing needs.
• Coordinate recruiting, interviewing, selection, pre-employment activities, and onboarding.
• Support new-hire orientation and ensure employees receive a positive and organized onboarding experience.
• Coordinate with staffing partners and hiring managers regarding temporary and direct-hire staffing needs.
• Monitor staffing levels, vacancies, turnover, and other workforce trends.

Performance & Talent Management

• Support the performance management process and coach supervisors on providing timely, effective employee feedback.
• Assist leaders with employee development plans, succession planning, and talent-development activities.
• Coordinate employee training and track completion of required programs.
• Help identify development opportunities for hourly employees, supervisors, and emerging leaders.
• Support administration of attendance policies and related employee documentation.
• Partner with supervisors to ensure employee timekeeping information is accurate and concerns are addressed promptly.
• Maintain accurate employee records and HR documentation.
• Support employee status changes, promotions, transfers, compensation changes, and other personnel actions.
• Prepare and analyze HR reports and metrics related to headcount, absenteeism, turnover, staffing, training, and other workforce measures.

Compliance & Policy Administration

• Ensure HR practices are administered consistently and in accordance with company policies and applicable employment laws.
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality of employee and business information.
• Support HR audits, recordkeeping requirements, and compliance initiatives.
• Partner with HR leadership on implementation of corporate HR programs and plant-specific initiatives.

HR Business Partnership

• Build strong working relationships with plant leadership, supervisors, employees, and union representatives.
• Provide supervisors with practical HR guidance and coaching.
• Participate in plant meetings and workforce-planning discussions.
• Maintain regular visibility on the production floor and proactively identify employee and organizational concerns.
• Support organizational change and continuous-improvement initiatives.
• Perform additional HR responsibilities and projects as business needs require.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Industrial Relations, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant HR experience.
• Demonstrated experience handling employee relations matters.
• Working knowledge of federal and state employment laws and HR practices.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Ability to appropriately manage confidential and sensitive information.
• Ability to work effectively with employees at all levels of an organization.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and HR information systems.

Preferred

• HR experience within a manufacturing, distribution, or industrial environment.
• Experience supporting a unionized workforce.
• Experience with grievance administration and collective bargaining agreement interpretation.
• Experience supporting high-volume recruiting and hourly workforce staffing.
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification.
• Experience utilizing HR data and metrics to identify workforce trends and recommend solutions.

• Sound Judgment & Decision-Making
• Coaching & Influencing
• Organization & Follow-Through

This position supports an active manufacturing facility and requires regular interaction with employees and supervisors on the production floor. The Senior HR Generalist must be comfortable working in both office and manufacturing environments and adjusting work hours periodically to provide HR support across plant operations and shifts.

Role Scope

This role is positioned above a traditional HR Generalist and below the Human Resources Manager. The Senior HR Generalist is expected to independently manage employee and labor relations matters, staffing, investigations, supervisor coaching, onboarding, and HR metrics while serving as a strong secondary HR leader for the plant.