Position Summary

The Senior Engagement Manager is responsible for developing and executing engagement strategies that support a high-performing, safety-focused, and inclusive culture across multiple manufacturing sites. This role partners closely with plant leadership, HRBP’s, and corporate teams to enhance the employee experience for both frontline and salaried team members, with a strong focus on training and development, onboarding, retention, engagement and employee programs, internal communications strategy, and operational alignment.

This position requires a hands-on, field-oriented leader who can effectively influence across geographically dispersed teams and drive consistent engagement practices at scale.

Key Responsibilities

Multi-Site Engagement Strategy

Develop and implement a scalable engagement strategy across multiple manufacturing plants and headquarters
Ensure alignment between corporate culture initiatives and plant-level execution
Tailor engagement approaches to meet the needs of diverse hourly and salaried populations

Onboarding Experience & New Hire Engagement

Design and continuously improve a best-in-class onboarding program for both frontline and salaried employees across all sites
Partner with HR, Operations, and Training teams to ensure a consistent yet locally relevant onboarding experience
Establish standardized onboarding milestones (e.g., Day 1, 30/60/90-day check-ins)
Develop tools and resources for managers to effectively onboard and integrate new hires
Monitor onboarding effectiveness through metrics such as:

New hire retention (30/60/90 days)
New hire engagement feedback

Conduct new hire listening sessions and feedback loops to continuously improve the onboarding experience
Ensure onboarding reinforces safety, quality standards, compliance and company culture from day one

Plant Partnership & Field Presence

Partner directly with Plant Managers, Operations Leaders, and HR Business Partners to drive engagement at the site level
Conduct regular site visits to build relationships, assess engagement, and support local initiatives
Act as a trusted advisor to plant leadership on workforce sentiment, onboarding effectiveness, and culture

Frontline Workforce Engagement

Design programs that effectively reach hourly team members (e.g., shift-based communications, recognition programs, onboarding programs, listening sessions)
Improve onboarding and early tenure experience to reduce turnover in high-churn roles
Support initiatives that enhance safety culture, inclusion, and employee morale

Employee Listening & Insights

Lead engagement surveys, pulse checks, onboarding surveys, and focus groups across locations
Analyze turnover trends and identify root causes, developing targeted strategies to improve retention and employee engagement
Analyze data by plant, function, tenure, and demographic to identify trends and risks
Develop actionable recommendations and partner with leaders on implementation

Program Development & Execution

Build and manage engagement programs such as:

Recognition and rewards programs
Communication frameworks for plant teams
Onboarding toolkits and manager guides
Culture and values activation initiatives

Ensure programs are practical, accessible, and effective in a manufacturing environment

Change Management & Communication

Support major business initiatives (e.g., expansion, automation, restructuring) with targeted engagement and communication strategies

Qualifications

Required:

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Development, or related field
7–10+ years of experience in employee engagement, HR, organizational development, or related function
Experience supporting multi-site or manufacturing environments
Demonstrated experience designing or improving onboarding or new hire experience programs
Proven ability to influence leaders and drive initiatives across dispersed teams
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

Preferred:

Experience in food manufacturing or similar production environments
Bilingual capabilities (e.g., Spanish) to support diverse frontline populations
Familiarity with engagement and survey tools (e.g., Culture Amp, Qualtrics)
HR certification (e.g., SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP)

Key Competencies

Strong business and operational acumen
Ability to connect with and influence frontline employees and plant leadership
Expertise in onboarding and early employee lifecycle experience
Data-driven decision making
Program management and execution at scale
Change leadership in fast-paced environments
Excellent communication across all levels of the organization

Work Environment & Expectations

Frequent travel (up to 25%) to manufacturing sites
Regular presence with all employees and all locations (including varying shifts and locations as needed)
Ability to work in environments with varying temperatures, noise levels, and PPE requirements

Calbee North America is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, citizenship, ancestry, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or familial status or any other legally protected status.