HR & Payroll Coordinator
Location: Carlsbad, CA (Hybrid Opportunity)
Employment Type: Hourly / Non-Exempt
Salary Range: $45,000 - $65,000 DOE
Join Luna Grill as Our HR/Payroll Coordinator!
Are you a detail-oriented HR professional who enjoys supporting people, improving processes, and making an impact behind the scenes? Luna Grill is looking for an HR/Payroll Coordinator to join our People Team and support the daily operations of our growing organization.
Reporting directly to our Chief People Officer, this role provides hands-on exposure across the full employee lifecycle, including HR operations, payroll, HRIS administration, benefits, compliance, onboarding, recruiting support, and employee experience.
The ideal candidate is organized, proactive, trustworthy, and passionate about creating a positive experience for our team members while helping ensure our HR processes run smoothly.
At Luna Grill, we believe great hospitality starts with taking care of our people. This role plays an important part in supporting our team members from their first day and throughout their Luna journey.
Why This Role Matters
As our HR/Payroll Coordinator, you will be a key partner in supporting our team members and strengthening the processes that help our organization grow.
✓ Create a positive and welcoming onboarding experience for new team members joining Luna Grill.
✓ Serve as a trusted resource for team members and leaders by providing support on HR, payroll, benefits, and employment-related questions.
✓ Support accurate payroll, HR systems, compliance, and employee records that impact our entire organization.
✓ Partner with HR and Operations teams to solve problems, improve processes, and support our restaurant teams.
✓ Gain broad exposure across Human Resources, including payroll, HRIS, recruiting, employee relations, compliance, and employee experience.
✓ Build your HR career by working alongside experienced HR leaders in a growing restaurant organization.
What We Offer
At Luna Grill, we believe in taking care of our people by creating opportunities to grow, contribute, and make an impact.
As part of our People Team, you’ll enjoy:
- Competitive salary range of $45,000 - $65,000 DOE
- Opportunity to make a meaningful impact within a growing restaurant organization
- Exposure to multiple areas of Human Resources, including payroll, HRIS, benefits, compliance, recruiting, and employee experience
- Partnership with HR and Operations leaders across the organization
- Opportunities to develop your HR knowledge and continue growing your career
- A collaborative, team-focused work environment where your ideas and contributions matter
- The opportunity to support a culture centered around hospitality, people, and growth
What You’ll Do:
HR Operations & Team Member Support
- Support daily Human Resources operations, including Restaurant Operations support, workers’ compensation coordination, HRIS support, benefits administration, payroll backup, and other HR-related activities.
- Ensure HR standards, policies, and procedures are consistently administered within the Restaurant Support Center and company-wide.
- Maintain accurate team member personnel files within the HRIS system.
Provide HRIS system support, including updating information, answering questions, and assisting with system-related issues.
- Provide support to team members on HR and payroll-related topics including time-off requests, leaves, record management, pay statement accuracy, and other employment-related questions.
- Maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive employee information appropriately.
Payroll & Benefits Administration
- Assist with processing bi-weekly payroll accurately and on time.
- Address payroll-related inquiries from team members and resolve issues promptly
- Validate team member and manager changes within the HRIS system to ensure information is accurate and reflected correctly in payroll.
- Assist with benefit administration, including team member enrollment, coverage changes, and terminations.
- Support FMLA administration by documenting the process, preparing required team member notices, ensuring awareness of FMLA rights, and tracking leave time accordingly.
Team Member Lifecycle, Compliance & Recruiting Support
- Coordinate onboarding activities for new team members, ensuring all required documentation is completed and new hires have a positive welcome experience.
- Facilitate the I-9 process, employment verifications, legal documentation requests, unemployment claims, and disability claims while partnering with third-party providers.
- Perform periodic audits to ensure onboarding paperwork, training acknowledgements, goal development, and performance management documentation are completed accurately and timely.
- Assist with employee separation processes, including ensuring company property is returned and all required steps are completed.
- Assist with the implementation and interpretation of the company handbook, policies, and HR practices.
- Support entry-level talent acquisition efforts and assist with scheduling RSC candidate interviews.
- Coordinate orientation processes for Restaurant Support Center new hires.
- Assist with the creation of New Restaurant Opening (NRO) HR binders and coordinate safety poster ordering and follow-up.
- Partner with HR and Operations teams on projects, process improvements, and company initiatives.
- Assist with evaluating and coordinating office events and employee engagement activities throughout the year.
What We’re Looking For
- Minimum of 2 years of experience in Human Resources, HR operations, payroll support, or a related field.
- Experience working with HRIS systems and familiarity with payroll processing.
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Excellent organizational, multi-tasking, and prioritization skills.
- Exceptional attention to detail and strong follow-through.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to work effectively with team members at all levels of the organization.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information professionally.
- Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint.
- Experience with Dayforce HRIS is a plus.
- Bilingual Spanish/English is a plus.
- Self-motivated and eager to take on new challenges.
Why Luna Grill?
Luna Grill is a fast-growing restaurant brand built on fresh food, genuine hospitality, and a passion for people. As part of our People Team, you’ll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact by supporting our team members, improving HR processes, and helping shape the employee experience as we continue to grow.
If you’re an HR professional who enjoys being hands-on, solving problems, and supporting people, we’d love to meet you.
Apply today and become part of the Luna Grill family!
Luna Grill participates in E-Verify for all positions.
E-Verify is an internet-based system operated by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that allows participating employers to electronically verify the eligibility of new employees to work in the United States. E-Verify checks information provided on an employee’s Form I-9 electronically against records contained in DHS and SSA databases.
Luna Grill is an equal opportunity employer. We offer a welcoming and inclusive environment to our team members, job applicants, the guests we serve, and the communities we call home. Luna Grill also has a longstanding policy of providing a work environment that respects the dignity and worth of each individual and is free from all forms of discrimination, including harassment, because of race, color, sex, gender, age, religion or religious creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
