HR Manager

Company Description

Continental Hydraulics and Hydreco specialize in industrial and mobile hydraulic solutions, offering robust, high-performance products tailored to diverse market and application needs. With a strong emphasis on innovative engineering, the company manufactures an extensive range of hydraulic components, including directional valves, pressure controls, proportional valves, and hydraulic power units. Their products can handle demanding specifications, such as flow rates of up to 500 GPM and pressures up to 5000 PSI. Committed to delivering exceptional quality and customer support, Continental Hydraulics and Hydreco stand out through engineering excellence and a highly experienced team.

Role Description

This is a full-time, on-site HR Manager role located in Shakopee, MN. This role is a true leadership position — responsible for building and maintaining a strong people foundation while managing the day-to-day HR needs of a dynamic, hands-on workforce. The ideal candidate brings broad HR expertise and thrives in an environment where they can own the full HR function independently. They will lead recruiting and talent acquisition, drive employee relations and workplace culture, ensure safety and regulatory compliance in a manufacturing setting, and administer payroll, benefits, and retirement programs with accuracy and integrity. This individual will be a trusted, visible, and approachable resource for all employees and leadership alike. Additionally, the HR Manager will collaborate with leadership to create a positive work environment, maintain accurate HR records, and lead organizational development efforts.

Principal Accountabilities / Essential Functions:

HR Leadership & Strategy

• Serve as the single HR point of contact for all employees and senior leadership until the department can be grown
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve HR policies, procedures, and programs aligned with company goals and values
• Provide guidance to managers on employee relations, performance management, and workforce planning
• Support organizational development and contribute to a positive, productive workplace culture
• Maintain employee records and HRIS systems, ensuring data accuracy and confidentiality

Recruiting & Talent Acquisition

• Manage full-cycle recruiting for all positions, from hourly production roles to salaried professional positions partnering with each Hiring Manager
• Develop job postings, source candidates, coordinate interviews, and extend offers
• Build and maintain relationships with staffing agencies, trade schools, and local recruiting resources (can reduce some text/stretch goals in each section?)
• Lead onboarding and new hire orientation to ensure a strong start for every employee
• Support workforce planning discussions with leadership to anticipate hiring needs

Employee Relations & Culture

• Act as a trusted, approachable resource for employees navigating workplace questions, concerns, and conflicts
• Investigate and resolve employee relations issues promptly, fairly, and in compliance with policy and law
• Foster a respectful, inclusive, and engaging work environment
• Support manager development in handling performance conversations, corrective action, and documentation (Stretch)
• Lead or support employee recognition, engagement, and retention initiatives

Safety & OSHA Compliance

• Partner with operations and plant management to maintain a safe working environment in compliance with OSHA and applicable regulations
• Support safety training programs, incident reporting, and injury/illness recordkeeping (OSHA 300 logs)
• Coordinate workers' compensation claims management and return-to-work processes
• Participate in safety committee activities and help drive a proactive safety culture on the shop floor

Payroll Management

• Oversee and manage full-cycle payroll processing for all employees, ensuring accuracy and timeliness; supported by finance payroll execution? Right now sounds like the HR person is executing payroll vs. overseeing it
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations
• Maintain payroll records and coordinate with finance/accounting on reporting, reconciliations, and audits

Benefits Administration

• Administer all employee benefits programs including health, dental, vision, life, disability, and voluntary benefits
• Manage open enrollment processes and serve as the primary employee contact for benefits questions
• Evaluate and recommend improvements to benefits offerings in partnership with brokers and leadership

401(k) Plan Administration & Fiduciary Oversight

• Administer the company's 401(k) retirement plan, serving in a fiduciary capacity
• Oversee enrollment, contributions, distributions, and compliance testing
• Work with plan providers, advisors, and third-party administrators to ensure ERISA compliance and plan health

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure ongoing compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations
• Maintain HR documentation and policies to current regulatory standards
• Support internal and external audits related to HR, payroll, benefits, and retirement plans

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field
• 6 years of progressive HR experience, with demonstrated generalist breadth
• Experience in a manufacturing, industrial, or similar hands-on work environment strongly preferred
• Proven ability to manage the full HR function independently or with minimal support
• Experience in recruiting, employee relations, payroll, and benefits administration
• Working knowledge of OSHA requirements and manufacturing safety compliance
• Strong knowledge of employment law, ERISA, and HR regulatory compliance
• High integrity with the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion
• Strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills

Preferred

• HR certifications: SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR
• Experience with 401(k) administration and fiduciary responsibilities
• Experience implementing or managing HRIS and payroll systems
• Familiarity with workers' compensation and leave management (FMLA, ADA)
• OSHA/Safety Leadership Experience

Key Skills

• Broad HR generalist leadership
• Recruiting & talent acquisition
• Employee relations & conflict resolution
• Safety compliance & OSHA recordkeeping
• Payroll administration & compliance
• Benefits & 401(k) administration
• HR policy development
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Comfortable operating independently in a fast-paced environment