---
title: 'Sr. HR Manager / Associate HR Director at Hydrite'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/sr-hr-manager-associate-hr-director-hydrite-brookfield-4z532wv5z74b'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-08'
---

# Sr. HR Manager / Associate HR Director at Hydrite

- **Company:** Hydrite
- **Location:** Brookfield, WI
- **Posted:** 2026-05-13
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/hydritechemicalco/jobs/7922464

## Job description

## WHO WE ARE

We are a company where people matter.

We are family driven.

We are financially strong.

And we are looking for problem-solvers to join our growing team.

## BENEFITS

- Up to 10% Retirement Contribution
- $600 per Year Wellness Incentive
- Two Weeks Starting Paid Time Off
- Medical, Dental, and Vision - Eligible first day of the month following hire date.

JOIN A TOP WORKPLACE - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nlFHnnfvhk

## SR. HR MANAGER/ASSOCIATE HR DIRECTOR

The Associate Director of Human Resources plays a critical leadership role in advancing Hydrite’s people strategy and employee experience across the organization. This position serves as a culture ambassador and trusted advisor, championing a positive, engaging, and compliant work environment that drives retention, performance, and engagement.

The Associate Director provides strategic and hands‑on HR leadership for the corporate office while overseeing HR Managers and Generalists supporting manufacturing operations. This role partners closely with corporate leaders and managers, acts as an extension of the recruiting team, and ensures consistent, high‑quality people practices across the company.

Primary responsibilities include:

People Leadership & Strategic HR Partnership

- Lead, coach, and develop HR Managers and Generalists supporting manufacturing operations, ensuring consistent HR practices and alignment with company values and goals.
- Directly support corporate office leaders and employees, serving as a trusted advisor on employee relations, performance management, and organizational effectiveness.
- Provide leadership and prioritization for the Corporate Office Manager, aligning office operations with broader people and culture initiatives.
- Partner with executive and functional leaders to align people strategies with business objectives.
- Support HR Strat planning process

Employee Relations & Employee Experience

- Champion a positive, inclusive work environment and proactively address employee relations matters across corporate and manufacturing operations.
- Guide managers through performance management, disciplinary actions, and corrective action processes, ensuring consistency and appropriate documentation.
- Lead or oversee investigations, performance improvement plans, and complex employee relations issues; partner with legal counsel as needed.
- Lead employee experience initiatives, including engagement surveys, exit interviews, recognition programs, and action planning aimed at improving engagement and retention.

Talent Acquisition & Internal Mobility

- Support sourcing and recruiting efforts for various corporate, operation leadership and commercial positions.
- Communicate workforce updates related to planning, structure changes, terminations, and disciplinary actions.
- Partner with leaders to identify critical roles, high‑potential talent, and succession needs; proactively build development plans to prepare internal candidates for future opportunities.
- Serve as a thought partner to leaders on career pathing, skill development, and readiness for next‑level roles across corporate and manufacturing operations.
- Support cross‑functional and cross‑location movement by collaborating with HR Managers/Generalists and leaders to remove barriers to internal transfers and promotions.

Talent Development

- Partner with leaders to develop and execute strategies to reduce voluntary turnover and strengthen internal mobility.
- Lead and facilitate performance review processes, ensuring clear expectations and meaningful development conversations.
- Support leadership development, training, and compliance initiatives that enhance manager effectiveness and organizational capability.

Communication & Change Management

- Assist in developing and executing company-wide communication strategies.
- Ensure clear, consistent messaging to support organizational changes and initiatives.

## REPORTING STRUCTURE

- This position reports to the Director of Recruiting & Employee Relations.

## PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

- Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, Communication, or related field, master’s degree preferred.
- 7-10+ years of progressive HR experience, including leadership of HR professionals and support of manufacturing or operations environments.
- Experience partnering with recruiting teams and supporting talent acquisition strategies.
- Proven ability to build trust and influence across all levels
- Experience coaching managers, supporting employee relations, and collaborating on talent initiatives
- Strong communication, teamwork, and creative problem-solving skills
- PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP preferred
- Willingness to travel up to 20%

## JOB EXPECTATIONS:

- Uphold Hydrite’s Standard of Excellence through a continuous commitment to maintain quality facilities and provide quality products and services to internal and external customers.
- Participate in RCRA, regulatory, health & safety and process training activities as required.  Review changes/additions with your supervisor.  Must be RCRA compliant.
- Regular attendance is essential.
- Perform all duties outlined in relevant SOPs and all other duties to be assigned.
- Work with other staff members to maintain workload balances.  Provide back-up support as necessary.
- Support effective communication with all Hydrite departments where responsibilities overlap to ensure success of the branch team.

## ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Benefits and perks include 401k and profit sharing, medical/dental/vision/life insurance, paid time off, tuition reimbursement, adoption assistance, legal services insurance, scholarship awards for children of employees, summer picnic, community giving events, free family wellness coaching including nutritionist and fitness coach.

