Human Resource Generalist

Description

Dairy One Cooperative is a national leader in agricultural services including dairy herd improvement (DHI), agronomy consulting and compliance, on-farm technologies, and laboratory services in milk, animal forage, and soils. We believe in farming and are driven by innovative, empowered, and creative teamwork, and build solutions that solve agri-business challenges.

Headquartered in Ithaca, NY, and with operations nationwide, we are a 501(5) not-for-profit cooperative owned by approximately 2,000 farmers and our 260 employees have been driving profit-enhancing decisions in the agricultural sector for 76 years.

The HR Generalist is responsible for managing a wide range of HR functions, including employee relations, compliance, performance management, recruitment, employee development, payroll and benefits administration. This role ensures that HR processes are efficiently executed, that employees have a positive experience, and that the organization is compliant with all applicable labor laws. The HR Generalist also plays an active role in recognizing areas for improvement and leading initiatives to enhance HR operations and employee engagement.  This role should be able to thrive in supporting a disruptive and evolving environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Employee Relations: Serve as the primary contact for employee concerns and conflicts, advise managers on performance issues, and conduct investigations to resolve complaints fairly and consistently. Ensure all HR policies are communicated to employees and adhered to by teams. Assist employees with benefits such as enrolling in dental, vision, and medical insurance plans, and overseeing/ approving leave requests, including FMLA, Paid Family Leave, disability, etc.

• Compliance & Policy Implementation: Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations, including audits. Stay up to date on employment law changes and maintain up-to-date company policies.
• Performance Management: Use performance management tools to guide and provide feedback to teams, assist with performance improvement plans (PIPs), and performance reviews. Foster a culture of feedback and continuous development.
• Recruitment & Staffing: Collaborate with hiring managers to assess staffing needs, manage recruitment processes, and align HR strategies with business objectives.
• Payroll processing: Oversee semi-monthly and biweekly payroll for all company entities. This includes collecting, verifying, and processing employee data, ensuring compliance with tax and labor regulations, troubleshooting discrepancies, and collaborating with managers to maintain accurate records of time tracking, PTO balances, and direct deposits. You will also generate payroll reports and support accounting with payroll-related inquiries.
• Training & Development: Assist in developing and delivering training programs, identify training gaps, and track employee progress. Assist in designing and implementing employee retention strategies.
• Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities to enhance HR processes, systems, and policies to improve efficiency and employee experience.
• Safety & Compliance Support: Implement safety policies, support accident investigations, and collaborate with safety team to improve workplace safety across departments.
• These are typical duties and are not to be considered inclusive of all duties, which may be assigned.

Why Join Us:

At Dairy One we are purpose-driven and provide a diverse array of services.  We offer a collaborative work environment where you will have the opportunity to contribute to innovative projects, work on process optimization, and play a key role in meeting customer needs. We provide competitive compensation, benefits, and opportunities for professional development.

What We Offer:

• 401(k) with employer match
• Dental insurance
• Life insurance
• Medical insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Health savings account
• Paid time off
• Employee assistance program

The candidate must be able to legally work in the United States; we are unable to provide sponsorship. Position requires candidate to be a U.S. person as defined in ITAR, 22 CFR 120.15 (U.S. Citizenship or Resident Alien Status) and defined by 8 U.S.C. 1101(a) (20).
Dairy One Cooperative is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, protected veteran status or disability status.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $60,000-$70,000 Annually

Expected hours: 40 per week

Ability to Commute: Ithaca, NY 14850 (Required)

Work Location: In person, Ithaca, NY

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources preferred.
• 4-6 years of experience as an HR Generalist or in a similar HR role, with strong experience in employee relations, compliance, performance management, and recruitment.
• SHRM-SCP, SHRM-CP, PHR/HRCI certification preferred.
• In-depth knowledge of labor laws and HR best practices.
• Demonstrated experience in managing employee performance, resolving conflicts, and driving HR projects.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to professionally communicate with all levels of the organization.
• Proficiency in HRIS platforms (Currently Paycom), Microsoft Office Suite, and the ability to quickly learn new computer applications.
• Strong analytical skills with a proactive mindset for identifying areas for process improvement and leading initiatives to enhance HR operations.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive employee information.

Salary : $60,000 - $70,000