Senior Human Resources Leader

Hunter Recruiting; Summit (IL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Hunter Recruiting seeks a Sr. Human Resources Leader to partner with plant leadership and drive HR strategy for growth and operational excellence.

You will lead talent development, succession planning, and workforce planning, coaching leaders on performance and development, and aligning HR practices with business goals. You will oversee recruiting, onboarding, training, employee relations, and HR analytics, while fostering an inclusive, high-performing culture aligned with safety goals and TPM

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, or related field.
• 5–7 years of progressive HR experience.
• Success leading HR strategies aligned with business goals.
• Experience partnering with leaders to drive operational results.
• 2–3 years’ HRBP experience in a unionized plant preferred.
• Manufacturing industry experience strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Partner with plant leadership to develop and execute HR strategies.
• Drive talent management, succession planning, and workforce planning.
• Coach leaders on performance management and development.
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, and training programs.
• Foster inclusive, collaborative, high-performance culture.
• Oversee employee relations and policy application.
• Identify gaps, diagnose root causes, implement solutions.
• Advise on organizational structure, work design, and talent needs.
• Oversee HR systems (SuccessFactors, Talent Center, Kronos) and analytics.

Skills

HR leadership

Employee relations

Talent development

Succession planning

Workforce planning

Coaching leaders

Performance management

Data analytics

Unionized plant

Manufacturing

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

SuccessFactors

Talent Center

Kronos

Job description

The Sr. Human Resources Leader will serve as a strategic partner to the Plant Leader, driving an inclusive culture, organizational effectiveness, employee and labor relations, and talent development. As a key member of the Plant Leadership Team, this role leads HR strategy and execution to support business growth, operational excellence, and continuous improvement. The HR Lead provides expert guidance on all human capital matters, ensuring alignment with best practices and business objectives.

• Partner with plant leadership to develop and execute HR strategies aligned with business goals, organizational capability, and workforce needs.
• Drive talent management, succession planning, workforce planning, and organizational development initiatives.
• Coach leaders on performance management, employee development, leadership capabilities, and growth planning.
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, training, and development programs to attract, retain, and develop high-performing talent.
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and performance-driven culture focused on employee engagement, accountability, and recognition.
• Lead employee relations and ensure consistent application of company policies, practices, and employment regulations.
• Identify organizational and performance gaps, diagnose root causes, and implement effective solutions.
• Support safety and engagement initiatives aligned with the company’s “Safer Together” culture.
• Advise plant leadership on organizational structure, work design, talent needs, and strategic business decisions.
• Oversee facility training and development initiatives, including TPM methodologies and partnerships with the Training & Development team.
• Develop and execute employee communication and engagement strategies that strengthen collaboration and plant performance.
• Build relationships with local institutions, community partners, and stakeholders to strengthen the company’s employer brand.
• Champion plant-level compensation, benefits, wellness, and employee engagement programs.
• Oversee HR systems and processes, including SuccessFactors, Talent Center, and Kronos, supporting recruiting, payroll, learning, reporting, and employee inquiries.
• Utilize HR analytics and workforce data to inform strategic decisions and continuously improve organizational performance.
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field
• 5–7 years of progressive HR experience
• Demonstrated success in driving employee engagement and implementing impactful HR strategies
• Proven ability to partner with business leaders to deliver strong operational results
• 2-3 years’ experience as an HRBP supporting a unionized plant strongly preferred
• Experience in a manufacturing environment strongly preferred
• Proven ability to lead through growth, transformation, and innovation.
• Builds high-performance cultures that balance results with care for individuals.
• Understands key business metrics and financial drivers to align HR strategies with operational goals.
• Deep knowledge of HR best practices across performance management, compensation, talent acquisition, development, and succession planning.
• Skilled in coaching leaders and employees through complex issues, conducting investigations, leading in a unionized environment, and fostering a high-performing, compliant workplace.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; effective at coaching for performance and development.
• Uses data and insights to guide decisions, anticipate future needs, and shape workforce capabilities.
• Inspires and energizes others, develops talent, drives results, and fosters collaboration across teams.
• Following through on commitments, drives initiatives to completion, and models integrity.
• Actively engages in personal and team growth; promotes continuous learning.