HR MANAGER JOB SUMMARY
The HR Manager leads the day-to-day human resources operations for Cedartown Foods and serves as a trusted business partner to operational leaders across multiple states and restaurant brands. Reporting to the HR Director, this position is responsible for ensuring the consistent and effective delivery of employee relations, compliance, onboarding and offboarding, benefits administration, HR systems, workers’ compensation, reporting, and HR programs in a fast-paced, multi-unit restaurant environment.
The HR Manager directly supervises one to two HR Generalists based in India and is accountable for establishing priorities, distributing work, developing team capability, and ensuring HR processes are completed accurately and timely. This role balances leadership and process ownership with hands-on involvement in complex employee matters, critical projects, acquisitions, new restaurant openings, and continuous improvement initiatives.
The responsibilities below describe the general nature and level of work performed and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties.
HR MANAGER RESPONSIBILITIES:
Leadership & Team Management
- Directly supervise one to two HR Generalists based in India, including work assignment, coaching, training, performance feedback, and development.
- Establish team priorities, service expectations, and operating routines that ensure timely and accurate completion of HR activities.
- Review work quality, monitor workload, and adjust responsibilities as business needs change.
- Develop standardized procedures, documentation, and quality controls that improve consistency and scalability across the HR function.
- Promote effective collaboration, communication, and accountability across a geographically dispersed HR team.
- Identify opportunities to leverage the HR Generalist team effectively while maintaining appropriate U.S.-based oversight of sensitive, complex, or legally significant matters.
Employee Relations & HR Business Partnership
- Serve as the primary HR business partner for assigned operational and functional leaders.
- Lead employee relations investigations, including interviews, evidence review, documentation, findings, and recommended actions.
- Coach leaders regarding performance management, corrective action, attendance, policy interpretation, conflict resolution, and employee concerns.
- Ensure employee matters are handled consistently, objectively, promptly, and in accordance with company policy and applicable law.
- Identify trends, recurring issues, and organizational risks and recommend appropriate interventions.
- Escalate highly sensitive, high-risk, or legally significant matters to the HR Director with clear facts, analysis, and recommendations.
- Partner with operations leaders to improve employee engagement, retention, leadership effectiveness, and the overall employee experience.
Onboarding, Offboarding & Employment Administration
- Oversee onboarding and offboarding processes to ensure a compliant, accurate, and positive employee experience.
- Ensure background checks, system setup, employment eligibility requirements, separation documentation, and related tasks are completed timely.
- Oversee I-9 and E-Verify compliance, including audits, corrections, and resolution of Tentative Nonconfirmations.
- Ensure onboarding and employee data errors are identified, corrected, and prevented through improved controls and training.
- Oversee unemployment claim responses and hearing preparation, participating directly when appropriate.
- Monitor service levels and process quality for administrative work completed by the HR Generalists.
HR Systems, Data & Reporting
- Oversee the accuracy, integrity, and effective use of HR systems, including Paylocity, Paradox, Harri, Deel, DISA, The Work Number, and other company platforms.
- Ensure employee changes, transfers, promotions, demotions, terminations, access permissions, and corrections are processed accurately and timely.
- Develop and maintain appropriate system controls, workflows, documentation, and audit practices.
- Partner with internal stakeholders and vendors to troubleshoot issues and implement system or process enhancements.
- Produce and analyze HR reports and metrics to support compliance, operational decisions, workforce planning, and leadership needs.
- Identify opportunities to automate work, reduce manual effort, improve data quality, and strengthen the employee and manager experience.
Benefits Administration
- Oversee ongoing benefits administration and the annual open enrollment process.
- Ensure employee enrollments, terminations, qualifying life events, deductions, evidence of insurability, COBRA events, and eligibility records are processed accurately.
- Provide guidance on escalated employee benefits questions and resolve complex enrollment or carrier issues.
- Monitor and resolve EDI and carrier discrepancies in partnership with vendors and internal stakeholders.
- Oversee ACA eligibility tracking, reporting, and related compliance requirements.
- Recommend process improvements that enhance accuracy, communication, and employee understanding of benefit programs.
Workers’ Compensation, Leave & Risk Management
- Oversee workers’ compensation claim administration and coordination with carriers, adjusters, brokers, operations leaders, and employees.
