Senior Human Resources Generalist

MKS Inc.; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) plan

Paid holidays

Paid vacation

Parental leave

Job summary

MKS is seeking a Senior HR Business Partner, People Relations, to serve as the site-based HR partner for Irvine employees and leaders, driving engagement, addressing employee relations matters, and advancing local talent initiatives.

Reporting to the HR Manager, you will coach leaders, ensure policy compliance across manufacturing and operations, analyze workforce data, and collaborate with Global HRBPs to support enterprise HR projects while fostering accountability and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR or related field with 5+ years HR experience.
• Experience in employee relations, investigations, and policy interpretation.
• Experience partnering with site leadership and HR colleagues.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws.
• Experience supporting manufacturing/operations HR and workforce data analytics.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary site-based HR partner for Irvine employees and leaders.
• Foster workplace culture and drive employee engagement initiatives.
• Address employee relations matters, investigations, and policy interpretation with compliant outcomes.
• Coach leaders on performance management, leadership development, and succession planning.
• Ensure compliance and maintain documentation using HR systems and processes.

Skills

Employee relations

Investigations

Policy interpretation

Leadership coaching

People analytics

Change management

Cross-functional partnering

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/related field

Master's degree in HR/OD (preferred)

Tools

Workday HRIS

Job description

A Day in Your Life at MKS:

As the Senior HR Business Partner, People Relations, you will serve as the primary site-based HR partner for employees and leaders, fostering a positive workplace culture, addressing employee relations matters, and driving local talent initiatives, strengthening employee engagement, and helping teams grow and succeed while fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.

This role partners closely with site leadership and HR colleagues to support employee engagement, performance, development, compliance, and organizational effectiveness while ensuring consistent employee experience aligned with company values and business objectives. In this role, you will report to the HR Manager, People Relations (PSD/MSD).

You will supervise and develop an Associate HR Generalist.

You Will Make an Impact By:

• Partnering with the General Manager and site leadership to support workforce planning, organizational effectiveness, employee engagement, change management, leadership development, and other people initiatives that drive business success.


• Serving as the primary employee relations partner for the Irvine site, proactively addressing workplace concerns through coaching, conflict resolution, investigations, corrective actions, employee meetings, exit interviews, and other employee relations activities while ensuring fair, consistent, and compliant outcomes.


• Coaching and developing leaders on employee relations, performance management, communication, policy interpretation, leadership effectiveness, talent development, and succession planning to strengthen organizational capability.


• Driving employee engagement and workplace culture initiatives by analyzing employee feedback, engagement survey results, workforce trends, and other talent metrics to develop and implement action plans that enhance the employee experience and organizational effectiveness.


• Ensuring compliance with employment laws, company policies, and HR processes while maintaining appropriate documentation, leveraging Workday and workforce data to identify trends, provide insights, and support informed decision‑making.


• Collaborating with Global HRBPs, HR Centers of Excellence, and People Operations to implement enterprise talent processes, connect employees and managers to the appropriate HR resources, and lead site and enterprise HR projects that support business objectives and continuous improvement.

Skills You Bring:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field, with 5+ years of progressive HR experience.


• Demonstrated employee relations expertise, including conducting investigations, resolving workplace conflicts, administering corrective actions, and interpreting company policies and employment laws. Experience with reductions in force.


• Strong business partnership, coaching, and influencing skills with the ability to build credibility and effectively support leaders at all levels of the organization.


• Experience supporting employee populations in manufacturing, operations, engineering, or product development environments, with a working knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws and HR compliance requirements.


• Ability to leverage workforce data and HR metrics to identify trends, develop solutions, and drive improvements in employee engagement, retention, and organizational effectiveness.


• Excellent communication, facilitation, project management, and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, navigate sensitive and confidential situations, drive change, foster a positive workplace culture, and support talent‑related initiatives.

Preferred Skills:

• Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field.


• PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP certification.


• Experience conducting workplace investigations and managing complex employee relations issues in California.


• Experience leveraging Workday HRIS, engagement survey platforms, and workforce analytics to drive business decisions.


• Demonstrated success partnering with HR Centers of Excellence (Talent Management, Compensation, Talent Acquisition) and HR Business Partners in a matrixed organization.


• Experience supporting organizational change initiatives, workforce planning, talent reviews, succession planning, and leadership development programs.


• Experience supporting large employee populations within a manufacturing or operational site environment.

Supervisory Scope:

• Directly supervise and develop one HR team member in Irvine

In addition to the above responsibilities, the following are considered material job duties of the position:

• Ability to take and follow directions and instructions.


• Ability to interact with other employees, customers, suppliers, vendors, or the public, in a safe, professional, and respectful manner.


• Access to sensitive and confidential business systems and software, personally identifying information, the company’s financial information, and/or the ability to maintain physical security and safety.


• Because this position involves the above material job duties, trustworthiness, reliability, and good judgment also are material job duties.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions:

• Perform activities such as sitting, standing, or typing for extended periods of time


• Regularly requires good manual dexterity and coordination


• Ability to remain in a stationary position for 65% of the time


• Must be able to communicate information and ideas so others will understand


• Must be able to exchange accurate information


• The ability to observe documents and details at close range (within a few feet of the observer)


• Operates in a professional office and manufacturing environment


• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery


• Noise level in the work environment is usually average

We are interested in a qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we will not be sponsoring work visas for this position, at this time.

MKS is an equal opportunity employer, including disability, veteran status and all categories protected by law. Please review our EOE statements for additional details. MKS is generally only hiring candidates who reside in states where we are registered to do business.

MKS will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act and the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers.

Compensation and Benefits:

Salary Pay Range: $90,000 to $110,000 per year. This range is a good faith estimate of the expected salary range for this position, based on a wide range of factors including qualifications, experience and training, operational and business needs and other considerations permitted by law. At MKS, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for the role.

Bonus: This position is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, in an amount to be determined by MKS [or as applicable].

Benefits: MKS offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance coverage (medical, dental and vision), 401(k) with company match, life and disability insurance, 12 paid holidays, sick time, 15 paid vacation days, [6 weeks fully paid] parental leave, adoption assistance and tuition reimbursement [and for participation in any stock programs, signing bonus, etc.].