HR Generalist - Cleveland, OH

Overview

Be the face of HR on the plant floor. North Coast Container is looking for an on-site HR Generalist in Cleveland who will own the employee experience at our Cleveland, OH and Charlotte, NC plants, from the first interview to the first-day welcome and every milestone after. If you like being close to the work, partnering with supervisors, and working with both union and non-union teams, this role puts you at the center of it.

• Location: Cleveland, OH (on-site, two plants)
• Department: Human Resources
• Reports to: Director of HR

About North Coast Container. We are the largest independent steel drum manufacturer in North America. We operate manufacturing plants in Cleveland, Charlotte, Chicago, Portland and Los Angeles. Our HR team is the day-to-day partner for the employees, supervisors and plant managers who keep those plants running.

Position Summary

The HR Generalist is the dedicated, on-site HR owner for our Cleveland and Charlotte plants: one union and one non-union. You will be the day-to-day HR resource for employees and supervisors, own recruiting and onboarding for both locations, administer leave and benefits enrollment, and keep employment records compliant and audit-ready.

Because the role spans a unionized and a non-union workforce, you will apply collective bargaining agreement (CBA) provisions at one plant and company policy at the other, and keep the two approaches clearly separate. You will partner closely with the Director of HR on complex employee relations matters and company-wide initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Employee Relations and Business Partnership

• Serve as the primary HR resource for employees and supervisors on non-complex workplace concerns, policy interpretation and routine employee matters
• Act as a business partner to supervisors and plant managers at both plants
• Conduct fact-finding and documentation for employee relations investigations, giving the Director of HR the information needed to resolve complex matters

Labor Relations and Union Support

• Review disciplinary actions and attendance records at both plants, applying CBA provisions at the union plant and company policy at the non-union plant
• Monitor contractual deadlines in the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and maintain accurate grievance and disciplinary records for the union plant

Leave and Accommodations

• Administer all leave programs, including FMLA, CFRA and OFL, and issue all legally required notices on time
• Coordinate reasonable accommodation requests with assistance from the Director of HR

Benefits Administration

• Serve as the primary contact for benefit questions and enrollment, primarily enrolling employees upon hire
• Help administer open enrollment alongside the benefits owner

Compliance and Employment Records

• Administer Form I-9 and E-Verify, meeting all mandatory deadlines
• Complete assigned quarterly audits and support compliance audits
• Maintain accurate employment records, resolve compliance deficiencies, and handle HRIS administration and reporting as needed

Talent Acquisition

• Own full-cycle recruitment for both plants, from hiring manager intake through offer, including pre-employment screening
• Build sourcing pipelines through job boards, referrals, trade and technical schools, and community partnerships to reduce reliance on third-party recruiters and agencies
• Track and report time-to-fill and agency usage

Onboarding and Training

• Design and deliver onboarding, including orientation and first-day readiness with supervisors
• Conduct and track 30/60/90-day check-ins, performance reviews and training for all new hires
• Own the cross-training matrices and ensure supervisors and plant managers keep them current from a compliance standpoint
• Support the Director of HR in rolling out company-wide training initiatives, including the new performance management program

Employee Engagement and Retention

• Plan, schedule and execute engagement and retention initiatives, including boot trucks, cookouts, and summer and holiday luncheons
• Conduct stay and exit interviews and process offboarding

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, business or a related field, or equivalent experience
• HR generalist experience, including employee relations, leave administration and benefits enrollment
• Full-cycle recruiting experience, ideally in a manufacturing or industrial environment
• Working knowledge of FMLA, ADA, Form I-9 and E-Verify requirements
• Experience delivering onboarding and training programs
• Accurate, thorough documentation and recordkeeping
• Clear communication with supervisors, plant managers and hourly employees
• Sound judgment and discretion with confidential information

Preferred

• Experience in a unionized environment, including CBA administration and grievance handling
• Manufacturing or industrial experience
• Experience with HRIS platforms such as Paycom
• Familiarity with multi-state leave laws
• Continuous improvement (CI) experience
• PHR, SHRM-CP or similar certification

Work Environment

This is an on-site role in Cleveland. You will have a regular presence at both plants. 

Occasional travel is required, including to our Charlotte plant and to continuous improvement (CI) events.

Equal Opportunity Employer

North Coast Container is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law