HR Manager, Manufacturing

SC Johnson•Chicago, IL

8d•$130,800 - $171,675•Onsite

About The Position

Join SC Johnson Lifestyle Brands at our iconic South Side Soapbox (SSSB) manufacturing facility in Chicago’s historic Pullman District—where heritage, innovation, and purpose come together. This is more than a role—it’s your opportunity to shape culture, elevate people, and drive meaningful impact at the heart of where our products are made. As HR Manager – Manufacturing, you’ll serve as the senior HR leader for the site, operating at both a strategic and hands-on level. Reporting to the North America HR Leader (San Francisco, CA) and partnering closely with the onsite Manufacturing & Supply Chain Director, you’ll be a trusted advisor and key member of the Plant Leadership Team. In this highly visible role, you will help build and sustain a high-performing, safety-first, values-driven culture within a fast-paced, non-union environment, empowering teams, strengthening leadership capability, and ensuring every employee feels connected to our purpose and proud of the work they do. For internal candidates, this position is posted at a Manager, level "L"

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
10+ years of progressive Human Resources leadership experience
5+ years employee relations expertise supporting a non-exempt workforce
4+ years of labor relations experience
4+ years of people management experience
Qualified candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future sponsorship for full-time employment.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a fast-paced, mission-driven, and entrepreneurial environment, including union and non-union manufacturing settings
Experience within the CPG/FMCG industry
Demonstrated ability to influence, partner, and lead cross-functionally
Bilingual (Spanish/English)
Experience developing and coaching exempt-level leaders
Strong interpersonal, organizational, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to navigate sensitive situations
Excellent time management and ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment
Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage senior leaders
Working knowledge of HRIS systems and U.S. employment laws and regulations
People-centric, customer-focused mindset with a sense of urgency and adaptability

Responsibilities

Lead development, execution of HR strategy in the SSSB that creates a culture that supports safety, trust, respect, ownership, engagement, great performance and a commitment to growth and development; on-brand ideas to surprise and delight our ~300 employees + ~75 temporary employees
Cultivate, facilitate and maintain strong cross-functional collaboration and partnership within the SSSB and between our Chicago and San Francisco locations, as well as with SCJ HR HQ + other manufacturing sites; come up with ways to help people connect and build relationships and processes that are sustainable
Lead Operations Technicians (aka our Mover + Makers) hiring strategy and adapt to unique needs of SSSB location + mission to hire locally, while still meeting the demands of the business
Partner with hiring managers to ensure that we attract and hire top talent; oversee and participate in all phases of recruiting and be on the lookout for ways to improve our processes to be more effective and efficient
Lead + provide strategic counsel on onboarding for the SSSB; ensure new hires are trained on our culture and values as well as their roles and responsibilities
Lead the annual performance management + career planning processes to support open and honest feedback on performance as well as robust development plans; connect individuals with training + development opportunities to support their growth plan; ensure all training + development investments are directly linked to the needs of the business
Hire, train and coach excellent People Leaders; hold them accountable to the highest standard of leadership
Build a trusting, genuine 1:1 relationship with all team members at the SSSB so they feel comfortable coming to you when they have a question or need support; demonstrate exceptional listening and perceiving skills and be fair, consistent and solutions-focused in every interaction
Ensure that our commitment to transparency and engaging each person in the day-to-day execution of our strategy is upheld across the business; lead change management planning and execution as needed
Own the SSSB employment policies + handbook – it’s important that our policies are relevant, easy to understand and written in our brand voice; partner with leaders to address day-to-day issues as they arise including: education on and clarification of policies and procedures, safety violations and disciplinary actions
Provide subject matter expertise to ensure compliance with all federal and state regulations and company policies in the areas of FMLA/medical leaves, immigration, labor/employment, safety and training, payroll + benefits and employee record retention
Oversee all aspects of people operations administration for the Chicago location: Offer great customer service; ensure the data integrity and usability of our payroll and HRIS database and online time tracking system
Manage, analyze and advise on insights, trends + best practices on local compensation + benefits
Crisis management, as appropriate