Sr. Manager, Human Resources Business Partner

• Lead HRIS optimization, compensation and benefits strategy, org design, and workforce analytics for a legacy food manufacturer
• Partner with senior leadership to build data-driven people strategies and modernize HR systems
• On-site position in Salinas, CA; $130-150k base salary bonus benefits

Position Overview

The Sr. Manager, Human Resources Business Partner will serve as a strategic HR leader responsible for driving HRIS optimization, compensation and benefits strategy, organizational design, and workforce analytics across manufacturing and corporate functions. This role partners with senior leadership to modernize HR systems, build data-driven people strategies, and design organizational structures that support operational efficiency and business growth.

This position is ideal for an analytically minded, bilingual HR professional with strong experience in HRIS platforms, total rewards, and organizational design who can translate workforce data into actionable insights and scalable HR solutions in a complex manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead HRIS strategy, optimization, and system utilization across the organization, ensuring data integrity, process efficiency, and user adoption
• Identify and implement HRIS enhancements, integrations, and automation opportunities to streamline HR operations and reporting
• Design and maintain workforce analytics frameworks, dashboards, and reporting tools that provide leadership with actionable people data
• Analyze workforce trends including turnover, headcount, productivity, and labor costs to inform business decisions and HR strategy
• Lead organizational design initiatives, including structure assessments, span of control analysis, role clarity, and workforce modeling
• Partner with senior leadership on org design changes that support operational efficiency, growth, and scalability across manufacturing and corporate functions
• Support succession planning, talent mapping, and workforce planning processes using data-driven methodologies
• Collaborate with finance and operations on headcount planning, labor cost modeling, and capacity analysis
• Partner with HR team members to align systems, data, and org design work with broader people strategy and business objectives
• Own and manage compensation and benefits programs, including structure design, benchmarking, plan administration, and alignment with workforce planning objectives
• Partner with finance on labor cost modeling, compensation analysis, and benefits cost management to inform budgeting and business decisions
• Manage employee relations matters with consistency and confidentiality, including investigations, corrective action, and compliance
• Ensure HR practices and systems comply with California employment laws and company policies
• Support continuous improvement of HR processes, tools, and reporting in alignment with company objectives

Ideal Candidate Profile

• 7 years of progressive HR experience, including at least five years in an HR business partner, employee relations, or generalist leadership capacity
• Experience working with hourly employees in California, preferably in a manufacturing or multi-shift environment
• Strong bilingual English/Spanish communication skills, both verbal and written
• Demonstrated experience in organizational development, career pathing, recruiting, training and development, and employee relations
• Strong knowledge of California employment law, HR best practices, and confidential employee relations handling
• Ability to influence leaders, build trust, and operate effectively in a fast-paced, hands-on environment
• Experience in a union environment preferred, including exposure to labor relations or collective bargaining support
• Prior HR leadership in food, beverage, or manufacturing environments preferred
• Experience supporting a multi-site or high-volume hourly workforce preferred
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret workforce trends and recommend actions
• Comfortable partnering across operations, finance, and leadership teams
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or related field; or equivalent experience