HR Manager

veteranhiringsolutionsHopkinsville, United Statesfull timeSenior

Active

Job description

Role SnapshotClient: A Tier 1 automotive parts manufacturer, newly launched U.S. plant.Role Title: HR Manager, PlantLocation: Hopkinsville, KentuckyReports To: Senior or General Manager, PlantDirect Reports: 3 to 12Indirect Reports: 0Why Now: Growth. The plant went live in December 2025 and is scaling. This is a build, not a maintenance hire.Why This Role MattersThis plant has been running for less than a year. Every system this HR Manager touches, team member relations, staffing, safety, training, is being built from the ground up while production ramps. The person in this seat is not inheriting a mature HR function. They are building one while the plant is still finding its rhythm.That is the opportunity and the challenge in the same sentence. A plant at this stage needs someone who can build a structure without waiting for someone else to hand it to them, because right now, nobody has it to hand over.The MissionIn the first 12 months, build a Human Resources function for a plant still in its first full year of production, covering staffing, employment, HRIS, payroll, safety and health, team member relations, and training and development, and get it stable enough to run without the founder-stage improvisation that got the plant through its launch.Performance Objectives1. Build and stabilize a full plant HR function, spanning benefits, compensation, employment, HRIS, payroll, safety, security, staffing, team member relations, and training, within the plant's first full year of production.2. Establish team member relations systems, involvement meetings, conflict resolution, corrective action, and investigations, that resolve issues at the plant level, measured by grievances closed without third party intervention.3. Stand up consistent HR policies, practices, and procedures across a workforce scaling from startup headcount toward full production capacity, measured by consistent application and a falling rate of policy related inquiries.4. Build workforce planning and staffing pipelines for both hourly and salaried roles that keep pace with the plant's production ramp, measured by requisitions filled within target cycle time.5. Stand up the plant's safety and health program from the ground up, measured by safety and PPE compliance and a downward trend in workers' compensation claims.6. Build and own the HR annual budget and business plan for the plant's first full operating year, aligned to overall plant goals.Fit TraitsBuilder, Not MaintainerComfortable creating systems where none exist yet, rather than refining what is already running. Signal: the role calls for someone to "enhance and/or develop, implement, and enforce" HR policy from scratch, not administer an inherited one.Independent Judgment Under AmbiguityMakes calls without waiting for direction, especially when something breaks off hours. Signal: the role requires the "ability to exercise exceptional independent judgment and discretion" and to "maintain on call flexibility to control abnormal conditions."Cross-Level CommunicatorEqually comfortable on the floor and in front of executive staff. Signal: the role requires the "ability to communicate and work well with all levels of the organization" and prior experience "creating presentations and delivering to large groups."Composure in a Fast-Paced, Multicultural EnvironmentStays level when the plant is moving fast and the workforce is diverse. Signal: the role explicitly requires the "ability to work in a fast-paced, multicultural work environment" and to "handle stressful situations."Discretion and IntegrityCan be trusted with sensitive information without exception. Signal: the role requires the ability to "maintain the confidentiality of any information s/he encounters" and hold "the highest standards of personal and professional integrity."Why Veterans Succeed HereIf you managed personnel actions, discipline, morale, and readiness for a company or battalion, you have already run a version of this job. The scale is different. The responsibility for people is the same.This plant runs on the same fundamentals that make a military unit function: early starts, direct communication, and accountability that moves at the speed of the operation. It is also less than a year old, which means the systems that will define how this plant treats its people are still being written, not maintained. That is exactly the kind of ground a builder wants under their feet.VHS matched this role because the performance objectives and the operational tempo of a newly launched plant align closely with veterans who have held personnel or command billets: S1 officers and NCOs, First Sergeants, Career Counselors, and human resources specialists who know how to build a function under real time pressure instead of inheriting one that already works.RequirementsRequirements1. Requirement: Bachelor's degree in HR, Business Administration, or related field, or equivalent experienceMilitary Equivalent: Adjutant General Corps officer training, or hands-on HR leadership gained in a personnel-focused billet such as S1 or Career CounselorMaps To: Build and stabilize a full plant HR function2. Requirement: 8 or more years HR generalist experience, manufacturing or automotive preferredMilitary Equivalent: Battalion or Brigade S1, First Sergeant, or Senior Career Counselor managing the full range of personnel actions, staffing, discipline, benefits, records, and morale for a unit of comparable sizeMaps To: Build and stabilize a full plant HR function; Establish team member relations systems3. Requirement: 4 or more years supervisory experience in a manufacturing environmentMilitary Equivalent: Platoon Sergeant, Company First Sergeant, or Division Officer directly supervising and developing subordinate personnel in a high tempo environmentMaps To: Build workforce planning