Job Title: HR Business Partner

Job Location: Salinas, CA

Salary Range: $67,000 – $80,000

To Apply: Send resumes to Careers@vilmorinmikado.com

The fourth-largest seed company in the world. Limagrain is an international cooperative group created and directed by French farmers. As a creator and producer of plant varieties, Limagrain markets field seeds, vegetable seeds, and cereal products.

Vilmorin-Mikado USA, Inc. is the Business Unit of Group Limagrain, a socially conscious company headquartered in France and Japan; that specializes in breeding, producing, and marketing vegetable and tree seeds for professional farmers worldwide. The diversity within our multicultural teams drives the company’s growth strategy through quality products, expertise, and commitment to excellence. Vilmorin-Mikado USA, Inc., is the North American operation of Vilmorin-Mikado and is the reporting location for this position. This position reports to the Subsidiary Manager.

Position Summary:

The HR Business Partner for the United States is a strategic and hands-on role responsible for providing full-cycle human resources support to the US operations. This position requires a highly experienced and specialist-level professional capable of managing all aspects of HR functions with an initial focus on Payroll and evolving into a strong emphasis on Organizational Development (OD).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Compensation & Benefits:

• Communication with managers to approve timecards, missed punches, meal penalties, time-off requests, and absences due to sickness, vacation, or holidays.
• Serve as a liaison with sister company Benefits team and provide overviews to new hires.
• Ensure employee records are updated for changes in withholding exemptions and deductions.
• Prepare and review the pre-process payroll register to ensure payroll is submitted accurately before approved by the manager.
• Prepare journal entries for payroll, payroll taxes, garnishments, or other withholdings as well as accruals and reversals to accurately reflect payroll activities in the correct fiscal period.
• Prepare and validate 401k contributions, employer matching, retirement supplements, and correct payment application and submittal to the 401k administrator.
• Prepare and submit reports to the benefits administrator for payroll to ensure accurate participation and billing of 401k, FSA/Dependent Care, medical, dental, vision, and voluntary deductions.
• Monitor and maintain accurate records for the Personal Use of Company Car (PUCC) program for company vehicles including annual and ongoing updating of Vehicle Lease Values and associated payroll deductions.
• Maintain employee payroll records to accurately reflect pay rates, federal and state withholding rates, deductions, and when employees become eligible to participate in the 401k, retirement supplement, vacation, and sick pay (Including management of leave absence).
• Ensure sales commissions are correct and included in the mid-month pay cycle.
• Prepare out-of-cycle manual termination checks, and variable pays, such as profit-sharing, and executive bonuses when necessary and ensure information is accurately reported to the payroll company and entered in the general ledger.
• Prepare payroll reports as needed for management, government agencies, and employees as needed.
• Manage the leave of absence program after a claim is filed.
• Other duties as assigned by Subsidiary Manager.

Organizational Development:

• Lead comprehensive OD initiatives focused on creating a robust organizational culture that supports employee retention, engagement, and development. Initiatives include:
• Coaching: Implement coaching programs to support individual and team development, enhancing leadership skills across all levels of the organization.
• Leadership Development: Develop and execute leadership training programs to cultivate a strong leadership pipeline, preparing individuals for future leadership roles.
• Onboarding: Harmonize the existing standards and manage an effective onboarding process that ensures new hires are successfully integrated into the company culture and equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to perform their roles.
• Training Plan: Develop a strategic training plan that addresses both immediate and future skill requirements, ensuring employees have opportunities for continual learning and growth.
• Performance Evaluation Systems: Implement and maintain comprehensive performance appraisal and people review systems to regularly assess employee performance, identify areas for improvement, and recognize outstanding contributions.

Recruitment & Talent Acquisition:

• Oversee the full lifecycle of recruitment, from job posting and candidate sourcing to interviewing, offer negotiation, and onboarding. Ensure the recruitment process is efficient, effective, and aligned with the organization’s strategic goals.
• Evaluate candidate qualifications including job experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, education, and training to ensure the best fit for the role.
• Write, review, and post engaging job descriptions to attract high-quality candidates. Utilize various recruitment strategies and platforms to maximize reach.
• Conduct candidate screenings and interviews, collaborating with hiring managers to assess needs and candidate fit throughout the recruitment process.
• Support and enhance Internship Programs through active recruitment and engagement of interns, fostering a pipeline of future talent.

Employee Relations:

• Work as the primary contact for all ER matters, emphasizing conflict resolution, query resolution, and acting as a liaison with legal and policy adherence.
• Manage investigations confidentially and efficiently, ensuring employee privacy and protection of sensitive information.
• Collaborate with managers to address ER issues, including coaching, corrective action, conflict resolution, and performance management.
• Partner with the company’s General Counsel and outside employment attorneys to ensure compliance with US policies and regulations.

HRIS, HR Analytics, KPIs & Reporting:

• HRIS Management: Oversee the implementation, utilization, and maintenance of the HRIS to ensure it meets the company’s HR management needs efficiently.
• Act as the primary liaison between HR and IT departments to ensure the HRIS is effectively integrated with other company systems and that data integrity is maintained.
• HR Analytics: Utilize HRIS and other data sources to perform in-depth HR analytics, providing insights into workforce trends, productivity, and HR process efficiency.
• Develop and implement analytics models to predict and improve employee performance, retention rates, and hiring success.
• KPIs & Reporting: Develop and monitor KPIs for the HR function that aligns with the BU and group directives, ensuring that HR strategies contribute to achieving business objectives.
• Prepare and present regular reports on HR metrics to senior management, providing a clear view of HR’s impact on the business and identifying areas for strategic improvement.
• Alignment with Business Objectives: Ensure all HRIS, HR Analytics, and KPI initiatives are aligned with the strategic goals of the BU and the larger group, facilitating decision-making and strategy formulation.
• Work closely with leadership to interpret HR data and analytics, advising on strategic decisions and HR policy development based on empirical evidence.

*Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a related field
• 3 years experience in HR Organizational development preferred.
• Computer skills (MS Office Suite, Internet, E-mail)
• Knowledge of payroll systems is a plus.
• Spanish language skills a plus.