Job Function: The Recruiting & Benefits Specialist is a dual-function Human Resources role responsible for full-cycle recruiting and day-to-day benefits administration across Bradford’s three sites. Based in West Warwick, Rhode Island and reporting to the Vice President of Human Resources, this role partners with site leaders and employees at all locations to build a strong talent pipeline and deliver responsive, accurate benefits support. The position requires the ability to manage two distinct HR disciplines simultaneously, apply sound judgment independently, and navigate the differing requirements of a unionized site, a non-union manufacturing site, and a non-union warehouse operating under California law.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Recruiting
- Manage full-cycle recruitment — requisition intake, sourcing, screening, interview coordination, and offer — for hourly, salaried, and skilled-trades positions across the Rhode Island, Illinois, and Calexico sites.
- Source candidates through job boards, ADP Workforce Now, employee referrals, and local partnerships such as technical schools, workforce agencies, and community organizations.
- Screen resumes and applications; conduct phone and video interviews; coordinate on-site and panel interviews with hiring managers.
- Post open positions and manage the applicant lifecycle within ADP Workforce Now (ATS).
- Extend and negotiate offers of employment consistent with approved pay ranges and internal approval workflows.
- Coordinate pre-employment steps, including background checks, drug screenings, Form I-9/E-Verify, and new-hire onboarding paperwork.
- Build and maintain relationships with staffing agencies, trade schools, and community organizations to strengthen the talent pipeline, particularly for hard-to-fill hourly and skilled-trades roles.
- Track and report recruiting metrics (e.g., time-to-fill, source of hire, offer-acceptance rate) to the VP of Human Resources.
- Support recruitment for the Rhode Island site consistent with the collective bargaining agreement and in coordination with the VP of Human Resources.
- Stay current on recruiting-related legal requirements in Rhode Island, Illinois, and California — including California-specific obligations such as pay-scale disclosure in job postings and fair-chance/background-check rules — and flag questions to the VP of Human Resources or outside counsel as needed.
- Support workforce planning and headcount forecasting with site leadership.
Administration Benefits
- Serve as the primary administrator, within ADP Workforce Now, for group health, dental, vision, life, disability, and retirement (401(k)) plans across all three sites.
- Lead annual open enrollment: coordinate employee communications and meetings, process elections, and manage vendor data feeds.
- Process new-hire benefits enrollments, qualifying life-event changes, and termination/COBRA notices within required deadlines.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for employee benefits questions; troubleshoot escalated claims issues with carriers and brokers.
- Reconcile monthly benefits invoices and resolve discrepancies with carriers and Finance.
- Support administration of FMLA, applicable state leave programs (including California-specific leave requirements), and ADA accommodation requests, in coordination with the VP of Human Resources.
- Maintain compliance with ACA reporting, COBRA administration, and required plan notices (e.g., SPDs, SBCs).
- Support the annual benefits renewal process, including data gathering and benchmarking for broker and carrier discussions.
- Maintain accurate, confidential benefits records and data within ADP Workforce Now.
General
- Partner with site leadership and employees at the Illinois and Calexico, CA locations to deliver consistent recruiting and benefits support, traveling as needed.
- Maintain strict confidentiality of employee and candidate data.
- Support HR projects and process-improvement initiatives as assigned.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience will be considered in lieu of a degree.
- 3–7 years of progressive Human Resources experience, including hands-on experience in both recruiting/talent acquisition and benefits administration.
- Experience supporting multiple sites or multiple states is strongly preferred. Experience in a manufacturing or industrial environment is a plus.
- Prior experience supporting a unionized workforce is a plus but not required.
- Working knowledge of ADP Workforce Now or a comparable HRIS/ATS/benefits administration platform.
- Solid working knowledge of core federal employment laws (e.g., FLSA, ADA, FMLA, ACA) and the ability to recognize where state-specific requirements in Rhode Island, Illinois, or California may apply, escalating to the VP of Human Resources or outside counsel as needed.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and plainly with hourly, shop-floor employees and with professionalism and polish with site and executive leadership.
- High degree of discretion and sound judgment in handling confidential employee information.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines independently.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
- PHR, SHRM-CP, or CEBS preferred
Work Environment
Primarily an office environment based at the West Warwick, Rhode Island facility, with periodic visits to manufacturing floor and warehouse areas that require the use of personal protective equipment (e.g., safety glasses, closed-toe shoes) in accordance with site safety protocols. The role involves prolonged periods of sitting and computer work, and occasional travel as described above. Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; equivalent education and directly relevant experience may substitute.
- 3-7 years of progressive Human Resources experience, including recruiting or talent acquisition and benefits administration.
- Experience supporting multiple sites or multiple states.
- Experience in a manufacturing or industrial environment.
- Experience supporting a unionized workforce.
- Working knowledge of ADP Workforce Now or a comparable HRIS, ATS, or benefits administration platform.
- Working knowledge of federal employment laws including FLSA, ADA, FMLA, and ACA, with ability to identify applicable state requirements.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills for hourly employees, site leaders, and executives.
- High discretion and sound judgment when handling confidential employee information.
- Strong organizational skills and ability to manage competing priorities independently.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
- PHR, SHRM-CP, or CEBS certification.
What We Do
Bradford is an innovation and manufacturing company focused on solid personal care. It helps brands create cleansing products designed to contain little or no water and describes itself as a leading manufacturer of specialty bar soap. Its product range includes sustainable haircare, skincare, and body-care products, with expertise spanning soap-base production and finished-bar manufacturing. The company’s history traces its origins to textile-industry soap production in Rhode Island.
