HR Manager, ProjectsWork Mode: Onsite
Location:Onsite - Kohler, WI
OpportunityThe HR Project Leader, Global Manufacturing Transformation partners directly with the Senior HR Director, Global Manufacturing to lead the design, deployment, and execution of strategic HR transformation initiatives across manufacturing operations worldwide. This role serves as a key architect and integrator of enterprise HR initiatives, ensuring alignment among HR Centers of Excellence (COEs), Global Shared Services (GSS), Kohler Operating System (KOS), and plant HR teams.
Additionally, this role will serve as the HR Business Partner for the Global EHS function, providing strategic HR leadership and partnership to support the function's priorities and organizational needs.
The successful candidate will drive organizational change, establish scalable operating models, implement a common Plant HR structure, and develop frameworks that enhance HR capability, effectiveness, and business impact across manufacturing sites. This role requires exceptional project management, change leadership, stakeholder management, and strategic execution skills.
Specific ResponsibilitiesHR Transformation Leadership
- Partner with the Senior HR Director, Global Manufacturing to lead the deployment and execution of HR transformation initiatives across global manufacturing operations.
- Develop and implement transformation roadmaps that align with business strategy and operational priorities.
- Drive adoption of new HR processes, technologies, service delivery models, and ways of working.
- Monitor progress, identify risks, and implement mitigation plans to ensure successful outcomes.
Organizational Design & Operating Model Implementation
- Lead execution of the standardized Plant HR Organizational Structure across manufacturing locations globally.
- Coordinate implementation activities, stakeholder engagement, and readiness assessments to support successful adoption.
- Partner with regional and plant HR leaders to identify opportunities for alignment, efficiency, and organizational effectiveness.
Plant HR Operating Model Development
- Collaborate with Global Shared Services (GSS), KOS, and HR Centers of Excellence to design and implement a future-state Plant HR Operating Model.
- Define roles, responsibilities, governance processes, and service delivery expectations.
- Establish assessment methodologies to evaluate execution effectiveness and organizational alignment.
Capability & Maturity Advancement
- Develop and maintain a Plant HR Capability and Maturity Roadmap that defines future-state expectations and progression milestones.
- Create assessment frameworks that measure plant HR effectiveness, capability development, operational excellence, and business impact.
- Recommend and prioritize capability-building initiatives to address identified gaps.
Change Management & Stakeholder Engagement
- Develop comprehensive change management strategies to support transformation initiatives.
- Build strong partnerships with senior leaders, HR teams, COEs, GSS, and operational stakeholders.
- Facilitate workshops, leadership discussions, and governance forums to drive alignment and decision making.
- Ensure clear communication plans that build understanding, engagement, and adoption.
Program Governance & Continuous Improvement
- Establish governance processes, project plans, performance metrics, and reporting mechanisms.
- Identify opportunities to improve effectiveness and eliminate duplication across HR initiatives and stakeholder groups.
- Drive standardization and best-practice sharing across regions and manufacturing sites.
- Provide executive-level updates and strategic recommendations to senior leadership.
Skills/Requirements - Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or related field.
- 3-6 years of progressive HR, organizational effectiveness, transformation, or project leadership experience.
- Experience serving as an HR Manager, HR Business Partner, or similar strategic HR leadership role within a manufacturing or operations environment.
- Demonstrated success leading complex, enterprise-wide transformation initiatives.
- Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple global workstreams simultaneously.
- Proven change management experience, including stakeholder engagement, communication planning, and adoption strategies.
Preferred Qualifications - Experience working within global manufacturing organizations.
- Knowledge of HR operating models, shared services, and HR service delivery transformation.
- Experience with organizational design and workforce transformation initiatives.
- Certification in Project Management (PMP), Prosci Change Management, Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies.
- Experience collaborating with Centers of Excellence, Shared Services, and operational excellence functions.
Success Measures - Successful deployment of HR transformation initiatives across manufacturing operations.
- Achievement of common Plant HR organizational structure objectives.
- Adoption and effectiveness of the Plant HR Operating Model.
- Measurable improvement in Plant HR capability and maturity assessments.
- Increased alignment among COEs, GSS, KOS, and Plant HR teams.
- Reduction of duplicate efforts and improved execution efficiency across the HR ecosystem.
- Positive stakeholder feedback and sustained change adoption.
Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without requiring sponsorship now or in the future.We believe in supporting you from the moment you join us, which is why Kohler offers day 1 benefits. This means you'll have access to your applicable benefit programs from your first day on the job, with no waiting period. The salary range for this position is $99,300 - $152,900. The specific salary offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors including the candidate's experience, their education, and the work location. In addition, this position is eligible for a performance bonus/variable incentive compensation.