and staffing pipelines4. Requirement: Experience creating and delivering presentations to large groupsMilitary Equivalent: Briefing commanders, staff, and formations as an S1, Career Counselor, or senior NCOMaps To: Build and own the HR annual budget and business plan5. Requirement: Working knowledge of federal and state employment law: ADA, FLSA, HIPAA, FMLA, NLRA, Title VIIMilitary Equivalent: Direct exposure to the UCMJ, EO complaint processes, and administrative separations through a personnel, legal, or Inspector General billetMaps To: Stand up consistent HR policies, practices, and procedures6. Requirement: Ability to manage a safety and health programMilitary Equivalent: Unit Safety NCO or Safety Officer enforcing safety standards, PPE compliance, and incident reporting across a company or battalionMaps To: Stand up the plant's safety and health program*Must have served in the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Space Force, U.S. Reserves, or U.S. National Guard.BenefitsBase Salary: $90,000 to $120,000 Relocation expenses covered. Full medical, dental, vision, 401K, tuition reimbursementRole SnapshotClient: A Tier 1 automotive parts manufacturer, newly launched U.S. plant.Role Title: HR Manager, PlantLocation: Hopkinsville, KentuckyReports To: Senior or General Manager, PlantDirect Reports: 3 to 12Indirect Reports: 0Why Now: Growth. The plant went live in December 2025 and is scaling. This is a build, not a maintenance hire.Why This Role MattersThis plant has been running for less than a year. Every system this HR Manager touches, team member relations, staffing, safety, training, is being built from the ground up while production ramps. The person in this seat is not inheriting a mature HR function. They are building one while the plant is still finding its rhythm.That is the opportunity and the challenge in the same sentence. A plant at this stage needs someone who can build a structure without waiting for someone else to hand it to them, because right now, nobody has it to hand over.The MissionIn the first 12 months, build a Human Resources function for a plant still in its first full year of production, covering staffing, employment, HRIS, payroll, safety and health, team member relations, and training and development, and get it stable enough to run without the founder-stage improvisation that got the plant through its launch.Performance Objectives1. Build and stabilize a full plant HR function, spanning benefits, compensation, employment, HRIS, payroll, safety, security, staffing, team member relations, and training, within the plant's first full year of production.2. Establish team member relations systems, involvement meetings, conflict resolution, corrective action, and investigations, that resolve issues at the plant level, measured by grievances closed without third party intervention.3. Stand up consistent HR policies, practices, and procedures across a workforce scaling from startup headcount toward full production capacity, measured by consistent application and a falling rate of policy related inquiries.4. Build workforce planning and staffing pipelines for both hourly and salaried roles that keep pace with the plant's production ramp, measured by requisitions filled within target cycle time.5. Stand up the plant's safety and health program from the ground up, measured by safety and PPE compliance and a downward trend in workers' compensation claims.6. Build and own the HR annual budget and business plan for the plant's first full operating year, aligned to overall plant goals.Fit TraitsBuilder, Not MaintainerComfortable creating systems where none exist yet, rather than refining what is already running. Signal: the role calls for someone to "enhance and/or develop, implement, and enforce" HR policy from scratch, not administer an inherited one.Independent Judgment Under AmbiguityMakes calls without waiting for direction, especially when something breaks off hours. Signal: the role requires the "ability to exercise exceptional independent judgment and discretion" and to "maintain on call flexibility to control abnormal conditions."Cross-Level CommunicatorEqually comfortable on the floor and in front of executive staff. Signal: the role requires the "ability to communicate and work well with all levels of the organization" and prior experience "creating presentations and delivering to large groups."Composure in a Fast-Paced, Multicultural EnvironmentStays level when the plant is moving fast and the workforce is diverse. Signal: the role explicitly requires the "ability to work in a fast-paced, multicultural work environment" and to "handle stressful situations."Discretion and IntegrityCan be trusted with sensitive information without exception. Signal: the role requires the ability to "maintain the confidentiality of any information s/he encounters" and hold "the highest standards of personal and professional integrity."Why Veterans Succeed HereIf you managed personnel actions, discipline, morale, and readiness for a company or battalion, you have already run a version of this job. The scale is different. The responsibility for people is the same.This plant runs on the same fundamentals that make a military unit function: early starts, direct communication, and accountability that moves at the speed of the operation. It is also less than a year old, which means the systems that will define how this plant treats its people are still being written, not maintained. That is exactly the kind of ground a builder wants under their feet.VHS matched this role because the performance objectives and the operational tempo of a newly launched plant align closely with veterans who have held personnel or command billets: S1 officers and NCOs, First Sergeants, Career Counselors, and human resources specialists who know how to build a function under real time pressure instead of inheriting one that already works.

