Senior Human Resources Generalist

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

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance (medical, dental, and

401(k) with company match

Life and disability insurance

12 paid holidays

Sick time

15 paid vacation days

Parental leave (6 weeks)

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

MKS Instruments, Inc. is seeking a Senior HR Business Partner, People Relations, to act as the primary site HR partner for the Irvine team. You will foster a positive culture, address employee relations, and drive local talent initiatives aligned with business goals.

You will report to the HR Manager, People Relations and supervise an Associate HR Generalist. The role emphasizes compliance, data-driven insights, and strategic partnership with site leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressive HR experience with employee relations expertise.
• Experience with investigations, corrective actions, and policy interpretation.
• Experience supporting manufacturing, operations, engineering, or product development environments.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary site-based HR partner for Irvine employees and leaders.
• Address employee relations matters, coaching, investigations, and compliance.
• Partner with site leadership on workforce planning, engagement, and organizational effectiveness.
• Leverage HR data and metrics to drive improvements in retention and culture.

Skills

Employee relations

Investigations

Policy interpretation

Coaching managers

Workforce planning

HR metrics

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

Tools

Workday

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:

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:

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:

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:

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.

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].
• 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
• tuition reimbursement [and for participation in any stock programs, signing bonus, etc.]

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.

If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process due to a disability, please contact us at: [e-mail].

At MKS, it's all about courage, big ideas, and a serious passion for innovation. Winning here is about exploring possibilities, taking action, and solving our customers’ toughest challenges. It's not just a job – it's what you make of it. While you shape your role and make it unique, we invest in you with on-the-job and formal training, as well as educational assistance. Curiosity is key at MKS - ask questions, own your path. Our success comes from celebrating the unique skills, diverse perspectives, and lived experience of employees from over 100 countries. The goal is to make sure that everyone feels that they belong. Diversity isn't just a nice-to-have; making sure everyone feels included is a big deal for us.

Our group of ~10,000 employees serves semiconductor manufacturing, electronics and packaging, and specialty industrial markets. With over 3,800 patents, our products are enabling advancements in 5G, renewable energy & storage, artificial intelligence, cloud technology, and big data. We're the behind-the-scenes support for some amazing technology. MKS Inc., enables technologies that transform our world. MKS Inc, Product Overview