HR People Partner

About the role

Working in partnership with other HR teams, the HR Operations team supports line managers with North America (NA) employee relations matters, performance management, policy queries, and guidance on NA HR processes. The objective is to provide consistent HR process support, enable smooth NA HR operations, and enhance employee experience at key moments. This role requires a customer mindset and a strong bias for action.

As the HR People Partner, you will be the key HR contact for roughly 215 hourly team members at our Hammond, IN factory. You will serve as the liaison between line managers and third-party HR support, acting as the first point of contact for all employee relations and general HR inquiries. This includes handling employee relations concerns, serving as a subject matter expert in HR processes, overseeing HR transactions, providing analysis and reporting, and supporting global HR projects.

Maintaining a balance between employee advocacy and consistent policy administration is critical in this union environment. The role involves seeking continuous improvements in HR policies, coaching employees and managers on employee relations, managing projects, and ensuring compliance with federal and state laws.

Responsibilities

• Act as the first point of contact for employee relations inquiries, determining resolution channels, interpreting policy, and advocating for team members.
• Manage and direct project teams from inception to completion, ensuring deadlines are met and progress is documented.
• Lead and provide direction to managers regarding the Performance Management Process (PMP).
• Partner with recruitment on hourly job openings and manage end-to-end onboarding of new team members.
• Manage the medical accommodation process in alignment with Unilever policies and federal/state laws.
• Effectively manage conflict while fostering an inclusive work environment.
• Oversee the new hire onboarding process, including policy communication and support for benefits and payroll setup.
• Foster a collaborative union/management relationship and administer the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
• Promote a positive, proactive employee relations atmosphere to reduce and close grievances.
• Support union negotiation and collective bargaining agreement processes.
• Participate in AAP audits.
• Manage escalation of HR support issues through to resolution while maintaining effective communication with stakeholders.
• Conduct investigations, including write-ups, legal conversations, and counseling, and provide feedback support to supervisors.
• Act as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for all key HR tools, systems, and processes.
• Coordinate and maintain up-to-date onboarding processes with safety and operations teams.

Requirements

• 3+ years of Manufacturing/Factory HR experience (union environment preferred).
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Human Resources, or a related field.
• Experience with Kronos timekeeping (required) and UKG payroll (preferred), and Workday or similar systems.
• Solid understanding of employment laws and HR practices.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to influence stakeholders.
• Ability to operate effectively in a complex, matrix organization.
• Action-oriented, highly organized, and detail-focused; able to manage multiple priorities independently.
• Collaborative team player with strong stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrates curiosity, grit, and a continuous improvement/simplification mindset.
• Willingness and ability to support off-shift operations, including maintaining a stable schedule to support third-shift team members.

Pay

The pay range for this position is $71,400 to $107,200. Unilever considers a wide range of factors in making compensation decisions, including skill sets, experience, training, licensure, certifications, qualifications, education, and business/organizational needs.

This position is bonus eligible and Long-Term Incentive (LTI) eligible.

Benefits

Unilever employees are eligible to participate in a comprehensive benefits plan, which includes:

• Health insurance (including prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage).
• Retirement savings benefits.
• Life insurance and disability benefits.
• Parental leave, sick leave, paid vacation, and holidays.
• Access to numerous voluntary benefits.

Coverages for health insurance and retirement benefits are in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans and governing documents.