Sr. HR Generalist | Primient

About Primient

Primient is a century old company with an entrepreneurial spirit. We are a leading producer of food and industrial ingredients made from plant-based, renewable sources. We deliver value through deep technical, commercial, and operational excellence that is backed by our long-standing corn wet milling heritage. Wherever we are in the process, from field to customer, our priorities are focused on ensuring we produce the safest, highest quality products through practices that uphold both our responsibility and commitments to the challenge and drive for excellence, our people and our planet. We are a privately held company with locations across the US, Mexico, Poland, and Brazil. We’re investing in our plants and people to unlock our potential in the industrial and food sectors. Guided by our values of Safety, Excellence, Integrity, and Growth, we’re focused on growing our business, our reputation, and the career of every teammate.

About the Role

We are seeking a dynamic and capable Sr. HR Generalist to join our team. Reporting to the local HR Business Partner, this position will be based at our Decatur, IL site.  This exciting and challenging role will require you to use your HR knowledge and experience to shape our people strategy, implement HR processes and initiatives, manage employee relations, and provide support to managers on all HR matters, including employee relations, employee engagement, performance management, recruitment and selection, onboarding, and facilitating learning and development.

 

Key Responsibilities: Sr. HR Generalist

On‑Site HR & Labor Relations Support

• Provide daily, on‑site HR support to employees, supervisors, and plant leadership in a unionized manufacturing environment, ensuring consistent application of HR policies, labor agreements, and company standards.
• Partner closely with the HR Business Partner on labor relations strategy, contract administration, and issue resolution, escalating complex or sensitive matters as appropriate.
• Serve as a visible and accessible HR resource on the plant floor, building trust with both hourly and salaried employees.

Employee & Labor Relations

• Support the interpretation, application, and administration of collective bargaining agreements, ensuring consistency and adherence to contract language.
• Participate in employee relations and labor matters, including investigations, grievance support, and preparation of documentation for disciplinary actions, in alignment with established labor relations practices.
• Assist supervisors in managing attendance, conduct, and performance issues in a manner that is compliant with labor agreements and company policy.

Performance Management & Leader Coaching

• Coach supervisors and managers on effective performance management, including setting expectations, providing feedback, progressive discipline, and documentation in a union environment.
• Reinforce the importance of consistency, non‑retaliation, and due process in all people‑related decisions.

Talent & Workforce Support

• Support HRBP‑led workforce planning, talent acquisition, and retention efforts by executing local plant activities and providing operational insights related to hourly workforce needs.

• Co‑lead local recruiting efforts for hourly and salaried roles in partnership with the Global Talent Acquisition team, ensuring fair, consistent hiring practices and a positive candidate experience.
• Support onboarding and integration of new hires, reinforcing safety, expectations, and plant culture from day one.

Training, Compliance & Change Management

• Support facilitation of training for supervisors and employees on HR policies, labor relations fundamentals, workplace conduct, performance management, and compliance topics.
• Support change management initiatives by helping communicate, implement, and reinforce organizational or operational changes in alignment with labor agreements and HRBP guidance.
• Promote understanding of leadership responsibilities in a unionized environment, including effective employee communication and issue escalation.

Data, Engagement & Culture

• Monitor HR metrics such as turnover, absenteeism, discipline trends, and engagement indicators; share insights with the HR Business Partner to support data‑driven decisions.
• Work proactively with plant leadership to identify opportunities to enhance employee engagement, communication, and labor‑management collaboration.
• Act as an on‑site culture and