Manager HRBP West Hershey

Job Location: Hershey, PA

Summary:

The West Hershey Manufacturing Plant is a union‑represented, high‑speed manufacturing environment producing iconic Hershey products including Kisses, Nuggets, Bars, Rolo, Syrup, and Cookies ’n’ Creme. The site operates in a complex, 24/7 environment with a strong emphasis on safety, quality, productivity, and employee relations.

The HR Manager is a senior site‑based HR leader responsible for employee relations, labor relations execution, and frontline leadership effectiveness in a union‑represented, 24/7 manufacturing environment. This role serves as a trusted advisor to plant leadership and union partners, ensures consistent application of the collective bargaining agreement and company policy, and leads HR execution on the production floor. 

The ideal candidate brings strong ER/LR judgment, visible floor presence, and proven people leadership, with the ability to manage complexity, ambiguity, and pace in a high‑accountability environment. 

Main Responsibilities:

Employee & Labor Relations Leadership 

• Lead day‑to‑day employee relations across the plant, ensuring fair, consistent, and timely issue resolution. 

• Conduct and oversee investigations involving performance, conduct, policy violations, complaints, and grievances. 

• Serve as a primary HR contact for union leadership; participate in grievance handling and labor‑management discussions. 

• Interpret and apply the collective bargaining agreement and company policies with confidence and consistency. 

• Influence leaders to address issues early, directly, and in alignment with company values. 

HR Team Leadership 

• Lead, coach, and develop two HR direct reports; set clear expectations, build capability, and ensure strong execution. 

• Maintain visible HR presence across shifts, supporting supervisors and employees on the floor. 

• Ensure HR work is prioritized, high‑quality, and aligned with site and business needs. 

Workforce, Hiring & Engagement 

• Oversee hourly hiring and onboarding in partnership with operations and recruiting, ensuring staffing readiness. 

• Monitor probationary performance, separations, turnover trends, and engagement indicators to drive action. 

• Support culture, engagement, and inclusion initiatives that strengthen trust, accountability, and respect. 

Case Management & Compliance 

• Partner with internal support teams on complex leave, ADA, and accommodation cases. 

• Support workers’ compensation case management and return‑to‑work planning. 

• Ensure compliance with employment laws, EEO requirements, and audit‑ready documentation. 

• Use HR data and systems to identify trends, assess risk, and inform decisions. 

Minimum knowledge, skills, education, and experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field, or equivalent experience. 

• 5+ years of progressive HR experience, including significant employee relations responsibility. 

• Direct experience supporting a unionized manufacturing environment strongly preferred. 

• Proven ability to lead and develop HR staff and influence frontline and senior leaders. 

• Strong judgment, professionalism, and confidence handling sensitive ER/LR matters. 

• Demonstrated floor presence and comfort operating in fast‑paced, production environments. 

The Hershey Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The policy of The Hershey Company is to extend opportunities to qualified applicants and employees on an equal basis regardless of an individual's race, color, gender, age, national origin, religion, citizenship status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other categories protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.
 
The Hershey Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Minority/Female/Disabled/Protected Veterans.  

You may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our online application process as a result of a disability.
You can request an accommodation via phone or email.  

To request an accommodation via phone, please call +1 877-804-1794 and leave a voicemail with your contact information.  You may also email a request for accommodation to ApplicationHelp@hersheys.com. Please be sure to include “Accommodation Needed” in the subject line. This will ensure that your email is routed to the appropriate contact who will handle your request.