HR Operations Manager - Kentucky

Job Overview:

To better serve the global auto industry electric vehicle trend in the United States, CATL, through its U.S.

-based subsidiary, CATK, is seeking a dynamic and experienced Senior HR Operations Manager with a strong background in manufacturing and technical consulting service to join our team. The ideal candidate will have comprehensive experience in building and scaling HR infrastructure, optimizing HR processes, managing HR systems (HRIS), ensuring compliance, and overseeing total rewards and daily HR service delivery. This role is critical in driving operational excellence and ensuring that our HR frameworks sustainably support our rapid growth within a manufacturing environment.

• HR Process Engineering: Design, implement, and continuously improve standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the entire employee lifecycle, from onboarding to offboarding.
• Service Delivery: Establish and manage an efficient HR service delivery model to provide timely and accurate support to plant employees and management.
• Onboarding & Offboarding: Oversee the structural setup of orientation programs and exit processes, ensuring a seamless experience and gathering actionable data from exit interviews.

• HRIS Management: Act as the primary owner of the HR Information System (HRIS), ensuring employee record data integrity, system upgrades, and seamless integration with other internal platforms.
• Data & Reporting: Develop and maintain HR dashboards and analytics (e.g., headcount, turnover, overtime, time-to-fill) to provide actionable insights to plant leadership and the global HQ.
• Automation: Identify opportunities to automate administrative tasks to increase the efficiency of the local HR team.

• Policy Development: Draft, update, and implement the employee handbook and company policies to ensure alignment with federal, state, and local labor laws.
• Audit Readiness: Conduct regular internal audits of employee records, I-9s, FLSA classifications, and timekeeping practices to mitigate legal risks.
• Health & Safety Support: Partner with the EHS (Environment, Health, and Safety) team to support the administrative and reporting requirements of safety programs and worker’s compensation claims.

• Benefits Administration: Oversee the day-to-day administration of employee benefit programs (health, retirement, leave of absence, FMLA) and manage annual open enrollment processes.
• Payroll
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Partner closely with the Finance/Payroll department to ensure accurate time-and-attendance tracking and resolve any payroll discrepancies for manufacturing staff.
• Compensation Structures: Support the structural execution of merit increases, bonus payouts, and market salary benchmarking for manufacturing and engineering roles.

• Escalation Point: Serve as the senior point of contact for complex employee relations issues and formal grievances, ensuring fair and consistent resolutions.
• Disciplinary Frameworks: Establish clear frameworks and documentation standards for performance improvement plans (PIPs), disciplinary actions, and terminations.

• Team Development: Lead, mentor, and develop a team of HR coordinators and generalists to deliver top-tier HR operational support.
• Strategic
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Partner with the Plant Director and global HR leadership to ensure operational capabilities align with the company’s long-term production goals and missions.
• Change Management: Drive communication and training regarding new HR systems, policies, or operational shifts across the manufacturing facility.
• Local community communication and relationship development: Assist active connections with local community stakeholders and understand the needs and wants of local society, facilitate the company to be a responsible corporate citizen.

• Professional HR certification (e.g., SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR).
• Background in the manufacturing industry is a must.

• Regular,…