What are the responsibilities and job description for the Human Resources Generalist position at OERTZENGroup?
About the Company
The HR Generalist will play a key role in building and strengthening the Human Resources function for our North American operations. Based on-site in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, this position supports approximately 130–140 employees across four locations in the United States and Canada and partners closely with site leadership and the global HR team in Germany. This role is designed for an experienced HR professional who is comfortable operating in a growing manufacturing and assembly environment and who brings both strategic perspective and hands-on execution.
About the Role
The HR Generalist will play a key role in building and strengthening the Human Resources function for our North American operations.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the primary on-site HR contact for the Bethlehem, PA facility while supporting HR activities across all North American locations (PA, NC, OR, and Ontario, Canada), ensuring consistent and reliable HR support.
- Lead talent acquisition activities across the region, including partnering with hiring managers, managing external staffing agencies, building candidate pipelines for hourly and salaried roles, and continuously improving recruiting and interview processes.
- Design, implement, and maintain core HR processes, including onboarding, job profiles and job descriptions, training and development frameworks, and succession planning, with a strong focus on building structure within a growing organization.
- Act as a trusted HR partner to employees and managers by supporting day-to-day employee relations, coaching leaders, and contributing to the development and communication of HR policies and practices.
- Partner closely with the North America HR Business Partner, supporting strategic HR initiatives while providing backup support for payroll and benefits administration as needed.
- Collaborate with North American and German leadership to align local HR practices with global standards, support change initiatives, and contribute to the harmonization of policies and processes across sites.
- Contribute to broader people initiatives such as engagement, wellness, and culture-building activities, helping to foster a collaborative, team-oriented work environment.
Qualifications
- Proven experience as an HR Generalist in a small to mid-sized manufacturing or industrial environment, supporting both hourly and salaried employee populations.
- Strong foundation in core HR disciplines, including talent acquisition, onboarding, training and development, and job architecture (job profiles and job descriptions).
- Demonstrated experience designing and implementing HR processes and programs that support organizational growth, operational needs, and people development.
- Hands-on experience with day-to-day HR operations, including benefits administration and payroll support; ability to act as a backup for payroll processing when required.
- Experience working with external recruiting agencies and multiple sourcing channels, particularly for production and technical roles.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build credibility, influence site leadership, and collaborate effectively across functions and locations.