Human Resources Manager

Strong Hold•Louisville, KY

About The Position

We build products and relationships that last a lifetime! No really, that’s what we do. We are a successful family business with a long-term record of steady growth, and we are determined to accelerate our trajectory. Our diverse team members who speak 22 languages are passionate about their company and their co-workers. Check out our website at www.strong-hold.com. We Are Not: Fancy – as manufacturers we believe practical, clean facilities are required to make quality products and retain the best team. Transactional - we have long-term relationships with our team members and most valuable customers. Satisfied - we celebrate achievement, then set our sights on new goals. What we're looking for: We are seeking a strategic and hands-on HR Manager to lead our human resources function. This is a high-visibility role reporting directly to the leadership team. The ideal candidate is an ambitious HR professional with a passion for servant leadership who thrives in a small-company manufacturing environment and is eager to grow into an HR Director position. You will own end-to-end HR operations, drive talent development, ensure compliance, manage vendor relationships and leverage technology (including AI) to modernize HR processes. This is an excellent opportunity for a lifetime learner ready to influence senior leaders and build scalable HR systems that support long-term company growth.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred with strong academic performance and evidence of intellectual rigor. Minimum 7 years of progressive HR experience in a professional setting.
3–5 years of direct people-management experience, including hiring, coaching, and performance management of direct reports.
Demonstrated expertise in HRIS systems, with strong preference for hands-on Paylocity administration and optimization.
Solid knowledge of employment law compliance and best practices, with proven success in a regulated manufacturing or industrial environment.
Experience creating and scaling talent development programs from the ground up.
Proven track record managing external vendor relationships and contracts.
Demonstrated experience leveraging AI tools or emerging technologies to improve HR processes, analytics, or decision-making.
Comfortable working in a hands-on manufacturing environment where you roll up your sleeves daily.
A lifetime learner who actively seeks out new knowledge, certifications (e.g., SHRM-CP/SCP, PHR), and industry trends.
A practitioner of servant leadership, leading with humility, empathy, and a focus on developing others.
Ambitious with a clear track record of career progression and the explicit desire to advance into an HR Director role within 2–4 years.
Skilled at influencing senior stakeholders—including owners and executives—through data-driven insights, strong communication, and relationship-building.
Energized by the opportunity to build scalable HR systems in a growing family-owned business rather than operating within a large corporate structure.

Responsibilities

Lead all HR operations, including performance management, employee relations, compensation, benefits administration, and offboarding in a fast-paced manufacturing setting.
Serve as the in-house expert for our HRIS platform (Paylocity experience strongly preferred), optimizing workflows, data integrity, reporting, and user adoption across the organization.
Design, implement, and continuously improve talent development processes, including succession planning, leadership development, training programs, and career pathing tailored to a skilled manufacturing workforce.
Manage vendor relationships for benefits, payroll, training, and other HR services, negotiating contracts and ensuring ROI and compliance.
Ensure full regulatory compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws (EEOC, FLSA, FMLA, OSHA, etc.), maintaining up-to-date policies and proactive risk management in a manufacturing environment.
Leverage AI and automation tools to enhance HR functions—such as predictive analytics for turnover, intelligent recruitment screening, employee sentiment analysis, and process efficiencies—and champion their adoption across the team.
Directly manage and develop HR team members (1–3 direct reports), fostering a culture of accountability, growth, and servant leadership.
Partner with senior leaders to provide strategic HR guidance, influence decision-making on organizational structure and culture initiatives, and translate business goals into people strategies.
Drive employee engagement and retention programs that align with our family-owned values while supporting a safe, high-performance manufacturing culture.
Collaborate with Talent Acquisition to ensure sourcing, interviewing and onboarding efforts align with the organization's growth objectives.
Act as a trusted advisor and coach to employees at all levels, resolving complex issues with empathy and professionalism