Sr. Human Resources Business Partner

Dexter is seeking a Senior Human Resources Business Partner for onsite support of Dexter Upfit facilities, advising executive and senior leaders with hands-on HR expertise.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior HR advisor to Dexter Upfit executive and senior leadership, delivering high-judgment guidance on talent, organization effectiveness, culture, leadership capability, employee relations, and workforce risk.
• Translate business priorities into integrated people strategies, workforce plans, and organizational design recommendations aligned to growth, operational excellence, and engagement.
• Coach executives, people leaders, and HR partners through complex leadership decisions, sensitive employee situations, performance challenges, change initiatives, and talent planning discussions.
• Identify emerging talent, culture, compliance, and organizational risks and provide forward-looking recommendations for proactive decision-making.
• Partner with executive and facility leaders on change management, leadership communications, organizational effectiveness, and adoption of new ways of working across Dexter Upfit.
• Provide strategic direction and tactical oversight for HR support across corporate leadership groups and Upfit facilities, coordinating closely with plant HR teams as needed.
• Monitor and maintain HR policies, procedures, employment practices, and employment records to meet business needs and comply with local, state, and federal laws.
• Develop and recommend policies, procedures, and scalable practices to address plant and business needs not covered within company-wide policies.
• Stay current on employment laws, government reporting requirements, HR best practices, emerging HR technologies, and workforce trends that may impact the organization.
• Advise managers and employees on employee relations, performance management, policy interpretation, workplace expectations, and resolution paths.
• Maintain satisfactory labor relations between management and employees while protecting company interests, rights, and values.
• Participate in or lead complex workforce investigations involving employee complaints, injuries, suspected misconduct, policy concerns, or workplace conflict.
• Coordinate with management and legal counsel on HR-related litigation, investigations, risk exposure, and recommended corrective actions as needed.
• Elevate the salaried performance management process by coaching leaders on goal alignment, performance differentiation, feedback quality, documentation, development planning, and accountability.
• Coordinate merit-based pay increase processes and support compensation decisions that are legally compliant, competitive, equitable, financially sound, and aligned with hiring and retention goals.
• Maintain and manage administration of employee compensation systems and related processes, supporting consistency, competitiveness, and data accuracy.
• Support plant HR partners with recruiting systems, job postings, candidate process questions, and hiring workflow improvements.
• Plan and deliver new hire orientation, compliance training, leader education, and training tied to quality system requirements, business priorities, and employee development needs.
• Develop, implement, and administer training programs that meet plant goals, strengthen leadership capability, and support employee growth.
• Use workforce insights for succession planning, talent reviews, retention strategies, employee development plans, and critical capability building.
• Optimize reporting tools, employee data workflows, document management, and HR process automation across assigned areas using strong technical aptitude.
• Evaluate, pilot, and apply AI-enabled HR tools to improve process efficiency, workforce insights, employee communications, knowledge management, and leader decision support.
• Use HR analytics, dashboards, trend data, and structured reporting to identify workforce patterns, anticipate risks, measure HR effectiveness, and recommend data-informed action plans.
• Maintain accurate HR systems and records including personnel, compensation, benefits, performance, training, compliance, and employee relations documentation.
• Recommend practical improvements that increase HR efficiency, consistency, scalability, employee experience, and service quality across corporate and operational environments.
• Lead assigned HR projects, executive communications, change initiatives, exit interview processes, HR reporting requests, and cross-functional deliverables with ownership and follow-through.
• Ensure adherence to effective Workers' Compensation administration practices and partner with appropriate stakeholders for timely case management and compliance.
• Provide backup support to HR team members when needed and model collaborative, solution-oriented partnership across HR.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Development, or a related field; equivalent experience considered.
• 10+ years of progressive HR experience as a generalist, HR business partner, HR manager, or similar role; preferably multi-site with manufacturing, distribution, or operational environments.
• Proven success advising executive and senior leaders on complex employee relations, workforce strategy, organizational effectiveness, performance management, and talent decisions.
• Advanced working knowledge of employment compliance, employee relations, performance management, labor relations, HR administration, compensation support, and HR operations.
• Strong technical aptitude with HRIS/HCM, ATS, HR reporting, collaboration tools, and Microsoft Office; ability to quickly learn new systems.
• Working understanding of AI-enabled tools, HR analytics, digital transformation, and responsible technology adoption in HR environments.
• Experience training managers and employees on expectations, policies, processes, compliance requirements, and leadership practices.
• Strong business acumen connecting people strategies to operational, financial, cultural, and organizational outcomes.
• Sound judgment and discretion for handling sensitive information professionally and confidentially.
• Strong communication, organization, critical thinking, facilitation, influence, change leadership, and follow-through skills.
• Ability to support multi-site operations and partner across corporate, plant, and cross-functional teams.

Technologies

• HRIS
• HCM
• ATS
• HR analytics
• Dashboards
• AI-enabled HR tools
• Microsoft Office

Benefits

• Competitive wage
• Full benefits package including Health, Dental, Vision, Life, STD, LTD, FSA, HSA
• 3% profit sharing in the Safe Harbor program
• 401(k) Plan with company contributions
• Paid Holidays and paid time off
• Internal career development and growth opportunities

Preferred Qualifications

• SHRM-SCP, SPHR, PHR, SHRM-CP, or related HR certification
• Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related discipline
• Experience with HR technology platforms, dashboards, process automation, AI-enabled productivity tools, or workforce analytics solutions
• Experience supporting executive leadership in a manufacturing, industrial, operations, or multi-site business environment
• Change management, organizational design, Lean, Six Sigma, continuous improvement, or project management experience

Location: Elkhart, IN (onsite)