Human Resources and Benefits Manager

Appalachian Sitework, Inc. is a family-owned, vertically integrated construction and materials company in Waynesville, NC, operating three companies: Appalachian Sitework (site development), ASI Ready Mix Concrete, and Valley Precast. We are growing, and this position exists to make sure the people side of the business scales with it.

The Human Resources and Benefits Manager owns the full employee lifecycle across all three companies: hiring, onboarding, employment compliance, benefits, employee relations, and training. This is a standalone HR function with real autonomy. You will build the department, set the practices, and be the company's point of contact for employment questions from the first phone screen through the exit interview.

Today these responsibilities are spread across ownership, operations, and division leadership. This role consolidates them under one accountable person so hiring moves faster, paperwork is complete and defensible, benefits questions get answered by someone who knows the plans, and employees have a clear place to go. The workforce includes office staff, field crews, plant operators, and DOT-regulated CDL drivers. The work is practical, visible, and hands-on.

You will report directly to the executive team (President and Vice President) and sit on the leadership committee serving all three companies, alongside the Safety and Compliance Manager and division leadership. Payroll processing remains with the Vice President and Bookkeeper; this role coordinates closely with Payroll on deductions, new hires, and status changes.

What you'll do

Best-practices implementation

• Audit current HR and people practices across all three companies within the first 90 days.
• Recommend best practices to the executive team, sequenced and prioritized for a growing multi-entity organization.
• Implement agreed changes and build the documentation so every practice survives beyond the person who set it up.

Hiring and recruiting

• Own the hiring process for all three companies, from staffing request through accepted offer.
• Write and maintain job descriptions and postings; manage postings across job boards, trade sources, schools, and staffing partners.
• Develop hiring pipeline relationships with Haywood Community College, local CDL and trade programs, and regional workforce partners.
• Source, screen, phone-screen, and coordinate interviews with division leadership.
• Coordinate CDL driver hiring with the Safety and Compliance Manager, including candidate qualification, employment history verification, and pre-employment testing.
• Run background checks, MVR reviews, and reference checks in compliance with FCRA requirements.
• Prepare offer letters and recommend compensation; confirm FLSA classification with outside counsel before offers go out.
• Track time-to-fill, source effectiveness, and cost per hire, and report to the executive team.

Onboarding and employment compliance

• Own the new-hire onboarding packet and make sure every new employee completes it correctly and on time.
• Complete Form I-9 verification and maintain I-9 records separately from personnel files; manage E-Verify where applicable.
• Manage new-hire reporting, W-4 and NC-4 collection, and direct deposit enrollment, coordinating with Payroll.
• Coordinate with the Safety and Compliance Manager on CDL driver qualification files, FMCSA Clearinghouse queries, and DOT drug and alcohol program enrollment.
• Maintain personnel records, retention schedules, and confidentiality standards across all three companies.
• Keep employment posters and required notices current at every work location.

Benefits administration

• Serve as the employee-facing owner of health, dental, vision, short-term disability, and long-term disability coverage.
• Run annual open enrollment: schedule and lead employee meetings, distribute materials, answer questions, and confirm every election is submitted accurately and on time.
• Process new enrollments after the 60-day eligibility period, qualifying life event changes, and terminations of coverage.
• Manage the day-to-day relationship with the company's benefits broker and carriers; escalate claims and coverage issues on employees' behalf.
• Reconcile carrier invoices and confirm deduction amounts with Payroll each cycle.
• Administer COBRA notices, ACA reporting support, and required plan notices and disclosures.

Employee relations

• Be the first point of contact for employee questions, concerns, and complaints across all three companies.
• Investigate complaints promptly and document findings, working with outside counsel when warranted.
• Coach supervisors on performance conversations, corrective action, and documentation.
• Administer the progressive discipline process consistently across divisions.
• Administer leaves of absence including FMLA, accommodation requests, and return-to-work coordination.
• Conduct exit interviews, identify turnover patterns, and report to the executive team with recommendations.

Training and development

• Own new-hire orientation so every employee understands company policy, benefits, and expectations from day one.
• Build and run supervisor training on hiring practices, documentation, harassment prevention, and employment law basics.
• Track completion of required training and maintain training records, coordinating with Safety so the two programs complement rather than overlap.
• Support career pathing and cross-training as the company grows, particularly ahead of our second plant opening.

Policy, handbook, and records

• Own the employee handbook: keep it current, coordinate legal review, distribute updates, and collect acknowledgments.
• Write and maintain HR policies and procedures, consistent across all three companies.
• Maintain the organizational chart and job description library.
• Track federal and North Carolina employment law changes and bring recommendations to the executive team.
• Prepare HR reporting for the executive team: headcount, turnover, open positions, benefits participation, and cost.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Five or more years of progressive HR experience, including direct hands-on responsibility for benefits administration and open enrollment.
• Working knowledge of federal and North Carolina employment law, including FLSA, FMLA, ADA, Title VII, COBRA, ACA, and I-9/E-Verify requirements.
• Experience coordinating workers' compensation and return-to-work in high-hazard classifications.
• Demonstrated ability to run an HR function independently, without a larger department for support.
• Fluent, current use of technology in daily HR work, including AI tools, HRIS/ATS platforms, and modern productivity software, with a track record of putting new tools to practical use rather than working around them.
• Sound judgment and proven discretion with confidential information.
• Clear, plain-spoken written and verbal communication with everyone from field crews to ownership.
• Comfort working onsite in an operating environment, not solely from a desk.
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel between company locations and job sites.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience in construction, trucking, manufacturing, or another field- and plant-based industry.
• Familiarity with DOT and FMCSA driver qualification requirements.
• Familiarity with prevailing wage requirements on public work (Davis-Bacon, NCDOT), including worker classification and certified payroll coordination.
• Experience supporting a multi-entity or multi-division employer.
• Experience in a family-owned or closely held business, especially one in a growth or professionalization phase.
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification.
• Bilingual English and Spanish.
• Experience selecting or implementing an HRIS or applicant tracking system.

Working conditions

• Based in Waynesville, NC. Primarily onsite (roughly 60–70%) with flexible remote days, and regular presence at the batch plant, the shop, the precast yard, and active job sites.
• Exposure to outdoor weather, heavy equipment, and active construction environments; PPE required in the field.
• Occasional early-morning or evening hours to reach crews and drivers on their schedules.
• Periodic travel within the region.

Compensation and benefits

• Full-time, salaried, exempt position.
• Health, dental, vision, short-term disability, and long-term disability with company contribution after 60 days.
• Paid time off per company policy.
• Monday through Friday schedule with flexibility to reach early-start and night-shift crews.

Pay: $75,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave

Application Question(s):

• Do you have working knowledge of federal and North Carolina employment law, including FLSA, FMLA, ADA, Title VII, COBRA, ACA, and I-9/E-Verify requirements.

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Experience:

• Human resources management: 3 years (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Waynesville, NC 28785 (Required)

Willingness to travel:

• 25% (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $75,000 - $90,000