Senior Human Resources Manager

HR Connections Executive Search; Town of Ithaca (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

HR Connections Executive Search is partnering with a global mobility leader to appoint a Senior Manager, Human Resources responsible for leading HR at a large manufacturing site. This role acts as a strategic partner to the Site Leadership Team, Plant Manager, and senior leaders, guiding workforce strategy, labor relations, and organizational effectiveness.

Key focus areas include labor/employee relations, workforce planning, talent development, and compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, Industrial Relations or related field.
• 8+ years of progressive HR experience including leadership responsibility.
• Significant labor and employee relations experience in manufacturing or complex environment.
• Experience in a unionized setting with contract administration and negotiations.
• Ability to influence senior leaders and drive organizational change.
• Strong business acumen, communications, negotiation, problem-solving, and relationship-building.
• Experience leading and developing an HR team.

Responsibilities

• Lead labor and employee relations strategy, including union-management relationships, grievance management, investigations, contract administration, and negotiations.
• Serve as a strategic HR partner to site leadership, translating business priorities into workforce and organizational strategies.
• Lead workforce planning, organizational design, restructuring, and change management initiatives.
• Drive talent management, succession planning, leadership development, engagement, and retention.
• Lead, coach, and develop the site HR team.
• Partner with regional HR and Centers of Excellence to deliver effective HR programs and solutions.
• Ensure compliance with employment laws, collective bargaining agreements, company policies, and internal controls.
• Use workforce analytics and HR metrics to identify trends and drive business decisions.

Skills

Labor relations

Employee relations

Talent management

Organizational effectiveness

Change leadership

Leadership

Workforce planning

Organizational design

Restructuring

Change management

Engagement and retention

HR analytics

HR metrics

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

Master’s degree or HR certification (SHRM-SCP, SPHR)

Job description

Our client, a global leader in innovative and sustainable mobility solutions, is seeking a Senior Manager, Human Resources to lead HR for a large, complex manufacturing site.

This is a highly visible leadership role serving as a strategic partner to the Site Leadership Team and a trusted advisor to the Plant Manager and functional leaders. The ideal candidate brings strong labor relations, employee relations, talent management, organizational effectiveness, and change leadership experience within a manufacturing or similarly complex environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead labor and employee relations strategy, including union-management relationships, grievance management, investigations, contract administration, and negotiations.
• Serve as a strategic HR partner to site leadership, translating business priorities into workforce and organizational strategies.
• Lead workforce planning, organizational design, restructuring, and change management initiatives.
• Drive talent management, succession planning, leadership development, engagement, and retention.
• Lead, coach, and develop the site HR team.
• Partner with regional HR and Centers of Excellence to deliver effective HR programs and solutions.
• Ensure compliance with employment laws, collective bargaining agreements, company policies, and internal controls.
• Use workforce analytics and HR metrics to identify trends and drive business decisions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Industrial Relations, or related field.
• 8+ years of progressive HR experience, including leadership responsibility.
• Significant labor and employee relations experience in a manufacturing or similarly complex operating environment.
• Experience working in a unionized environment, including contract administration and negotiations.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders and lead organizational change.
• Strong business acumen, communication, negotiation, problem-solving, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience leading and developing an HR team.

Preferred

Master’s degree and/or HR certification (SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or equivalent); experience with large-scale transformation, restructuring, or multi-site/matrixed HR environments.

Why This Role?

This is an opportunity to play a critical role in shaping workforce strategy, labor relations, organizational effectiveness, and leadership development within a complex manufacturing environment—while partnering closely with senior site leadership and influencing broader business transformation.