Senior Manager, HR Compliance

Purpose:

The Sr. Manager, HR Compliance leads the organization's HR compliance programs across the United States and Canada. This role drives compliance strategy, policy governance, investigations, audits, legislative implementation, and regulatory risk management while serving as a trusted advisor to People & Culture and Operations leaders.

Essential Functions:

• Leads the development and implementation of HR compliance programs across the United States and Canada
• Monitor legislative and regulatory changes, assess business impacts, and partner with Legal and business leaders to ensure compliance
• Develop, maintain, and administer company policies, handbooks, state/provincial supplements, compliance guidance, and related resources
• Provide guidance to People & Culture and Operations leaders on employee relations matters, policy interpretation, employment law compliance, accommodations, leave administration, and wage-and-hour issues
• Manages the day-to-day operations of the Open Line Hotline program, including case governance, vendor management, escalation support, trend analysis, and reporting
• Leads the administration of the Open Line Hotline program and compliance investigations, driving risk identification, trend analysis, case escalation processes, vendor management, and corrective action strategies to support organizational compliance and reduce risk exposure
• Direct the North America HR Audit Program, including audit planning, compliance reviews, findings management, corrective action plans, and audit readiness activities
• Establish and maintain compliance monitoring, reporting, and internal control processes to identify risks and improve compliance effectiveness.
• Partner with Payroll, HRIS, Technology, Learning & Development, Legal, Internal Audit, and Operations teams to integrate compliance requirements into business processes and systems
• Lead, coach, and develop HR Compliance team members while fostering accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Reporting Relationship: The Sr. Manager, HR Compliance reports to the Director, HR Compliance.

Major Interdependencies: Operations, People & Culture, Learning & Development, Legal, HR Technology, Internal Audit, Global Compliance

Minimum Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, and Work Environment:

• Education and Experience: the combination of education and professional experience must exceed 6 years.
  • In a leadership role: Requires 2 years of experience supervising a team of HR professionals engaged in executing HR Compliance programs
  • In a technical role: Requires 6-8 years of progressive HR experience with responsibility for compliance programs, employee relations, investigations, employment law compliance, policy administration, audits, or HR operations
    • A bachelor’s degree in a program related to the functional area can count for 3 of the 6-year requirement
    • An MBA or a master’s level degree in a program related to the functional area can count for an additional 2 years of the 6-year requirement
  • In the industry: 3-5 years of Hospitality, Food & Beverage, Retail, or other multi-unit operating environment experience preferred

• Specialized Skillset/Competencies/Traits:
  • Strong business acumen with the ability to understand the long-term implications of HR compliance, workforce practices, and functional planning while advancing organizational goals
  •  Demonstrated ability to understand and balance the needs of the business, stakeholders, employee populations, and individual circumstances when making decisions and recommendations
  •  Deep knowledge of employment laws, regulatory requirements, HR compliance programs, investigations, and risk management practices
  •  Proven leadership experience creating and maintaining positive work environments through coaching, developing, and leading high-performing teams to achieve common goals
  •   Strong ability to influence, advise, and build trusted relationships with leaders and cross-functional stakeholders at all levels of the organization
  •   Sound judgment, strategic thinking, and risk assessment capabilities, with the ability to identify issues, evaluate impacts, and recommend practical solutions
  •  Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills with the ability to translate compliance data and trends into actionable business insights
  •  Ability to manage multiple priorities and compliance initiatives in a fast-paced, multi-site operating environment
  • Demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement, operational excellence, and the development of scalable compliance processes and controls
• Location/Travel:
  • This role is based at the North America Support Center in Bethesda, MD.
  • Requires up to 20% travel to field locations.