The HR Generalist / Manager owns the day-to-day people operations of a precision rifle manufacturer in an ITAR-regulated, ATF-licensed environment. This is a hands-on, full-cycle role: the single point of accountability for payroll, benefits, recruiting, compliance, and employee relations across a non-union workforce of 100–120 spanning machining, assembly, finishing, and support. The right operator keeps the people engine running cleanly, accurately, and on time — protecting both the employee experience and the company against risk — while building the systems and discipline that let a growing manufacturer scale.
Position Description — Human Resources Generalist / Manager
REPORTS TOChief Operating Officer / Chief Financial Officer
LOCATIONGunnison, Utah — On-site, non-union manufacturing facility
WORKFORCE100–120 employees across production, machining, assembly & support
STATUSFull-time, Exempt
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
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Payroll. Run end-to-end payroll through Gusto with zero-error accuracy — time capture, approvals, multi-rate and overtime calculations, deductions, garnishments, PTO accruals, tax filings, and reconciliation to the GL.
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Benefits. Administer health, dental, vision, 401(k), and leave programs; manage open enrollment, qualifying life events, COBRA, and carrier coordination through Gusto.
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Talent. Own full-cycle recruiting for hourly and salaried roles — sourcing, screening, interviews, offers, background checks, and onboarding to keep the floor fully staffed against production demand.
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Employee Relations. Serve as the first point of contact for employee questions, conflict resolution, investigations, disciplinary action, and performance issues; coach supervisors on direct, fair, and consistent leadership.
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Compliance. Maintain compliance with FLSA, FMLA, ADA, EEO, OSHA, workers’ comp, and Utah labor law; manage I-9 / E-Verify, ITAR personnel screening support, and accurate, audit-ready records.
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Operations. Administer onboarding, offboarding, job descriptions, the employee handbook, policy, and HRIS data integrity; deliver clean people metrics on headcount, turnover, attendance, and time-to-fill.
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Partnership. Partner with the COO/CFO and floor supervisors to translate workforce needs into staffing, training, and retention actions that protect throughput and quality.
CORE COMPETENCIES
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Meticulous accuracy with payroll and confidential data — nothing slips, nothing leaks.
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Calm, credible employee-relations judgment in a fast, hands-on shop-floor environment.
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Working command of multi-state / Utah employment law and regulated-industry compliance.
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Strong systems and process discipline — builds repeatable, documented HR operations.
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Bias for action, ownership, and discretion — thrives as a trusted function of one.
REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
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Foundation. 5+ years of progressive HR generalist experience, with direct, hands-on ownership of payroll administration — Gusto strongly preferred.
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Breadth. Demonstrated depth across benefits administration, full-cycle recruiting, employee relations, and HR compliance — able to run all four without a team behind you.
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Compliance. Practical command of federal and Utah employment law (FLSA, FMLA, ADA, EEO, OSHA) and comfort operating inside a regulated, security-sensitive environment.
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Systems. Proficiency with HRIS / payroll platforms, time-and-attendance systems, and the Microsoft 365 / spreadsheet skills to build clean people reporting.
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Environment. Manufacturing, industrial, or other hourly-workforce experience strongly preferred; ITAR / ATF-regulated exposure a clear plus.
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Education. Bachelor’s degree in HR, business, or related field; PHR or SHRM-CP certification welcomed.