Human Resources Manager

WHAT IS THE OPPORTUNITY?

The Human Resources Manager is the senior on-site HR partner for the Charlevoix cement plant and a member of the plant leadership team. This role reports directly to the Head of HR, Cement. The role leads the full range of plant HR activities, with primary accountability for labor relations in a unionized, continuous manufacturing environment. This includes collective agreement administration, grievance and arbitration management, discipline, employee relations, workforce planning, talent, attendance, leave and accommodation, recruitment, organizational effectiveness, HR systems and employee engagement.

The incumbent is expected to build credible and constructive relationships with employees, union representatives and plant leaders while providing clear, practical and appropriately firm advice. The role translates business priorities into people plans, ensures consistent application of Company policy and the collective bargaining agreement, and escalates material labor, legal, employee or reputational risks to Cement HR and Legal as required.

WHAT WILL YOU DO?

Labor Relations and Collective Agreement Administration

• Lead day-to-day labor relations for the plant and serve as the primary HR contact for union leadership and bargaining-unit matters.
• Build a professional, transparent and solutions-oriented relationship with union representatives while protecting management rights and Company interests.
• Interpret and administer the collective bargaining agreement consistently; advise leaders on seniority, job postings, scheduling, overtime, attendance, discipline, leaves, benefits and other contractual requirements.
• Own the grievance process from intake through resolution, including fact gathering, case strategy, written responses, documentation, settlement recommendations and preparation for mediation or arbitration.
• Partner with Cement HR, Operations and Legal on complex grievances, unfair labor practice allegations, arbitration, policy changes and other material labor risks.
• Lead plant preparation for collective bargaining, including issue identification, costing inputs, proposal development, bargaining records, implementation planning and leader communication.
• Maintain complete and organized labor-relations records, precedents, bargaining notes, grievance logs and required follow-up actions.
• Coach supervisors and managers on effective labor relations, contract administration, documentation, respectful communication and consistent application of work rules.
• Monitor labor trends and recurring disputes and recommend proactive solutions that improve trust, operational reliability and accountability.

Employee Relations, Conduct and Workplace Resolution

• Lead fair, timely and well-documented workplace reviews and learning events involving employee concerns, policy violations, conduct, performance or workplace conflict.
• Advise leaders on corrective action and performance management, ensuring decisions are fact-based, consistent, proportionate and aligned with the collective agreement, Company policy and applicable law.
• Support respectful workplace, anti-harassment, non-retaliation and conflict-resolution practices; identify matters requiring Legal, Ethics, Security or senior HR involvement.
• Provide visible and accessible on-site HR support across shifts and departments, including periodic off-shift presence when operational circumstances require it.
• Identify employee-relations patterns and partner with plant leadership on practical actions to strengthen communication, accountability and workforce stability.

Strategic Plant Partnership and Workforce Planning

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the Director of Operations and plant leadership team on workforce, organization, talent, culture and change priorities.
• Build and maintain the annual workforce plan, headcount budget and labor-cost outlook in partnership with Operations and Finance; assess additions, vacancies, retirements, overtime, succession risks and organizational changes.
• Use workforce metrics and operational insight to identify risks and recommend actions related to turnover, absenteeism, overtime, vacancies, capability, engagement and succession.
• Lead the people aspects of organizational changes, restructures, role clarification, communication and workforce transitions.
• Balance plant needs with enterprise HR standards, involving Corporate HR centres of expertise where specialist design, governance or escalation is required.

Talent Acquisition, Onboarding and Retention

• Lead plant workforce planning and recruitment strategy for hourly and salaried roles, with particular attention to critical manufacturing, maintenance, technical and leadership positions.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition and hiring leaders to define role requirements, establish a disciplined selection process, deliver a strong candidate experience and make sound hiring recommendations.
• Ensure effective pre-employment, orientation and onboarding processes, including union-status requirements, safety orientation, policy acknowledgement, system access and leader accountability.
• Build local talent pipelines through schools, apprenticeships, internships, community relationships, referrals and other targeted sourcing approaches.
• Develop retention and succession actions for critical roles and skilled-trade populations, including knowledge-transfer plans and development opportunities.

Performance, Talent and Leadership Capability

• Lead annual performance, talent review, succession and development processes for the plant, ensuring quality discussions and timely completion.
• Coach leaders on goal setting, feedback, performance improvement, employee development and difficult conversations.
• Identify capability gaps and coordinate practical training for supervisors and managers in labor relations, policy application, documentation, interviewing, attendance, accommodation and people leadership.

Attendance, Leave, Accommodation and Workers Compensation

• Oversee consistent administration of attendance, timekeeping and call-in requirements, including accurate documentation and alignment with the collective agreement, policy and legally protected leave.
• Coordinate leave, disability, workers compensation, accommodation and return-to-work matters with employees, leaders and internal or external administrators.
• Protect confidential medical information, ensure appropriate documentation and identify cases requiring specialist or legal guidance.
• Analyze attendance and overtime patterns and partner with Operations on sustainable corrective and preventive actions.

HR Operations, Payroll Partnership and Data Governance

• Ensure employee, position, organization, time and workforce data are accurate and timely in applicable HR and timekeeping systems.
• Partner with Payroll, Benefits, HR Operations and managers to resolve employee pay, timekeeping, benefit and data issues; clarify ownership and prevent recurring errors.
• Maintain complete employee and labor-relations files in accordance with record-retention, confidentiality and access requirements.
• Prepare regular and ad hoc dashboards and reports on headcount, vacancies, turnover, attendance, overtime, grievances, discipline, training, succession and other workforce indicators.
• Identify opportunities to simplify workflows, improve controls and strengthen service delivery without shifting manager accountabilities to HR.

Safety, Culture and Employee Engagement

• Partner closely with Operations and Health and Safety to reinforce a strong safety culture and address people-related factors that may affect safe, reliable operations.
• Participate in safety learning events where employee conduct, policy, training, communication or organizational factors require HR expertise, while maintaining clear functional ownership.
• Lead or support engagement, recognition, communication and culture initiatives that reflect Our VC Way and the realities of a 24/7 plant workforce.
• Maintain a visible presence in the plant and build trust with employees at all levels through timely follow-up, consistency and respectful communication.
• Support community, school and workforce-partnership activities that strengthen the plant employment brand and local talent pipeline.

AUTHORITY / DECISION MAKING

• Provides independent day-to-day HR and labor-relations advice within approved Company policy, the collective agreement and established governance.
• Recommends grievance positions, corrective action, settlements, organizational changes, hiring decisions and workforce actions; obtains required approvals before commitments are made.
• May pause a people decision or process when material legal, labor, safety, ethical, financial or reputational risk has not been appropriately assessed.
• Escalates precedent-setting contract interpretations, arbitration strategy, significant employee-relations matters, policy changes, material settlements and departures from standard practice to the Head of HR, Cement and other required stakeholders.
• Exercises sound judgment with confidential and sensitive information and ensures transactions follow the applicable signing and approval authority.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Provides direct leadership, coaching, priority setting and performance oversight for the plant HR Generalist and any temporary, intern or administrative HR resources assigned to the site.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO SUCCEED?

Education and Experience Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Labor Relations, Business Administration or a related field required; a relevant master's degree is an asset.
• Minimum 7 years of progressive human resources experience, including substantial hands-on labor relations experience in a unionized manufacturing, heavy industrial or similarly complex operating environment.
• Experience administering collective bargaining agreements, managing grievances and discipline, and supporting bargaining preparation and implementation.
• Experience as an on-site HR business partner working directly with operational leaders, front-line supervisors and hourly employees.
• Experience leading or developing HR team members preferred.
• Professional HR or labor-relations certification is an asset.

Job Knowledge

• Strong knowledge of U.S. labor and employment practices applicable to a unionized Michigan workplace, with the judgment to seek specialist or legal advice when required.
• Advanced knowledge of labor relations, grievance handling, just-cause principles, progressive discipline, employee relations, investigations or learning reviews and workplace resolution.
• Working knowledge of workforce planning, talent acquisition, performance management, succession, compensation, benefits, leave, accommodation, workers compensation and employee engagement.
• Understanding of continuous-process manufacturing, shift work, skilled trades, overtime, shutdowns and the people implications of safe and reliable plant operations.

Language and Communication Skills

• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills, including the ability to draft clear grievance responses, policies, employee communications, business cases and executive summaries.
• Ability to communicate credibly and constructively with union representatives, employees, supervisors, senior leaders, counsel and external partners.

Computer and Systems Skills

• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams.
• Experience with enterprise HRIS, applicant tracking, payroll/timekeeping and reporting tools; experience with SuccessFactors, SAP, Dayforce and/or Kronos is an asset.

Leadership and Behavioral Competencies

• Labor-relations judgment: understands risk, precedent and operational context and can distinguish between a matter that should be resolved locally and one that requires escalation.
• Courage with partnership: can challenge leaders or union counterparts respectfully, take a clear position and preserve the working relationship.
• Consistency and fairness: applies agreements, policies and practices objectively across employees, shifts and departments.
• Business acumen: understands how workforce decisions affect safety, reliability, cost, productivity, customer commitments and culture.
• Presence and credibility: is visible, approachable and dependable while maintaining appropriate confidentiality and boundaries.
• Change leadership: translates enterprise programs into practical plant execution and helps leaders and employees navigate change.
• Collaboration: builds effective partnerships across Operations, Safety, Finance, Legal, Payroll, Benefits, Talent Acquisition and Corporate HR.

Travel Requirement

Regular on-site presence at the Charlevoix Plant is required. Occasional travel within the United States and Canada may be required for training, bargaining preparation, investigations, meetings or