Manufacturing, HR Business Partner

Ford•Buffalo, NY

3h•Onsite

About The Position

HR Business Partnership Strategic Business Partnership & Business Acumen: Serve as a trusted advisor to plant leadership, translating business strategy into impactful HR initiatives that optimize organizational effectiveness and elevate the employee experience. Leverage deep operational acumen, gained through immersive Gemba walks and direct engagement with leadership, to proactively identify and address human capital needs within our lean manufacturing and logistics environments, delivering strategically aligned HR solutions that directly accelerate business success and cultivate a high-performance culture. Talent Management & Workforce Transformation: Design and execute advanced talent management strategies, encompassing performance optimization, leadership development, robust succession planning, strategic compensation, and integrated talent acquisition. Proactively analyze future workforce needs and capabilities, implementing innovative hourly talent programs (e.g., apprenticeship pathways, reskilling initiatives, strategic placements) that build a high-performing, engaged, and resilient workforce pipeline essential for future growth and our organizational transformation. Data Storytelling and Workforce Planning: Champion a data-first approach, leveraging HR analytics platforms (e.g., Visier, Voice) to extract critical insights, predict workforce trends, and inform strategic decision-making at the operational leadership level. Lead complex change management initiatives across diverse stakeholder groups, effectively shifting organizational mindsets and mitigating risks to successfully achieve critical business objectives during our ongoing lean and organizational transformation. Culture Development & Employee Advocacy: Champion a high-performance, inclusive culture, fostering open communication, trust, and mutual respect in alignment with our 7 Proactive Leadership Standards. Act as a visible and influential HR leader, spearheading employee recognition, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and cultural events to significantly boost engagement and drive continuous organizational improvement. Maintain a proactive presence on the plant floor, conducting regular engagements to build strong employee relationships, ensure HR accessibility, and proactively address general workplace concerns. External Relations & Community Stewardship: Orchestrate strategic interactions with local governmental agencies and lead impactful charitable initiatives, significantly strengthening the plant's community engagement and enhancing its positive external brand reputation. Workplace Wellness & Safety Leadership: Drive initiatives with safety and occupational health leaders to foster a proactive culture of employee well-being, supporting strategic safety audits and promoting innovative wellness programs that enhance a healthy, safe, and compliant workplace. Established and active employee resource groups Strategic Labor and Positive Employee Relations & Negotiation: Lead strategic engagement with labor unions and employee representatives, fostering a proactive and high-trust partnership essential for operational stability and continuous improvement. Play a pivotal role in collective bargaining, negotiating innovative and mutually beneficial agreements that advance long-term business objectives and enhance labor-management relations within our highly dynamic unionized landscape. This strategic leadership directly contributes to stable labor environments, supports sustainable business growth, and ensures employee well-being. Grievance Management & Dispute Resolution: Master the resolution of complex, high-volume union grievances, arbitrations, and disciplinary actions, serving as a critical architect of fair, consistent, and timely outcomes central to our operational environment. Conduct incisive and impartial investigations into sensitive union-related matters, applying advanced conflict resolution and critical thinking to mitigate risk, uphold equity, and safeguard organizational interests. Ethical Practices and Contractual Compliance and Interpretation: Demonstrate expert command of local and national collective bargaining agreements, ensuring precise interpretation and application across all operational facets. Collaborate proactively with operational leaders and union representatives to drive consistent and ethical implementation of contractual terms, proactively resolving inquiries and ensuring fair application. Ensure meticulous adherence to contractual obligations for representative compensation, mitigating financial risks and upholding operational continuity through rigorous compliance and ethical stewardship.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in human resources, Organizational Development, or any other related discipline or commensurate work experience required.
Minimum 1-3 years of relevant HR and labor work experience with a bachelor's degree, preferably in a manufacturing setting.
This role requires onsite presence at the manufacturing plant to fulfill job responsibilities.
Involves occasional (defined as one-third or less of the time) lifting of no more than 10 pounds at a time.
Work is performed primarily in a seated position and entails no significant stooping, climbing, etc.
Role does require time walking and standing on plant manufacturing floor at least 20% of the time.
Many sedentary jobs require good use of the hands and fingers for repetitive hand-finger actions.
Working conditions occur within low to moderate noise levels related to the use of standard office or classroom equipment.

Nice To Haves

PHR or SHRM-CP certification

Responsibilities

Serve as a trusted advisor to plant leadership
Translate business strategy into impactful HR initiatives
Optimize organizational effectiveness and elevate the employee experience
Proactively identify and address human capital needs
Deliver strategically aligned HR solutions
Accelerate business success and cultivate a high-performance culture
Design and execute advanced talent management strategies
Analyze future workforce needs and capabilities
Implement innovative hourly talent programs
Champion a data-first approach
Leverage HR analytics platforms
Predict workforce trends
Inform strategic decision-making at the operational leadership level
Lead complex change management initiatives
Shift organizational mindsets and mitigating risks
Champion a high-performance, inclusive culture
Foster open communication, trust, and mutual respect
Spearhead employee recognition, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and cultural events
Boost engagement and drive continuous organizational improvement
Maintain a proactive presence on the plant floor
Build strong employee relationships
Ensure HR accessibility
Proactively address general workplace concerns
Orchestrate strategic interactions with local governmental agencies
Lead impactful charitable initiatives
Strengthen the plant's community engagement and enhancing its positive external brand reputation
Drive initiatives with safety and occupational health leaders
Foster a proactive culture of employee well-being
Support strategic safety audits
Promote innovative wellness programs
Enhance a healthy, safe, and compliant workplace
Lead strategic engagement with labor unions and employee representatives
Foster a proactive and high-trust partnership
Play a pivotal role in collective bargaining
Negotiate innovative and mutually beneficial agreements
Advance long-term business objectives and enhance labor-management relations
Master the resolution of complex, high-volume union grievances, arbitrations, and disciplinary actions
Serve as a critical architect of fair, consistent, and timely outcomes
Conduct incisive and impartial investigations into sensitive union-related matters
Apply advanced conflict resolution and critical thinking to mitigate risk, uphold equity, and safeguard organizational interests
Demonstrate expert command of local and national collective bargaining agreements
Ensure precise interpretation and application across all operational facets
Collaborate proactively with operational leaders and union representatives
Drive consistent and ethical implementation of contractual terms
Proactively resolve inquiries and ensuring fair application
Ensure meticulous adherence to contractual obligations for representative compensation
Mitigate financial risks and upholding operational continuity through rigorous compliance and ethical stewardship