Plant Human Resources Manager

Southeast Missouri / Northwest Arkansas / Eastern Tennessee area

Our client is seeking an experienced Human Resources Manager to provide full functional HR leadership for an established manufacturing operation in Southeast Missouri.

This individual will lead a small on-site HR team, serve as a key member of the plant leadership team and own the full range of people, culture and HR responsibilities for the facility.

The operation has an experienced, long-tenured workforce and established processes. The opportunity is to help lead its evolution from current state to higher performance — strengthening leadership, accountability, employee trust, engagement and organizational effectiveness.
The role will have strong support from proven corporate HR leadership.

We are seeking a seasoned HR leader who has successfully led meaningful change before — someone who can understand an existing culture, recognize what should be preserved, identify what needs to improve and help make change stick.

This is a hands-on leadership role in a smaller, lower-density community. Success will require visibility, credibility, resilience and the judgment to know when to listen, when to coach, when to challenge and when to act.

• Lead the full plant HR function and develop a small on-site HR team.
• Serve as a key member of plant leadership and trusted advisor to operational leaders — supporting and challenging them as appropriate.
• Lead organizational and cultural change that improves accountability, engagement and performance.
• Coach leaders through employee relations, performance management and difficult people decisions.
• Maintain a visible presence throughout the operation and build credibility with employees at all levels.
• Strengthen communication, retention, workforce development and leadership effectiveness.
• Oversee recruiting, onboarding, employee relations, talent development, workforce planning and compliance.
• Bring greater process, structure and clarity where needed without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.

• Progressive HR leadership experience supporting a substantial, long-tenured hourly workforce.
• Demonstrated success leading meaningful organizational, cultural or workforce change —
  not simply maintaining established HR programs.
• Experience owning an HR function and developing HR team members.
• Manufacturing or industrial experience strongly preferred, ideally within durable goods manufacturing.
• Strong employee-relations experience and sound judgment in complex situations.
• Demonstrated ability to coach, influence and appropriately challenge operational leaders.
• A track record of improving leadership effectiveness, accountability, engagement and/or retention.
• Ability to earn credibility with both hourly employees and senior leadership.
• Bachelor's degree and professional HR certification preferred.

This opportunity requires someone capable of leading change, not simply managing HR.

The right person understands that sustainable improvement rarely comes from another policy, program or slogan. It comes from understanding how an organization really works, earning credibility, setting clear expectations, developing leaders, confronting difficult issues and consistently following through.

We are looking for someone approachable but assertive, collaborative but willing to challenge, and experienced enough to know what needs to change — and how to make that change last.

The objective is not change for change's sake. It is to help an established organization perform at a higher level.