Director of Human Resources & Safety

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Mrs. Gerry’s was founded in 1973 in Albert Lea, Minnesota. Since then, the company has expanded in every way! Mrs. Gerry’s offers 120 different products including pasta salads, coleslaws, salad kits, specialty salads, and sides, including the popular Premium Mashed Potatoes that were introduced in 2005 and, of course, the recipe that started it all – Mrs. Gerry’s Original Potato Salad. Today, Mrs. Gerry’s Salads and Mashed Potatoes are sold coast to coast. In 2020, Mrs. Gerry’s was purchased by Sequel Holdings, LLC. Sequel’s deep industry experience and strategic planning paired with Mrs. Gerry’s ongoing commitment to their employees and the community, ensure long-term value and growth for years to come.

Title:                         Director of Human Resources & Safety

Department:             Human Resources/Safety

Reports To:               Vice President of Finance & CFO

Hours:                        Full time business hours, 7:30am-4:30am. Hours may vary depending on workplace requirements and special projects.

Days:                         Monday - Friday

Status:                      Exempt

ABOUT THE POSTITION

We are seeking an experienced HR Director with outstanding people skills to manage our personnel and ensure that our human resources programs and initiatives are effective, efficient, and aligned to overall business objectives.

The ideal candidate for this role should possess a high work ethic, excellent communication skills, knowledge of labor laws and HR practices, strategic thinking abilities, strong organizational skills, and excellent interpersonal skills. The HR Director should improve HR processes, implement strategies that support business growth, improve morale and employee retention, enhance safety and wellness, strengthen relations between staff and managers, and attract the best recruits. 

HR Director Responsibilities:

• Train, develop, and manage the performance of HR, Safety and Front Desk team members. 
• HR Operations

o  Provide technical expertise and responds to payroll related inquiries related to interpretation of laws, rules, and regulations.  Assists all Managers & Supervisors with payroll issues and requests for payroll information on a regular basis.  

o  Manage and execute benefit programs and processes and related compliance activities. Primary contact with broker, vendors, and employees; ensures a smooth enrollment process for new hires and annual open enrollment.  

o  Ensure compliance with HIPAA, ACA and other government required reporting and regulations. 

o  Oversee maintenance and accuracy of employee and organization data in HRIS, employee files, and other systems; provides necessary reporting to the organization; keeps job descriptions up to date, accurate and compliant. 

• Administer leave of absence for qualifying employees, including FMLA, Military, STD, LTD, and Worker’s Compensation.
• Employee Experience
• Facilitate the employee onboarding process to ensure the employee has a positive experience and has all the training and equipment to operate effectively within the company and role. 
• Monitor employee turnover and retention; implements engagement activities for recruitment and retention. 
• Coordinate the exit process including communication with the employee regarding the exit process, processing the change with all necessary vendors, and conducting exit interviews. 
• Talent Management
• Manage the recruitment process including develop position criteria with the hiring manager, advertise and source candidates, review and screen candidates, schedule interviews and prepare offer letters. Facilitate pre-employment process to include background check, drug screen, reference checks. 
• Implements the performance management process to ensure all employees understand how their role contributes to achieving company goals, receive regular feedback, and are actively developing new skills, knowledge, and experiences. Assist managers through employee performance improvement process. 
• Develop and facilitate training and development opportunities and programs. 
• Administers compensation programs and processes in alignment with the total compensation strategy. This includes activities such as FLSA evaluation, annual pay review process, bonus, and incentive plans.  
• Policies and Compliance
• Monitor and keep current the employee handbook and employment related policies to ensure they are compliant.
• Work with managers and employees to comply with the employee handbook and employment related policies.
• Provide counsel, assistance, and problem- resolution to employees at all levels, guided by company policies, labor-law legislation and state and federal agency requirements. 
• Handles investigation and resolution of employee issues, concerns, and conflicts.
• Safety
• Manage the safety programs to include policies, training, and reporting. 
• Oversee worker’s compensation claims and the return-to-work process.

REQUIRED EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND SKILLS:

• Bachelor’s degree in business or human resources management, or a related field.
• 5-8 years of human resources leadership experience preferably in a manufacturing organization.
• 3 years of experience leading a team of human resources professionals.
• Professional HR certification such as PHR or SHRM-CP preferred. 
• Strong knowledge of human resources policies and practices including the ability to develop/recommend policies, and to interpret and apply policies consistently in the context of total problem resolution.
• Working knowledge of employment and labor laws and their implications. Expert knowledge of employee relations to assist in resolving employee issues in a proactive manner.
• Ability to act as an advisor to management on professional and technical issues with a view toward reaching strategic decisions.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Working knowledge and experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Demonstrated ability to foster a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone feels welcomed, included, and valued.
• Experience creating a culture of engagement, collaboration, and teamwork across a diverse group of employees.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects or tasks simultaneously with strong organization skills and attention to detail. 
• Confidentiality and trusted confidant 
• Ability to manage in ambiguous situations, effectively cope with change and act without having all the information.   
• Critical thinking skills, problem analysis and problem-solving skills 
• Influence and communication skills with a variety of audiences. 
• Ability to respectfully challenge points-of-view when necessary and offer alternative, constructive suggestions.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand and walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, talk or hear and push or pull. The employee frequently is required to sit. The employee will have limited lifting, must be able to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds for transport of training materials and setting up learning events. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Required to wear PPE when in production areas to ensure safe food and adhering to safety practices.

WORK ENVIRONMENT 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

When providing learning or walking through the plant to perform the duties of this job, the employee will be exposed to wet or humid conditions (non-weather); work near moving mechanical parts. The employee will be exposed to fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; outdoor weather conditions when traveling between entrances; extreme cold (non-weather); extreme heat (non-weather). The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) is required.

Works primarily in an office environment with visits in the production areas of the plant.

FACILITY ALERGENS

At Mrs. Gerry's, our facility may process items that contain eggs, milk, wheat, soy, fish, crustacea, and tree nuts.

EEO STATEMENT

Mrs. Gerry's is an equal opportunity employer committed to helping you do your best work. We are committed to providing these opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, pregnancy, or Veteran status. 

EMPLOYEE DRUG, ALCOHOL, AND CANNABIS FREE WORKPLACE AND DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING POLICY

Mrs. Gerry's has a longstanding commitment to provide a safe, quality-oriented, and productive work environment. Alcohol, drug, and cannabis misuse poses a threat to the health and safety of Mrs. Gerry's employees, visitors, customers, and consumers as well as to the security of the company's equipment, vehicles, facilities, property, and products. For these reasons, Mrs. Gerry's will conduct pre-employment, reasonable suspicion, post-accident/incident drug screens. 

Pre-employment drug testing and background screen is required.