Human Resources Manager

Description

ABOUT CHAI PANI RESTAURANT

Chai Pani is an Indian street food restaurant that began in 2009 as a humble 50-seat spot in Asheville, North Carolina. Since then, we've grown into a multi-state restaurant group that includes Chai Pani, Botiwalla, and our spice company, Spicewalla. In India, chai pani is slang for going out for a cup of tea, a tasty bite, a snack, or "a little something." For us, it represents much more: groundbreaking, mindblasting, affordable, and delicious Indian street food - driven by a passion for making people happy and creating genuine connections through good food and compassionate hospitality.

Our mission is to serve extraordinary, mindblasting food and hospitality that changes the perception of Indian cuisine in America.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Human Resources Manager is responsible for leading the day-to-day Human Resources operations for Chai Pani Restaurant Group and Spicewalla to support the group's continued, strategic growth. This role partners closely with restaurant General Managers and department leaders to provide strategic HR guidance while ensuring efficient execution of all core HR functions. The HR Manager oversees the employee lifecycle, employee relations, compliance, benefits administration, HR systems, and people-focused initiatives that support business objectives across multiple locations.

This position combines strategic partnership with hands-on execution, balancing operational priorities while leading HR projects, improving processes, and developing a high-performing HR team.

WHAT YOU OFFER:

• A Love for service and hospitality
• Commitment to Excellence and a reflex for making things better (systems, processes and people)
• Care for everyone who steps through the doors of our restaurant and the community
• A desire to work yourself out of a job by coaching and developing a team of leaders
• Integrity, Empathy, Humility.
• A growth mindset, and excitement for creating meaningful relationships
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) not required, but awesome

WHAT WE OFFER:

• Medical, Vision, Dental, Disability and Life Insurance
• Paid time off
• Relaxed and collaborative office environment with lots of chai and frequent dog visits
• Ongoing professional development
• Discounts at all our restaurants and at Spicewalla
• Mentorship from a leadership team with a collective 80+ years of experience working in and running Chai Pani Restaurant Group operations

Key Responsibilities
HR Leadership & Business Partnership

• Serve as a trusted advisor to restaurant General Managers and leadership on all Human Resources matters.
• Coach and support leaders on performance management, employee development, corrective actions, conflict resolution, and organizational effectiveness.
• Lead, mentor, and develop members of the HR team through coaching, regular feedback, and professional development.
• Build strong partnerships across Operations, Finance, Payroll, Training, and other departments to ensure alignment on business and people initiatives.
• Balance competing priorities and adjust resources to meet changing business needs in a fast-paced, multi-location environment.
• Promote a positive workplace culture that supports employee engagement, accountability, and retention.

Employee Relations & Compliance

• Manage employee relations matters, conducting workplace investigations and recommending fair, consistent, and legally compliant resolutions.
• Partner with managers to address performance concerns, policy violations, attendance issues, and workplace conflicts.
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local employment laws, including wage and hour regulations, leave laws, OSHA, I-9, E-Verify, and company policies.
• Maintain confidentiality while handling sensitive employee matters and organizational changes.

HR Operations

• Oversee all stages of the employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, promotions, transfers, compensation changes, benefits administration, leave management, and offboarding.
• Manage Workers' Compensation claims, workplace injury reporting, return-to-work coordination, and communication with insurance carriers.
• Administer employee benefit programs, including enrollments, qualifying life events, and employee education.
• Ensure employee records, HR documentation, and personnel files are accurate and compliant.

HR Systems & Process Improvement

• Oversee HRIS administration (UKG), ensuring data integrity, reporting accuracy, and efficient system utilization.
• Identify opportunities to improve HR processes, policies, and standard operating procedures to increase operational efficiency.
• Lead HR projects including system implementations, policy updates, organizational initiatives, and new location support.
• Develop and monitor HR metrics to identify trends and support informed business decisions.

Talent Acquisition & Organizational Support

• Oversee recruiting strategies, job postings, interviewing, hiring, and onboarding activities across multiple locations.
• Partner with operational leaders to identify staffing needs and prioritize recruiting efforts.
• Support workforce planning and organizational growth initiatives while ensuring a consistent candidate and employee experience.

The Essentials:

• Human Resources Management experience required
• Experience working with multiple legal entities preferred
• This is a Monday to Friday Office Hours position (9am to 5pm) with infrequent availability needed to support operations during nights and weekends
• Relevant candidates must have extensive comfort in G-Suite products - from Google Drive to Gmail and experience with HRIS/HRMS (UKG preferred.)
• A successful candidate will have an innate ability to anticipate needs, the flexibility to shift priorities as needed, enjoys helping others, and has impeccable attention to detail.
• Comfortability dealing with time sensitive tasks and confidentiality while dealing with sensitive materials and personnel records.
• Spanish Language proficiency strongly preferred
• Must be able to ascend and descend stairs
• Some travel required to support restaurants operations and openings