Corporate HR Manager

Challenge Manufacturing · Walker

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Who We Are: Challenge Manufacturing’s mission is to manufacture with operational excellence by empowering our employee-owners. As a leading tier 1 supplier of complex metal assemblies for the global automotive industry, we drive innovative solutions for future mobility. We believe the best ideas come from individual unique perspectives. These ideas combined with the teamwork of industry leaders allow us to accomplish any challenge. Our team members take pride in the work we do and embody our core values of safety, ownership, and teamwork every day; they are the true driving force in our operations.

Challenge is proud to be one of the largest employee-owned automotive companies in North America. One of the many benefits of joining the Challenge team is the ESOP program. This program allows Challenge to give shares of the Company to all employee-owners annually. These shares are an additional retirement benefit that will continue to grow during your time at Challenge. Being part of an ESOP means our employee-owners share in Challenge’s success!

Challenge is #QualityDriven and #PeoplePowered!

Who We Want:

The Human Resources Manager serves as a strategic HR business partner supporting the Company's Corporate salaried employee population. This role is responsible for delivering human resources programs and services that drive employee engagement, organizational effectiveness, talent development, and compliance across corporate functions. The HR Manager partners closely with leaders and employees to provide guidance on employee relations, performance management, workforce planning, talent acquisition, compensation, policy interpretation, and organizational change initiatives.

The ideal candidate will be a proactive, customer-focused HR professional with strong business acumen, exceptional relationship-building skills, and advanced Workday HRIS expertise. They will be passionate about enhancing the employee experience, leveraging data to drive decisions, and serving as a trusted advisor to leaders and employees throughout the organization.

What You'll Do:

• Serve as the primary Human Resources business partner for assigned corporate salaried employee groups, providing consultation and guidance on employee relations, performance management, talent development, workforce planning, and organizational effectiveness initiatives.
• Partner with corporate leaders to understand business objectives, workforce needs, and organizational challenges while developing HR strategies that support business goals and employee engagement.
• Manage employee relations matters by conducting investigations, resolving workplace concerns, providing coaching to managers, documenting findings, and ensuring consistent application of company policies and practices.
• Advise leaders on performance management processes, including performance improvement plans, coaching conversations, talent assessments, succession planning, and employee development opportunities.
• Support full-cycle salaried recruitment activities in partnership with Talent Acquisition, including workforce planning, interview participation, selection decisions, onboarding, internal mobility, and retention strategies.
• Act as a subject matter expert for Workday Human Capital Management (HCM) processes, including employee data management, organizational changes, job changes, compensation actions, reporting, security roles, and business process transactions.
• Utilize Workday reporting and analytics to identify workforce trends, monitor key HR metrics, support decision-making, and provide recommendations to leadership.
• Partner with Compensation, Benefits, Payroll, Talent Acquisition, and Learning & Development teams to ensure seamless delivery of HR services and consistent employee experiences.
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local employment laws as well as company policies and procedures.
• Maintain HR records, documentation, and employee files in accordance with company standards and regulatory requirements.
• Support organizational change initiatives, restructures, policy implementations, and communication efforts across corporate departments.
• Participate in leadership meetings and business reviews, providing an HR perspective on business decisions and workforce implications.
• Assist with annual HR programs and processes including performance reviews, compensation planning, succession planning, employee engagement initiatives, and talent reviews.
• Respond to employee and manager inquiries with a high level of professionalism, confidentiality, accuracy, and urgency.

When and Where:

This will be an 8AM-5PM M-F position located at our Corporate Office in Walker, MI. 

What You Must Have:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or related field required.
• 5+ years of progressive Human Resources experience supporting salaried employee populations.
• Minimum 2+ years of hands-on Workday HRIS/HCM experience, including business processes, reporting, data management, and organizational transactions.
• Experience partnering directly with business leaders in a Human Resources Business Partner, HR Generalist, or HR Manager capacity.
• Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws and Human Resources best practices.
• Understands the "big picture" impact of business decisions and can align Human Resources strategies with organizational objectives.
• Demonstrates strong analytical skills and the ability to leverage HR data, metrics, and Workday reporting to drive informed decision-making.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to effectively communicate at all levels of the organization.
• Uses sound judgment, discretion, and objectivity when managing sensitive employee matters and business challenges.
• Demonstrated expertise in employee relations, talent management, organizational development, compensation, performance management, and workforce planning.
• Builds credibility and trust through professionalism, integrity, confidentiality, and consistent follow-through.
• Maintains positive working relationships by constructively resolving conflicts and fostering collaboration.
• Uses feedback and continuous learning opportunities to improve performance and strengthen business partnerships.
• Works with a sense of urgency and responsiveness to meet the needs of employees, leaders, and business partners.
• Embraces change and ambiguity while helping leaders and employees successfully navigate organizational transformation.
• Is thorough, detail-oriented, accurate, and reliable when completing responsibilities and managing confidential information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Manufacturing or automotive industry experience preferred.

• Experience supporting corporate functions such as Finance, IT, Engineering, Operations Support, Supply Chain, or Administrative departments preferred.

• Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or related field preferred.

• Professional HR certification such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR preferred.

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