Crucial Hire is hiring: HR Manager in Wheeling

HR Manager – Multi‑Site Manufacturing (Hybrid)

Northbrook / Wheeling Corridor • $90K–$120K + 10% Bonus • Succession Path to HR Director

About the Company

This is a growing, nearly $1B manufacturing and distribution company that hits the sweet spot:

big enough for resources and scale, small enough for your voice to matter.

They operate as a 600‑employee enterprise with a sharp, high‑performance corporate headquarters. HR has a seat at the table here — not on the sidelines.

The company has recently brought key manufacturing operations in‑house, strengthening quality, culture, and leadership consistency across sites. They’re scaling fast and investing in people, structure, and the next generation of leadership.

You’ll report to a veteran VP of HR with 10 years in the organization, known for developing talent and creating real upward mobility. There’s a 12–24 month runway to the HR Director role open for the right high‑potential leader with proven success. Someone hungry to be a bigger fish in a more agile, entrepreneurial environment.

If you prefer HR that feels like business, not bureaucracy, this is the lane.

About the Role

The HR Manager – Multi‑Site Manufacturing is a strategic and operational HR partner supporting facilities across IL, MN, MI, LA, IA and CA (up to 30% travel). You’ll lead core HR functions, partner closely with plant leadership, and build scalable people processes during a period of real growth and modernization.

This is not a back‑office role — it’s hands‑on, people‑facing, and central to the company’s leadership evolution.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead HR support for multiple manufacturing sites across IL, MN, MI, LA, IA and CA
• Serve as the primary HR partner to plant leadership and operations teams
• Manage employee relations, investigations, and coaching with a commercial mindset
• Lead the full performance management lifecycle (goal setting → calibration → development)
• Drive workforce engagement, retention strategy, and leadership development
• Navigate both union and non‑union environments
• Mentor and guide early‑career HR talent (direct report + future expansion)
• Build and refine scalable HR systems, processes, and metrics
• Support corporate HR initiatives and adapt them to plant‑level realities
• Partner with the VP of HR and HR Director on org design and succession planning

Qualifications

• 7+ years of HR experience in manufacturing, distribution, or industrial operations
• Experience supporting multi‑site or plant‑based workforces
• Strong background in employee relations, coaching, and leadership support
• Comfort working in environments where HR is evolving, modernizing, and scaling
• Ability to build structure without slowing down the business
• Strong analytical, KPI‑driven approach to performance and people strategy
• Union experience a plus
• Bilingual English/Spanish a plus
• Willingness to travel up to 30%

What Makes You a Fit

• A high‑potential HR leader ready for more scope and influence
• Someone who can influence up, down, and across an operations‑heavy organization
• Comfortable with ambiguity and excited to build structure
• Naturally commercial — you think in terms of impact, outcomes, and the business story
• Motivated by being a bigger fish in a tight, collaborative, growth‑minded environment

Why People Stay

• True hybrid schedule (Tue–Thu onsite)
• Strong leadership from a VP of HR who grows people
• Stable, profitable company with serious momentum
• Resources of a $1B business + agility of a 600‑person organization
• Direct succession path to HR Director
• High‑impact role with visibility across operations and corporate

If you’re a forward‑thinking HR leader looking for a role with real runway — not lip service — let’s talk confidentially. Please email zach@crucialhire.com: "HR Manager (multi‑site) 1017" for fastest results.