Senior Human Resources Advisor

Lakeside HR Group; Minneapolis, Saint Paul (MN, MN); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

401K with 6% company match

Insurance starts Day 1

Hybrid work environment

Job summary

Lakeside HR Group has partnered with a manufacturing client to fill a Senior HR Advisor role. The position provides day-to-day HR partnership to three California locations while leading enterprise-wide talent, compensation, engagement, and organizational effectiveness initiatives.

The ideal candidate has 10+ years in HR, strong knowledge of California employment laws, and proven project leadership. Hybrid work on-site Tue–Thu, with travel as needed, supports a collaborative, people-focused

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive HR experience at senior level.
• Demonstrated knowledge of California employment laws and regulations.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and day-to-day HR partnership to leaders at three California locations.
• Advise on complex employee relations matters and policy interpretation.
• Lead enterprise-wide HR initiatives: talent reviews, succession planning, performance management, and organizational development.
• Develop and manage project plans with stakeholders and timelines; lead implementation.
• Apply California employment-law expertise to ensure compliant HR practices across locations.
• Support labor relations for a unionized location; interpret contracts and prepare for negotiations.
• Use HR metrics to advise on staffing, turnover, overtime, and costs.

Skills

HR partnership

Employee relations

Leadership coaching

Project leadership

Change management

People analytics

Stakeholder management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's Degree in HR/Business

Tools

ADP HRIS

Job description

About The Job

Lakeside HR Group has been engaged by our client to recruit a Senior HR Advisor to join their team. Our client is a well-established manufacturing organization with a collaborative, people-focused culture, accessible leadership, and a strong commitment to doing the right thing for employees, customers, and the business.

This is a highly visible individual-contributor role serving as a trusted advisor to senior leaders and plant leadership. The Senior HR Advisor will provide day-to-day HR partnership to three California locations while leading enterprise-wide initiatives in talent management, succession planning, compensation, engagement, performance management, and organizational effectiveness. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable in setting direction and rolling up their sleeves to execute, and will bring strong judgment, project leadership, relationship-building skills, and confidence operating through change and ambiguity.

Key responsibilities

• Provide strategic and day-to-day HR partnership to leaders at three California manufacturing locations, including coaching plant managers, supervisors, and other operational leaders.
• Advise leaders on complex employee relations matters, workplace investigations, conflict resolution, corrective action, performance concerns, and policy interpretation.
• Lead and support high-impact HR initiatives, including nine-box talent reviews, succession planning, performance management, employee engagement, rewards and recognition, compensation philosophy, and organizational development.
• Build project plans that define scope, stakeholders, timelines, communications, training, change-management needs, deliverables, and measures of success, then lead implementation through completion.
• Apply California employment-law expertise to practical, day-to-day workforce decisions and help ensure consistent, compliant HR practices across supported locations.
• Support labor relations for a unionized location, including contract interpretation, grievance support, partnership with union representatives, and preparation for negotiations.
• Use HR metrics and operational data to identify trends and advise leaders on staffing, turnover, overtime, scheduling, workforce costs, and organizational effectiveness.
• Partner with benefits vendors and internal stakeholders, serve as an escalation resource for complex employee questions, and support benefits-related change communications.
• Oversee leave-of-absence processes and communications for designated locations, ensuring timely coordination and consistent application of policy.
• Partner with HR and payroll colleagues on compensation, HRIS, payroll-review, and process-improvement initiatives while serving as an informal coach and senior resource to the broader HR team.

Required Skills

• Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive HR experience, including senior-level HR business partner, advisory, or generalist experience supporting leaders and complex operations.
• Demonstrated, hands-on knowledge of California employment laws and regulations; this experience is required.
• Proven success leading complex HR projects from planning and stakeholder alignment through communication, implementation, change management, and measurement.
• Strong experience with employee relations, leadership coaching, performance management, talent and succession planning, compensation, benefits, learning and development, and organizational effectiveness.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution and make sound decisions when priorities, ownership, or circumstances are not fully defined.
• Strong relationship-building, influencing, communication, and customer-service skills, with the confidence to respectfully challenge and hold leaders accountable.
• Manufacturing experience strongly preferred, including experience partnering with plant operations and supporting hourly workforces.
• Prior union or labor-relations experience preferred; ability to interpret collective bargaining agreements and support constructive labor relationships.
• Proficiency with HRIS platforms, preferably ADP, and the ability to translate workforce data into practical business recommendations.
• Ability to travel to each supported California location approximately twice per year, with additional travel when business needs arise.
• Medical, Dental, Vision + other benefits
• Insurance starts Day 1
• 401K w/ a 6% company match
• Hybrid work environment (Tuesday-Thursday in office)