Senior Human Resources Generalist

Northwest Pipe Company - Portland, 12005 N Lombard Street, Portland, Oregon, United States of America

Posted Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at 8:00 AM

The Senior Human Resources Generalist serves as the on‑site HR leader for the Portland manufacturing facility, providing strategic and hands‑on support to ensure operational continuity, regulatory compliance, and a strong employee experience. As the primary HR partner to plant leadership and employees, this role leads complex employee relations matters, oversees compliant leave and benefits coordination in partnership with corporate and third‑party providers, supports workers’ compensation processes, and coaches managers to strengthen performance, retention, and workplace culture.

Serves as the plant subject‑matter expert on Oregon Paid Family & Medical Leave and California Paid Leave. The role provides guidance on complex leave coordination, including the integration of statutory leave requirements with FMLA and CFRA.

This is a full‑time, on‑site role based in Portland, with periodic travel to the assigned California location, including occasional short‑notice travel as business needs require.

• Serve as the senior HR advisor to plant leadership, coaching managers on performance management, progressive discipline, investigations, conflict resolution, workforce planning, and organizational effectiveness.
• Lead and document complex and sensitive employee relations matters, ensuring timely, consistent, and legally defensible outcomes; elevate risk as appropriate.
• Ensure plant compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and company policies; advise leadership on corrective actions, required postings, and policy interpretation.
• Oversee and audit employee records (personnel files, HRIS data, I‑9s) to ensure accuracy, confidentiality, and regulatory compliance.
• Lead onboarding, orientation, and offboarding processes to ensure a consistent and compliant employee experience.
• Maintain oversight of plant leave, benefits, and workers’ compensation activities in coordination with corporate and third‑party administrators, ensuring proper documentation, manager guidance, and workforce continuity.
• Maintain subject‑matter expertise in Oregon and California employment regulations impacting plant operations, advising managers on compliance implications.
• Manage and support full‑cycle recruitment for exempt, non‑exempt, and temporary employees, including job description development, interviewing, selection, and partnership with staffing agencies.
• Administer compensation actions in alignment with company policy and coordinate approvals with Corporate HR.
• Research and respond to unemployment claims and support regulatory reporting requirements.
• Partner with the Talent Acquisition team and plant leadership to support workforce staffing needs, including managing open requisitions, coordinating interviews, facilitating candidate selection discussions, and guiding supervisors through the pre‑hire and onboarding process to ensure timely and effective hiring decisions.
• Produce and analyze HR metrics and site‑level reports (e.g., turnover, headcount, absenteeism), providing actionable recommendations to plant and corporate leadership.
• Support payroll accuracy through oversight of timekeeping practices and coordination with corporate payroll partners.
• Deploy required HR training initiatives and coach supervisors to strengthen leadership capability, engagement, and retention.
• Partner with plant leadership to implement HR strategies and process improvements that reduce risk and improve operational effectiveness.
• Provide guidance and direction to the HR Assistant supporting plant operations.
• Participate in plant and HR leadership meetings and professional development activities.
• Travel to assigned facilities as required, occasionally on short notice.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

• Assist with plant celebrations i.e., picnics, holiday parties, etc.

• This position may interact within all levels of the Northwest Pipe organization. Additionally, this position may…