WANT TO STAY CONNECTED?  FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

- LinkedIn: [linkedin.com/company/hydrite-chemical-co-](http://www.linkedin.com/company/hydrite-chemical-co-)
- Facebook: [facebook.com/hydrite](http://www.facebook.com/hydrite)
- YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs_493NR8RI

Learn more about Hydrite on our website: [www.hydrite.com/careers](http://www.hydrite.com/careers)

Privacy Notice for California Residents: https://www.hydrite.com/Legal/Privacy-Notice-for-Employees.htm

## About Hydrite

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Hydrite is a leading North American manufacturer and distributor of integrated chemical programs, serving industries such as food & beverage, agriculture, and manufacturing with custom manufacturing, technical expertise, and a private fleet.
- **Entity Type**: Private (family-owned)
- **Headquarters**: Brookfield, Wisconsin, USA
- **Founded**: 1929
- **Founders**: Not publicly available (the name “Hydrite” originated from the idea of tanning “hyde right”)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Chemical manufacturing and distribution; specialty chemicals for food & dairy sanitation, water treatment, foam control, food ingredients, and organic processing.
- **Target customers**: B2B – enterprise and SMB customers in food & beverage, agriculture, industrial manufacturing, and water treatment markets.
- **Mission or purpose statement**: “Providing sustainable ideas and solutions that ensure Customer, Employee and Partner success.” Also: “Our sustainable solutions keep food safe, water clean, and plants thriving.”

## Products & Services
- **Chemical Manufacturing & Distribution**: Custom manufacturing and nationwide distribution of industrial and specialty chemicals.
- **Food & Dairy Sanitation**: Cleaners and sanitizers designed to enhance food safety and quality.
- **Food Ingredients**: Ingredients that add flavor and functionality to food and beverage products.
- **Water Treatment**: Chemistry and services for improving water quality in industrial processes.
- **Foam Control Chemistries**: Defoamers and antifoams for various industrial applications.
- **Organic Processing & Liquid Sulfites**: Specialized chemicals for organic processing and sulfite applications.
- **Plant Sanitation**: Complete sanitation programs for food processing facilities.
- **Private Fleet**: Company-owned tractors, van trailers, tankers, and railcars for reliable delivery.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (privately held)
- **Key Metric**: ~1,000 employees; 95+ years in business
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: None (family-owned; no external investors disclosed)
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Acquired Enterprise Specialty Products, Inc. (ESP) in Laurens, SC, marking entry into the Southeast US region.
  - Recognized as a 2025 Top Workplaces award winner by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (won eight other years).
  - Continues to invest in people, technology, community, and sustainability.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Technical expertise**: Highly trained staff with deep industry experience delivering custom solutions.
- **Private fleet**: Ensures responsive service and supply chain reliability.
- **Custom manufacturing**: Ability to develop tailored chemical programs for diverse customer needs.
- **Strong safety culture**: Robust safety programs and multiple safety awards (e.g., WI Safety Council Corporate Safety Award).
- **Sustainability focus**: Active initiatives to reduce energy, water, and waste; commitment to environmental stewardship.

## Strategic Focus
- Geographic expansion into the Southeast US following the ESP acquisition.
- Continued investment in innovation, people development, and sustainable operations.
- Strengthening the “One Hydrite” safety culture and community engagement.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Family-run, privately held with a focus on integrity, innovation, safety, quality, people, and responsible growth. Recognized multiple times as a Top Workplace.
- **Work environment**: Primarily on-site at plant locations across the US (Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Texas, California, South Carolina, etc.); some remote roles available (e.g., Applications Engineer).
- **Benefits** (from [hydrite.com](https://www.hydrite.com/careers/BenefitsandWellness.htm)):
  - Medical, dental, vision (including zero co-insurance/zero deductible plan)
  - 401k with 100% match on first 3% and 50% on next 2% (immediate vesting)
  - Profit sharing
  - Tuition reimbursement up to $5,250/year
  - Front-loaded paid time off and paid holidays
  - $3,000 referral bonus
  - Wellness programs with up to $600 annual reimbursement
  - Adoption assistance, legal services insurance, EAP, and more
- **Early talent**: Internships, co-ops, and rotational programs for college students and recent graduates.

## Sources
1. [hydrite.com – Company Overview](https://hydrite.com/)
2. [hydrite.com – About Hydrite](https://www.hydrite.com/About-Hydrite.htm)
3. [hydrite.com – Careers](https://www.hydrite.com/careers.htm)
4. [hydrite.com – Benefits & Wellness](https://www.hydrite.com/careers/BenefitsandWellness.htm)
5. [Greenhouse – Hydrite Jobs](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/hydritechemicalco)

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