Manager of Human Resources

Summit Utilities Inc • Fort Smith, AR

16h • Hybrid

About The Position

Summit is a growing natural gas utility providing safe, reliable, and clean burning natural gas service to homes and businesses in Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. Being part of the Summit team means embracing excellence and innovation, committing to safety each and every day, and doing all that we can to serve each other, our customers, and the communities where we live. We aim to bring warmth and energy to everything we do.

We have an exciting hybrid opportunity for a Manager of Human Resources based in Fort Smith or Little Rock, Arkansas.

The Manager of Human Resources provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the HR Business Partner team, ensuring consistent, high‑quality HR support across the organization. This role drives alignment between people strategies and business objectives by overseeing employee relations, performance management, organizational design, workforce planning, and change management efforts. The Manager of HR serves as a coach and advisor to HRBPs and business leaders, ensuring HR programs, policies, and practices are executed with integrity, professionalism, and a strong focus on employee engagement and culture.

In partnership with functional HR Partners, including Talent Acquisition, Benefits, Learning & Development, HR Operations, and Organizational Development, this role ensures seamless HR service delivery and continuous improvement of processes, tools, and workflows. The Manager of HR balances strategic planning with hands‑on leadership, fostering a positive employee experience while supporting the company’s core values and long‑term organizational goals.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field required.
• 7-10 years of progressive HR experience, including significant experience as an HR Business Partner.
• 2-5 years of people management or team leadership experience required.
• Demonstrated experience supporting leaders in a complex, multi-level organization.
• Ability to effectively respond to and interact with all levels of employees from executive management to field personnel.
• Knowledge of all major functional areas of Human Resources including employment compliance, employment law, employee relations, performance management, compensation, benefits, payroll, employee development, and general liability/workers’ compensation insurance
• Unwavering integrity and professionalism, ability to navigate sensitive, urgent, and delicate matters while maintaining confidentiality and privacy.
• Must be able to build strong, trusting relationships in order to gain support and achieve results.
• Skilled in problem solving and managing multiple priorities effortlessly.
• Proficient in managing projects and ensuring deadlines are met to ensure overall objectives and deliverables are met.
• Excellent attention to detail 
• Excellent communication skills including written, verbal, listening and ability to make effective presentations.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft office tools and HRIS systems and platforms.

Nice To Haves

• Professional certifications such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of HR Business Partners to ensure consistent delivery of HR programs, policies, and practices.
• Oversee daily HRBP operations, workload distribution, and prioritization to ensure timely, accurate, and employee-centered support.
• Provide guidance on complex employee relations matters, investigations, performance management, and organizational changes.
• Support audits, investigations, and compliance reviews as needed.
• Serve as an escalation point for sensitive or high-risk people issues.
• Partner with senior leaders and managers to align HR strategies with business objectives.
• Ensure HRBPs proactively identify workforce trends, risks, and opportunities within their assigned client groups.
• Translate organizational strategy into actionable people initiatives related to talent, engagement, culture, and employee development.
• Support organizational design, workforce planning, and change management efforts.
• Champion employee engagement initiatives and ensure HRBPs actively support engagement surveys, action planning, and follow-through.
• Promote a positive, inclusive, and respectful employee experience across the organization.
• Ensure consistent application of core values in people decisions, leadership behaviors, and employee relations practices.
• Partner with leaders to address engagement gaps, morale concerns, and retention risks.
• Ensure consistent execution of performance management processes, including goal setting, feedback, coaching, and corrective action.
• Support leadership development and succession planning efforts in partnership with Talent Management or Learning Development.
• Identify opportunities to improve HRBP workflows, tools, and service delivery models.
• Partner closely with Centers of Excellence (Talent Acquisition, Benefits/Total Rewards, Learning & Development, Compensation, HR Operations) to ensure seamless employee and manager experiences.
• Leverage data and metrics to evaluate HRBP effectiveness and inform decision-making.

Benefits

• Summit offers competitive pay and medical/dental/vision and other benefits that provide flexibility, choice and support to our employees when they need it most.
• We understand that home and family are essential pieces of your life, and our benefits are designed to support you both at work and at home.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees