Using animal-based raw materials, Essentia gives you access to the world's widest range of high-quality stocks, broths, fats, flavors, and functional proteins. Through committed service and sustainable proteins solutions, we're dedicated to building a better business for our customers. We do this by holding true to our values: Teamwork, Respect, Agility, Creativity and Knowledge.

The Plant HR Generalist supports day-to-day HR operations of the site to include employee relations, supporting recruitment efforts, performance management, and compliance with labor laws and regulations.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience:

• Four-year degree relevant to Human Resources preferred. High school diploma or GED required.

• 2-3 years of progressively responsible HR experience required; previous manufacturing experience preferred.

• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of federal, state, and local laws required. SHRM-CP or PHR certification preferred.

• Full life-cycle recruitment experience strongly preferred.

• Fluency in English and Spanish is preferred.

JOB DUTIES:

• Oversee recruitment activities, including job requisition creation, job posting and advertisement, participating in interviews, consulting with supervisors on candidate selection and preparing offer letters.

• Direct employees on leave of absence processes, overseeing the return-to-work process.

• Plan, prepare, and lead new hire orientation to foster positive and safe attitude toward company goals, vision, mission, and values. Ensure timely completion of new hire documents, including Form I-9 and E-Verify.

• Collaborate with the management team and HR Director to assist with maintaining and updating of company job descriptions.

• Collaborate with HR Director when assessing compensation needs.

• Consult with plant leadership in dealing with attendance and performance issues.

• Collaborate with HR Director and plant leadership on discipline issues and employee concerns that rise to the level of termination.

• Conduct stay interviews and exit interviews, compiling trending data to communicate to plant leadership to influence continuous improvement.

• Collaborate with site manager(s) to represent the company’s response to unemployment claims.

• Collaborate with HR Director to develop and implement consistent policies and training programs that align with the business needs and values.

• Provide consistent guidance to employees at all levels as it relates to policies while providing exemplary customer service.

• Collaborate with HR Director to provide leadership data trends concerning overtime, turnover, open positions, etc. impacting the plant.

• Manage compliance training for site.

• Constructively challenge situations and behaviors that are not consistent with our safety culture, values, and Code of Conduct.

• Partner with leaders to grow the plant’s knowledge and application of our TRACK values and culture.

• Perform other duties and projects as assigned.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to consistently model each of the 5 company values - Teamwork, Respect, Agility, Creativity, Knowledge - to preserve the culture.

• General knowledge of federal and state safety regulations to limit company risk.

• In-depth understanding/application of HR disciplines (compensation, benefits, employee relations, employee development, performance management, regulatory compliance).

• Ensure compliance with regulatory issues including, but not limited to, OSHA, Fair Labor Standards Act, Americans with Disability Act, Family Medical Leave, and Equal Opportunity act. Interface with regulatory agencies, insurance representatives and emergency personnel on safety and HR related matters such as external audits, reporting, return to work methodologies and workers’ comp claim administration.

• Effective investigative skills to include root cause analysis and prevention of safety and employee relations issues

• Ability to consult and influence decisions using sound judgment and data analysis to effectively drive positive business outcomes and resolve complex issues.

• Ability to provide constructive feedback to employees in a factful manner; ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints with innovative solutions; ability to be informative and provide professional assistance when working with the public and co-workers. Including excellent verbal and written communications and the ability to effectively work with confidential information.

• Strong problem solving and follow up skills.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality at all times.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Highly organized; ability to handle multiple priorities at once successfully.

• Proficient with Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel.

• Previous experience with Workday preferred, but not required.Travel as business needs require, which is expected to be less than 10% for the purpose of training, conferences, etc.

LGI’s foundation began in 1916 as the Lauridsen Creamery, selling butter, eggs and poultry to the local community. Although our headquarters in Ankeny, Iowa, is not far from the old creamery in Dedham, Iowa, the company is now worldwide with more than fifty manufacturing and sales locations in twenty countries and sales in more than sixty countries.

Each company under the LGI umbrella is truly independent. They have the ability and the charge to be entrepreneurial, to seek out new markets, to develop new products and applications, and – above all - to discover new ways to add value through fractionation and novel application.

What’s more, because some LGI companies have offices and presence around the world, all LGI companies benefit from their exposure to new markets, new products, new applications and new thinking.