Senior Human Resources Generalist/Manager

Pine River Pre-Pack, Inc; Town of Newton (WI); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A growing food company in Wisconsin is seeking a Senior HR Generalist / Manager responsible for overseeing HR functions, employee relations, and compliance. The role emphasizes fostering employee engagement and ensuring the effective administration of benefits and payroll. Ideal candidates will have a Bachelor's degree and several years of relevant HR experience. The company offers a hybrid work option and values a positive workplace culture.

Qualifications

• Several years of progressive HR experience, preferably in a generalist or managerial role.
• Strong knowledge of employment laws and compliance requirements.
• Experience with benefits administration and performance management.

Responsibilities

• Overseeing employee relations matters and compliance.
• Managing payroll administration and benefits inquiries.
• Coordinating training and development programs.
• Supporting full-cycle hiring and onboarding processes.
• Promoting a positive workplace culture aligned with company values.

Skills

Strong knowledge of HR best practices

Excellent communication skills

Organizational skills

Interpersonal skills

Ability to handle sensitive information

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources or Business Administration

Job description

Job Description / Title: Senior HR Generalist / Manager

Position Summary

Pine River Pre-Pack is looking for a Senior HR Generalist / Manager who would be responsible for overseeing and executing a broad range of human resources functions, including employee relations, benefits administration, training and development, compliance, safety, and payroll support. This role partners closely with leadership to support organizational goals, foster employee engagement, and ensure consistent application of HR policies and practices.

Why do you want to work at Pine River Pre-Pack?

Pine River is growing organically because of the culture of the team and how fantastic our products are. We are the most awarded cheese spread in the world and hold the reputation of the “Go To” manufacturer when it comes to cheese spread. Our culture is similar to the quality of our products. A very engaged team that has gone from 17 employees in 2017 to 45 employees in 2026 with plans to hire 5 more employees heading into this summer to ensure we have capacity to match our projected growth of new customers and products. The additional hiring puts our company’s size to over 50 employees and we are now at a transition point where we need to hire a dedicated team member for the Human Resources department. Our turnover rate is 7.3% for the last 12 months. Our production & warehouse teams work Mon‑Thurs, 10‑hour shifts with 3‑day weekends, creating an attractive work schedule. We would be open to a hybrid work schedule for this role, but ultimately would prefer to have this person in the office 4 days a week at a minimum due to the cultural influence they will have on the team.

Key Responsibilities

Employee Relations & Compliance

• Serve as a member or leader of the safety steering committee helping drive safety as a focus and ensuring OSHA compliance.
• Manage employee relations matters, including disciplinary actions, return‑to‑work restrictions, and worker’s compensation claims.
• Review and maintain manager notes and perform documentation audits.
• Support disability, health insurance, and related compliance requirements.
• Review and manage doctor notes and medical‑related work accommodations.

Benefits & Payroll

• Coordinate and manage open enrollment processes annually.
• Support payroll administration and related inquiries.
• Serve as a resource for employees regarding benefits and compensation programs.
• Maintain compensation programs aligned with pay‑for‑performance
• Annual compensation reviews for hourly production, warehouse, support staff, and salary teams. Compare industry and local area wages as well as overall benefits to ensure competitiveness.

Talent Management & Performance

• Lead the annual talent review process for leadership and support staff members.
• Administer annual performance review process, ensuring consistent, effective development.
• Assist leaders/supervisors with coaching or performance improvement plans as needed to improve performance.

Training & Development

• Coordinate and facilitate training and development programs, including:
• Hourly employee training (OSHA, Food Safety, Continuous Improvement)
• Diversity, equity, and respectful workplace training
• Identify and manage outside training and development resources.

Recruitment & Onboarding

• Support full‑cycle hiring for salaried, interns, and hourly positions.
• Oversee onboarding processes to ensure a positive and compliant new hire experience.

Community & Culture

• Coordinate community involvement initiatives, such as Adopt‑A‑Highway and Adopt‑A‑Family, focused programs.
• Plan and support employee team‑building events: employee‑only & family‑oriented activities.
• Summer Activity
• Administer annual employee engagement surveys to maintain a great place to work culture.
• Promote a positive workplace culture aligned with company values.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Several years of progressive HR experience, preferably in a generalist or managerial role.
• Strong knowledge of HR best practices, employment laws, and compliance requirements.
• Experience with benefits administration, employee relations, and performance management.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.

Preferred Qualifications

• HR certification (PHR, SPHR, SHRM‑CP, or SHRM‑SCP).
• Experience working with Family Medical Leave Act (F.M.L.A.)
• Experience working with both salaried and hourly workforces.
• Prior experience leading training or development initiatives.