People & Culture Manager

Position Summary

The People & Culture Manager is responsible for leading Chef’s Garden’s core HR and people operations with clarity, care, and accountability. This role owns the day-to-day people systems that help our team thrive, from hiring and onboarding to performance management, employee relations, and compliance.

This is a hands-on, relational role for someone who is comfortable having thoughtful, direct conversations, setting clear expectations, and helping managers and team members grow. The People & Culture Manager will build new systems, steward the systems already built and continue strengthening them as the company scales.

Key Responsibilities

1. HR Systems & Operations

• Maintain and evolve core HR systems including:

Job descriptions, role clarity, and reporting structures

Hiring, onboarding, and offboarding processes

Employee classification, documentation, and personnel files

Compensation bands and internal equity practices

HR policies and Staff Handbook updates

• Partner with fractional HR, legal, and payroll partners to ensure state and federal compliance.
• Serve as the primary internal HR point of contact for employees and managers.
• Own, document, and continuously improve people systems to ensure they are clear, usable, and scalable as the company grows.
• Administer employee benefits programs in partnership with payroll and external vendors, including open enrollment, employee education, and ongoing support.

2. Hiring, Onboarding & Transitions

• Coordinate and support recruitment for hourly and salaried roles.
• Ensure consistent, values-aligned onboarding experiences for new hires.
• Support managers through promotions, role changes, performance concerns, and exits with professionalism and care.

3. Performance Management & Accountability

• Own and manage Chef’s Garden’s performance review and feedback cycles.
• Support managers in setting clear expectations, documenting performance, and following through consistently.
• Lead or support difficult but necessary conversations related to:
• Accountability
• Behavior and performance concerns
• Corrective action and growth plans
• Ensure performance processes are fair, documented, and aligned with company values.

4. Culture & Employee Experience

• Steward a workplace culture rooted in respect, trust, clarity, and excellence.
• Reinforce values-based behaviors and expectations across teams.
• Support recognition, feedback, and communication practices that help people feel seen and supported.
• Serve as a trusted, neutral partner in navigating conflict and tension with discretion and empathy.
• Own internal people communications, including regular employee updates or newsletters that reinforce clarity, values, and connection.
• Design and manage systems for employee recognition and appreciation, including spot recognition, milestones, and rewards (e.g., merch, shout-outs, values-based acknowledgments).
• Partner with leadership to ensure recognition efforts are consistent, equitable, and aligned with company values.

5. Manager Support & Leadership Partnership

• Coach managers on people leadership fundamentals:
• Giving feedback
• Setting boundaries and expectations
• Navigating conflict and accountability
• Partner closely with ownership to identify people risks, opportunities, and organizational needs.
• Help translate company values into everyday management practices.

What Success Looks Like

• People systems are clear, documented, and consistently applied.
• Managers feel supported — not rescued — in leading their teams well.
• Employees understand expectations, growth opportunities, and accountability standards.
• Difficult conversations happen earlier, more clearly, and with care.
• Chef’s Garden continues to feel human, values-driven, and well-run as it grows.

Qualifications & Fit

• 4-8+ years of experience in HR, people operations, or organizational development.
• Strong experience handling employee relations and performance management.
• Comfortable balancing empathy and accountability — clarity is kindness.
• Excellent communication, documentation, and follow-through skills.
• Ability to build trust across hourly, frontline, and leadership teams.
• Hospitality, food service, or small-business experience is a strong plus.
• SHRM or HR certification preferred but not required.

Pay: $60,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person