Senior HR Generalist

Maker's Pride; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Maker's Pride is seeking a Senior HR Generalist to foster a strong culture, oversee recruitment, onboarding and retention, and support performance management and compliance across a manufacturing environment.

The role balances strategic and hands-on responsibilities, including payroll for hourly staff, benefits administration, and training compliance while building partnerships with leadership and staff to create a positive, engaged workplace.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in a related business field required, MBA is a plus.
• 3–5+ years in a generalist HR role in manufacturing or high-performance environments.
• Experience in food manufacturing is a plus.
• Bilingual in Spanish preferred; sponsorship not available.

Responsibilities

• Foster a strong company culture and drive engagement.
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, retention strategies and staffing relationships.
• Support performance management and succession planning.
• Ensure legal compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.
• Oversee benefits, payroll processes for hourly employees, and training compliance.
• Analyze KPIs and drive actions to address performance trends.

Skills

MS Office

Dayforce

Leadership

Communication

HR analytics

Strategic thinking

Conflict management

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

MBA (plus)

Tools

HRIS: Dayforce

Job description

Job Summary Overview

The Senior HR Generalist will play a crucial role in fostering a strong company culture, ensuring effective recruitment and retention strategies, supporting performance management, and maintaining legal compliance. This role is focused on ensuring a safe and engaged work environment while balancing the administrative and strategic aspects of human resources.

The Senior HR Generalist will play a crucial role in fostering a strong company culture, ensuring effective recruitment and retention strategies, supporting performance management, and maintaining legal compliance. This role is focused on ensuring a safe and engaged work environment while balancing the administrative and strategic aspects of human resources.

The ideal candidate will have a balance of strategic and tactical HR experience, particularly in high-performance manufacturing environments. They should be able to lead cultural transformation efforts, manage day-to-day HR operations, and maintain legal and ethical compliance. The role requires someone with a strong ability to connect with employees and leadership alike, with a focus on creating a positive, engaging, and productive workplace.

Key Responsibilities

• Culture Building and Employee Engagement:


• Leading the creation of a positive work culture by utilizing Maker’s Pride Performance Systems.


• Managing annual opinion surveys and action plans to improve engagement.


• Ensuring employee recognition and driving pride within the workforce.


• Talent Acquisition and Retention:


• Overseeing recruitment, on-boarding, and retention strategies to ensure a steady pipeline of talent.


• Developing strategies to stay union-free or maintain positive relations with unions if applicable.


• Building strong relationships with staffing agencies to ensure facility is adequately staffed.


• Performance Management and Succession Planning:


• Leading the performance management system to evaluate and develop employees at all levels.


• Creating and implementing talent management programs to build a pipeline for succession planning.


• Community Outreach and Employer Branding:


• Building a strong employer brand in the local community through donations, networking, and outreach efforts.


• Training and Compliance:


• Ensuring the facility meets all training and compliance requirements for audits and legal purposes.


• Overseeing all policies and procedures to ensure legal compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.


• Employee Benefits and Payroll:


• Managing employee benefits programs such as medical, dental, vision, 401(k), FMLA, etc.


• Overseeing payroll and attendance systems for hourly employees.


• Data and Reporting:


• Analyzing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and identifying actions to address downward trends in performance.

Required Competencies & Knowledge

• Technical Skills:


• Proficiency in MS Office Suite and knowledge of Dayforce (HRIS system).


• Leadership and Management Skills:


• Ability to motivate and lead staff effectively while developing a high-performance team.


• Strong decision-making and conflict management skills.


• Ability to communicate effectively with employees at all levels.


• Analytical and Financial Acumen:


• Ability to analyze HR data and trends, with a strong focus on problem-solving and financial understanding.


• Interpersonal Skills:


• Strong conflict management skills and the ability to foster a positive work environment.


• Ability to coach and mentor both front-line employees and leadership staff.

Qualifications

• Educational Requirements:


• Undergraduate degree in a related business field required, with an MBA being a plus.


• Experience:


• 3 to 5+ years of experience in a generalist HR role in a manufacturing or high-performance environment


• Experience in Food Manufacturing is a plus.


• Additional Skills:


• Bilingual in Spanish is preferred.


• No sponsorship available for work authorization.

Maker's Pride is an Equal Opportunity Employer.