Role Snapshot

Client: A Tier 1 automotive parts manufacturer, newly launched U.S. plant.

Client:A Tier 1 automotive parts manufacturer, newly launched U.S. plant.

Role Title: HR Manager, Plant

Role Title:HR Manager, Plant

Location: Hopkinsville, Kentucky

Location:Hopkinsville, Kentucky

Reports To: Senior or General Manager, Plant

Reports To:Senior or General Manager, Plant

Direct Reports: 3 to 12

Direct Reports:3 to 12

Indirect Reports: 0

Indirect Reports:0

Why Now: Growth. The plant went live in December 2025 and is scaling. This is a build, not a maintenance hire.

Why Now:Growth. The plant went live in December 2025 and is scaling. This is a build, not a maintenance hire.

Why This Role Matters

This plant has been running for less than a year. Every system this HR Manager touches, team member relations, staffing, safety, training, is being built from the ground up while production ramps. The person in this seat is not inheriting a mature HR function. They are building one while the plant is still finding its rhythm.

That is the opportunity and the challenge in the same sentence. A plant at this stage needs someone who can build a structure without waiting for someone else to hand it to them, because right now, nobody has it to hand over.

The Mission

In the first 12 months, build a Human Resources function for a plant still in its first full year of production, covering staffing, employment, HRIS, payroll, safety and health, team member relations, and training and development, and get it stable enough to run without the founder-stage improvisation that got the plant through its launch.

Performance Objectives

1. Build and stabilize a full plant HR function, spanning benefits, compensation, employment, HRIS, payroll, safety, security, staffing, team member relations, and training, within the plant's first full year of production.

1.Build and stabilize a full plant HR function, spanning benefits, compensation, employment, HRIS, payroll, safety, security, staffing, team member relations, and training, within the plant's first full year of production.

2. Establish team member relations systems, involvement meetings, conflict resolution, corrective action, and investigations, that resolve issues at the plant level, measured by grievances closed without third party intervention.

2.Establish team member relations systems, involvement meetings, conflict resolution, corrective action, and investigations, that resolve issues at the plant level, measured by grievances closed without third party intervention.

3. Stand up consistent HR policies, practices, and procedures across a workforce scaling from startup headcount toward full production capacity, measured by consistent application and a falling rate of policy related inquiries.

3.Stand up consistent HR policies, practices, and procedures across a workforce scaling from startup headcount toward full production capacity, measured by consistent application and a falling rate of policy related inquiries.

4. Build workforce planning and staffing pipelines for both hourly and salaried roles that keep pace with the plant's production ramp, measured by requisitions filled within target cycle time.

4.Build workforce planning and staffing pipelines for both hourly and salaried roles that keep pace with the plant's production ramp, measured by requisitions filled within target cycle time.

5. Stand up the plant's safety and health program from the ground up, measured by safety and PPE compliance and a downward trend in workers' compensation claims.

5.Stand up the plant's safety and health program from the ground up, measured by safety and PPE compliance and a downward trend in workers' compensation claims.

6. Build and own the HR annual budget and business plan for the plant's first full operating year, aligned to overall plant goals.

6.Build and own the HR annual budget and business plan for the plant's first full operating year, aligned to overall plant goals.

Fit Traits

Builder, Not Maintainer

Comfortable creating systems where none exist yet, rather than refining what is already running. Signal: the role calls for someone to "enhance and/or develop, implement, and enforce" HR policy from scratch, not administer an inherited one.

Comfortable creating systems where none exist yet, rather than refining what is already running.Signal: the role calls for someone to "enhance and/or develop, implement, and enforce" HR policy from scratch, not administer an inherited one.

Independent Judgment Under Ambiguity

Makes calls without waiting for direction, especially when something breaks off hours. Signal: the role requires the "ability to exercise exceptional independent judgment and discretion" and to "maintain on call flexibility to control abnormal conditions."

Makes calls without waiting for direction, especially when something breaks off hours.Signal: the role requires the "ability to exercise exceptional independent judgment and discretion" and to "maintain on call flexibility to control abnormal conditions."

Cross-Level Communicator

Equally comfortable on the floor and in front of executive staff. Signal: the role requires the "ability to communicate and work well with all levels of the organization" and prior experience "creating presentations and delivering to large groups."

Equally comfortable on the floor and in front of executive staff.Signal: the role requires the "ability to communicate and work well with all levels of the organization" and prior experience "creating presentations and delivering to large groups."

Composure in a Fast-Paced, Multicultural Environment

Stays level when the plant is moving fast and the workforce is diverse. Signal: the role explicitly requires the "ability to work in a fast-paced, multicultural work environment" and to "handle stressful situations."

Stays level when the plant is moving fast and the workforce is diverse.Signal: the role explicitly requires the "ability to work in a fast-paced, multicultural work environment" and to "handle stressful situations."

Discretion and Integrity

Can be trusted with sensitive information without exception. Signal: the role requires the ability to "maintain the confidentiality of any information s/he encounters" and hold "the highest standards of personal and professional integrity."

Can be trusted with sensitive information without exception.Signal: the role requires the ability to "maintain the confidentiality of any information s/he encounters" and hold "the highest standards of personal and professional integrity."

Why Veterans Succeed Here

If you managed personnel actions, discipline, morale, and readiness for a company or battalion, you have already run a version of this job. The scale is different. The responsibility for people is the same.

This plant runs on the same fundamentals that make a military unit function: early starts, direct communication, and accountability that moves at the speed of the operation. It is also less than a year old, which means the systems that will define how this plant treats its people are still being written, not maintained. That is exactly the kind of ground a builder wants under their feet.

VHS matched this role because the performance objectives and the operational tempo of a newly launched plant align closely with veterans who have held personnel or command billets: S1 officers and NCOs, First Sergeants, Career Counselors, and human resources specialists who know how to build a function under real time pressure instead of inheriting one that already works.