Oversee the HR functions across multiple unionized dairy manufacturing plants and the Rochester, NY-based distribution team. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in HR management within complex unionized settings, exceptional leadership skills, and a passion for cultivating employee engagement, fostering a positive culture, and facilitating effective change management initiatives.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic HR Leadership and Oversight:
- Lead the HR function across multiple unionized plants, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives and consistency in HR practices.
- Develop and implement HR strategies that support business goals and address the unique requirements of each plant.
- Provide strategic guidance to plant HR teams, ensuring effective execution of HR policies, programs, and initiatives.
Team Management:
- Manage, mentor, and develop a team of HR professionals, fostering a collaborative and high-performing HR team.
- Set clear performance expectations, provide regular feedback, and conduct performance reviews to ensure the continuous growth and development of the HR team.
- Promote a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the HR team, encouraging the adoption of best practices and innovative HR solutions.
Labor Relations Mastery:
- Serve as the principal liaison between senior management and union representatives, fostering open channels of communication and addressing employee relations matters promptly and effectively.
- Lead negotiations and administer collective bargaining agreements, ensuring compliance with all contractual obligations while promoting a collaborative and constructive labor-management relationship.
- Oversee grievance resolution processes, ensuring thorough investigations and insightful recommendations for resolution in alignment with company policies and labor laws.
- Responsible for administrative requirements associated with the organization’s partnership with the union (i.e. union/benefits dues; pension liabilities, etc.)
Championing Employee Engagement and Culture:
- Develop and execute initiatives aimed at enhancing employee engagement, morale, and productivity across the plants, fostering a culture of inclusivity, respect, and continuous improvement.
- Partner with plant management teams to identify training and development needs, offering guidance on performance management, career advancement, and succession planning strategies.
- Conduct regular employee feedback sessions and surveys to gauge workplace satisfaction levels, leveraging insights to drive meaningful improvements and reinforce a positive organizational culture.
Change Management and Organizational Development:
- Participating in change management initiatives across multiple plants, ensuring seamless implementation and adoption of organizational changes while mitigating resistance and fostering employee buy-in.
- Collaborate with senior management to identify and implement organizational development strategies that support business growth and transformation.
- Stay abreast of industry trends and best practices in labor relations, employee engagement, and change management, proactively recommending adjustments and enhancements to HR strategies and practices.
Conflict Resolution and Mediation Expertise:
- Serve as a mediator in resolving complex conflicts between management and union representatives or among employees, employing tact, diplomacy, and confidentiality to foster constructive resolutions.
- Leading the investigative process, both union and non-union employee relations, ensuring fairness, consistency, and equity.
- Provide guidance and support to supervisors and managers on effective conflict resolution techniques and best practices, promoting a harmonious and collaborative work environment.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in human resources, Labor Relations, Business Administration, or related field.
- 10+ years of progressive HR experience, with a strong focus on labor relations, employee engagement, culture, and change management, ideally within a unionized manufacturing environment.
- Proven leadership experience overseeing HR functions across multiple sites or plants.
- Comprehensive understanding of labor laws, collective bargaining agreements, and union processes.
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build rapport and credibility across all organizational levels.
- Proven track record of effectively managing complex employee relations issues and facilitating organizational change initiatives.
- Demonstrated experience in managing and developing a team of HR professionals.
- SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, or other relevant HR certifications preferred.
- Ability to work in a matrix-managed environment.
- Proficiency in HRIS systems and Microsoft Office Suite. SAP ERP experience a plus.
Core Competencies:
- Problem-solving – Diagnoses root causes of complex, cross-plant HR and labor issues quickly and develops practical solutions that hold up across different site cultures and union contracts.
- Decision making – Makes sound, timely calls on employee relations, grievance, and staffing matters, even under pressure and with incomplete information, weighing legal, operational, and human impact.
- Change management – Guides plant teams and union stakeholders through organizational and process change with clear communication, structured planning, and attention to adoption, not just rollout.
- Inclusive & courageous leadership – Leads with transparency and conviction, making difficult calls and having candid conversations while ensuring every voice across the plants is heard and valued.
- Conflict management – De-escalates and resolves disputes between management, union representatives, and employees using tact and fairness that preserves working relationships.
- Emotional Intelligence – Reads the emotional undercurrents of high-stakes labor and employee situations and responds with empathy, self-control, and awareness of how actions affect trust.
- Situational awareness – Recognizes the distinct dynamics, risks, and priorities at each plant and adapts approach accordingly rather than applying a one-size-fits-all playbook.
- Coaching ability & trustworthiness – Develops HR team members and plant leaders through honest, constructive feedback, earning credibility as someone whose judgment and discretion can be relied on.
Pay: $100,000 - $150,000 a year*
- The salary range listed for this position represents the good faith and reasonable minimum and maximum pay for this role at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, training, knowledge, education, and overall qualifications. The posted salary range reflects just one component of our total rewards package. Other components of the total rewards package may include participation in group health and/or dental insurance, retirement plan, wellness program, paid time away from work, and paid holidays.
Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. is committed to equal employment opportunity for all, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/poster) notice from the Department of Labor.
