Provide strategic and operational leadership for the company's human resources function and HR team. Serve as a key advisor to executive leadership and business leaders, providing guidance on employee relations, talent management, compliance, organizational development, and workforce needs. Responsible for identifying organizational gaps and opportunities, developing practical solutions, and strengthening HR processes that affect the organization's overall performance.
This role is with a privately held manufacturing company based in Irvine, California. The organization focuses on high-quality industrial products and strong customer service, with a long-standing commitment to innovation, manufacturing excellence, and service.
The Human Resources Manager provides strategic and operational HR leadership and oversees the company's human resources function and HR team, ensuring effective HR operations, employee relations, compliance, talent management, and organizational development. This position partners with executive leadership and business leaders to support organizational goals and workforce priorities, develop and implement HR strategies, policies, and programs, and translate HR strategies into effective business practices.
The HR Manager serves as a trusted resource and strategic advisor to managers and employees, ensuring HR practices are consistent with company policies and applicable laws. This position identifies opportunities to strengthen employee engagement, leadership effectiveness, retention, and organizational performance while challenging the status quo, leading through change, and driving continuous improvement in HR practices and processes.
Responsibilities and Duties:
HR Leadership and Business Partnership
- Lead and oversee the HR function, providing strategic and operational leadership across all areas of human resources.
- Lead, develop, and manage the HR team, including setting expectations, coaching and developing team members, managing performance, identifying skill gaps, and ensuring appropriate coverage of critical HR functions.
- Partner with executive leadership and business leaders to identify workforce needs, organizational gaps, and opportunities for improvement, and recommend and implement practical solutions that support business objectives.
- Serve as a trusted HR advisor to managers and leaders, providing guidance and consultation on employee and organizational matters.
- Demonstrate strong business acumen and translate organizational goals into effective HR strategies, programs, and practices.
- Proactively evaluate HR practices, processes, and business needs to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, employee experience, risk management, and organizational effectiveness.
- Lead and support organizational change initiatives, challenging the status quo and driving continuous improvement across the HR function and the broader organization.
Employee Relations and Leadership Development
- Serve as the primary escalation point for complex employee relations matters, providing guidance to the HR team and management on appropriate resolution strategies.
- Lead and oversee complex, sensitive, and/or high-risk employee relations investigations, ensuring investigations are thorough, objective, timely, and appropriately documented.
- Partner with stakeholders as needed on investigations, employee relations matters, organizational changes, and matters involving increased legal or organizational risk.
- Coach and advise supervisors and managers throughout the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, performance management, employee development, engagement, recognition, retention, and separation.
- Strengthen frontline leadership capabilities by coaching managers and supervisors on communication, decision-making, accountability, employee engagement, and effective performance management.
- Promote positive employee relations and a productive work environment through consistent application of company policies and effective management practices.
HR Compliance and Risk Management
- Ensure HR policies, practices, and procedures comply with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.
- Maintain current knowledge of employment laws, regulations, and HR best practices and assess their impact on company policies and practices.
- Provide guidance to leadership and the HR team regarding compliance requirements and potential employment-related risks.
- Oversee HR compliance programs, audits, required documentation, and employment-related processes.
- Partner with executive leadership, management, and outside legal counsel or other external resources, as appropriate, to address compliance, regulatory, and employment-related matters.
- Oversee matters involving leaves and accommodations, workers' compensation, and other sensitive employment matters.
HR Operations and Programs
- Oversee the effective administration of core HR functions, including employee relations, talent acquisition, onboarding, compensation, benefits, performance management, employee development, and offboarding.
- Evaluate and improve HR processes, systems, and programs to increase efficiency, consistency, and effectiveness.
- Oversee the development, implementation, and maintenance of HR policies, procedures, and programs.
- Ensure HR processes and practices are applied consistently across departments and locations.
- Monitor HR trends, workforce data, and organizational needs to identify issues and opportunities and provide recommendations to leadership.
Talent and Organizational Development
- Develop and implement strategies to attract, retain, develop, and engage employees.
- Partner with leadership on workforce planning, organizational structure, succession planning, and talent development initiatives.
- Support the development of effective performance management practices and leadership development programs.
- Identify organizational and workforce trends and recommend strategies to strengthen retention, engagement, and organizational performance.
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
- 10+ years of progressive human resources experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership or management role.
- Thorough knowledge of human resources principles, practices, and applicable federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.
- Demonstrated expertise in employee relations, investigations, compliance, performance management, and organizational development.
- Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, develop, and manage an HR team, including setting expectations, providing feedback, and addressing performance and development needs.
- Strong business acumen and demonstrated ability to align HR strategy with business objectives, identify organizational needs, and translate them into practical HR and business solutions.
- Demonstrated coaching and consultative skills, with the ability to advise and influence employees, managers, and senior leadership on employee, organizational, and HR matters.
- Demonstrated ability to manage complex, sensitive, and potentially volatile employee relations matters with sound judgment, discretion, and professionalism.
- Demonstrated ability to lead through organizational change, challenge existing practices constructively, and drive continuous improvement.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and professionally with employees, managers, senior leadership, and external partners.
- Strong decision-making, problem-solving, organizational, and project-management skills.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment when handling sensitive employee and organizational matters.
- 401k match
- Paid holidays
- Paid sick days
- 100% company paid health benefits for employee
- Benefits included after introductory period