- Ensure required documentation, including wage statements, physical demand analyses, incident information, and supporting records, is complete and timely.
- Monitor open claims, identify delays or risks, and coordinate follow-up through resolution.
- Oversee leave administration, including FMLA and other applicable federal, state, and local leave requirements.
- Coordinate workers’ compensation setup and related HR requirements for new restaurant openings, acquisitions, and new entities.
- Partner with leaders to strengthen safety awareness, reporting practices, and risk-reduction efforts.
Compliance, Policies & HR Programs
- Monitor compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, including wage and hour, leave, employment eligibility, workplace safety, and recordkeeping requirements.
- Lead or coordinate responses to federal, state and local agencies inquiries, compliance audits, reporting requests, and other employment-related matters.
- Oversee required reporting, including applicable BLS and ACA reporting.
- Develop, maintain, and implement HR policies, standard operating procedures, manager tools, training materials, and employee communications.
- Promote consistent application of company policies across brands, markets, and restaurant locations.
- Identify compliance gaps and recommend practical solutions that balance legal requirements, employee experience, and operational needs.
Talent, Performance & Manager Capability
- Coach leaders on effective performance management, documentation, feedback, accountability, and employee development.
- Partner with the HR Director and operations leaders on retention, engagement, succession planning, and talent development initiatives.
- Develop and deliver training, tools, and resources that strengthen manager confidence and decision-making.
- Identify recurring leadership capability gaps and recommend targeted interventions.
- Support performance review, goal-setting, recognition, and other talent-management processes as assigned.
Projects, Growth & Process Improvement
- Lead or manage HR workstreams for new restaurant openings, acquisitions, integrations, entity changes, system implementations, and organizational initiatives.
- Develop project plans, assign responsibilities, monitor progress, and communicate risks or decisions to stakeholders.
- Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Payroll, Finance, IT, and other teams to ensure successful execution of HR initiatives.
- Continuously evaluate HR processes and implement improvements that increase efficiency, consistency, scalability, and service quality.
- Perform other duties and lead additional projects as assigned by the HR Director.
HR MANAGER QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, or a related field preferred; an equivalent combination of education and relevant progressive HR experience will be considered.
- 7+ years of progressive human resources experience, preferably within restaurant, hospitality, retail, or another high-volume, multi-unit environment.
- 2+ years of experience leading, supervising, or formally directing the work of HR team members preferred.
- PHR or SHRM-CP certification required; SPHR or SHRM-SCP preferred.
- Demonstrated experience leading employee relations investigations and advising leaders on performance and corrective action matters.
- Strong working knowledge of federal and state employment laws, HR best practices, and multi state compliance requirements.
- Experience supporting geographically dispersed operations and managing HR services across multiple locations.
- Experience with HRIS platforms, benefits administration, workers’ compensation, leave administration, and HR reporting.
- Demonstrated ability to lead projects, improve processes, and implement consistent practices in a growing organization.
- Strong judgment, communication, coaching, problem-solving, and relationship-building skills.
- Ability to handle confidential and sensitive matters with professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment.
- Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and remain responsive in a fast-paced environment.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and digital collaboration and documentation tools.
- Experience with AI tools preferred.
HR MANAGER CORE COMPETENCIES
- Leadership and Team Development
- Business Partnership and Influence
- Employee Relations and Investigative Judgment
- Coaching and Manager Development
- Compliance and Risk Management
- Strategic Thinking and Practical Execution
- Decision-Making and Accountability
- Change and Project Management
- Process Improvement and Operational Excellence
- Data Analysis and Systems Thinking
- Communication and Relationship Building
- Organization, Urgency, and Attention to Detail
- Integrity, Confidentiality, and Professionalism
HR MANAGER BENEFITS
- Career Development Opportunities
- Competitive Pay Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
- Life Insurance Short-term and Long-term Disability Insurance
- Critical Illness Insurance
- Accident Insurance
- Hospital Indemnity Insurance
- 401(k) and Roth 401(k) with Company Match
- Paid Time Off and Holidays Wait periods may apply
Cedartown provides reasonable accommodations for known physical or mental limitations of qualified employees with disabilities unless doing so would create an undue hardship.
Pay: From $85,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Experience:
- Human resources management: 7 years (Required)
Work Location: Remote
