Human resources director Jobs in New Haven, CT

Human Resources Business Partner

Centuri Group is comprised of a family of companies that make up a utility infrastructure enterprise, operating throughout the US and Canada, safely delivering gas, electric and utility services to our customers and the community. We help you build your career on Solid Ground by investing in your development and valuing your unique skills, perspective, and background. Employees are the lifeblood of our organization, and we're committed to providing a stable foundation to continuously grow and thrive. We've got work for the next 100 years - All we need is you!

As a Human Resources Business Partner, you will serve as a trusted advisor to operational leaders, support departments, supervisors, and employees across union and non-union environments. You will bring a strategic mindset, sound HR judgment, and a strong focus on compliance and HR best practices to help leaders make effective people decisions that support business objectives. This role requires someone who can build strong relationships while maintaining an independent HR perspective. You should be comfortable providing candid counsel, identifying risk, and professionally challenging or pushing back when necessary to ensure decisions are fair, consistent, compliant, and aligned with company practices.

This is a highly people-facing role based in Berlin, Connecticut, initially requiring an in-office presence five days per week. Following successful training and acclimation, flexibility for remote work up to two days per week may be available based on business needs. Occasional travel to Springfield, Massachusetts, and Woodbridge, Connecticut is required to support employee relations, onboarding, New Hire Orientation, and other workforce needs. You will report to the Regional HR Manager.

What You'll Do:

• Serve as a trusted HR advisor to assigned operational teams and support departments, developing a strong understanding of business priorities and workforce needs.
• Counsel and coach leaders on employee relations, performance management, policy interpretation, organizational change, and other people matters.
• Influence and appropriately challenge leaders when proposed decisions may create compliance, employee-relations, consistency, or organizational risk.
• Promote consistent application of company policies, collective bargaining requirements, employment laws, and HR best practices.
• Manage employee-relations matters from intake through resolution, including workplace investigations, documentation, risk assessment, and recommended actions.
• Build productive relationships with employees, management, and union representatives and serve as an effective liaison when workplace matters arise.
• Partner with Operations and Talent Acquisition on workforce planning, recruiting, candidate selection, and current and future staffing needs.
• Build relationships with technical schools, trade organizations, military organizations, and other strategic talent sources.
• Lead New Hire Orientation and support effective employee onboarding.
• Coach leaders on performance management, corrective action, documentation, and other management practices.
• Facilitate HR and management training and support organizational change initiatives.
• Analyze workforce data and trendsincluding turnover, retention, staffing, hiring sources, and time to fillto identify risks and recommend improvements.
• Maintain accurate HRIS records, personnel documentation, and employee-relations case records.
• Coordinate leaves of absence, return-to-work activities, unemployment claims, and employee benefits support.
• Maintain a visible presence with the workforce and proactively identify opportunities for HR support.
• Travel periodically to Springfield, Massachusetts, and Woodbridge, Connecticut, to support employee relations, onboarding, and other HR needs.
• Perform other responsibilities and HR initiatives as assigned.

What You'll Have:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.
• 35 years of progressive HR experience, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• HR Generalist or HR Business Partner experience supporting leaders and employees in a fast-paced operational environment.
• Union and/or labor-relations experience preferred.
• Working knowledge of employment laws, HR compliance, employee relations, and core HR disciplines.
• Demonstrated ability to assess risk, exercise sound judgment, and provide practical HR recommendations.
• Confidence to influence without authority, deliver difficult messages, and appropriately challenge leaders when needed.
• Strong employee-relations, investigation, consultation, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to balance employee needs, compliance requirements, and operational business priorities.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to build credibility at all levels.
• Experience with HR systems; SAP and/or SuccessFactors knowledge is beneficial.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, work through ambiguity, and exercise appropriate independent judgment.
• High degree of professionalism, discretion, integrity, and confidentiality.

What You'll Get:

• Benefit package including Medical, Dental and Vision Coverage
• 401K w/ Company Match
• Voluntary Life & AD&D Insurance and Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
• Vacation/Sick Time and Paid Holidays
• Potential Bonus Opportunities
• Career Development Opportunities
• Employee Discounts
• Weekly Payroll
• Position is based in Berlin, Connecticut and initially requires five days per week in the office. Following successful training and acclimation, remote work up to two days per week may be available based on business needs. Occasional travel to Springfield, Massachusetts, and Woodbridge, Connecticut is required.
• Work is primarily performed in an office environment with periodic presence in warehouse, field, and construction-site environments. Flexibility in work schedule may occasionally be required to address employee or operational needs. Mobility is required within office, warehouse, and construction-site environments, with the ability to occasionally lift up to 20 pounds.

Legal Stuff:

• Pass pre-employment, random, post-accident, and reasonable suspicion drug screens
• Provide valid US work authorization documents for E-Verify
• Satisfactory results of pre-employment background check results

Our Commitment to Opportunity:

This job description is subject to change at any time. It reflects management's assignment of essential functions, and does not exclude or restrict the tasks that may be assigned. Centuri and its subsidiary companies will provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants without regard to an applicant's race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other status protected by federal, state or local law. Centuri will provide reasonable accommodations to allow an applicant to participate in the hiring process (e.g., accommodations for a test or job interview) if so requested. Don't meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Centuri Group and our subsidiaries we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles!