Human Resources Business Partner

Highwire Coffee Roasters

Reports To: Founders

Location: Hybrid – San Francisco Bay Area (Oakland, CA)

Status: Full-Time

Position Summary

Highwire Coffee Roasters is seeking a pragmatic, people-first Human Resources Business

Partner (HRBP) to support and strengthen our growing retail and production teams. This role

will serve as a strategic and operational partner to leadership and store management across all

people functions including employee relations, performance management, recruiting support,

compliance, coaching, organizational development, and culture.

This is a hands-on role for someone who thrives in dynamic environments, can balance empathy

with accountability, and is energized by helping operators build strong teams and sustainable

people practices. The ideal candidate understands hospitality and retail environments,

communicates clearly and professionally, and can navigate complexity with sound judgment and

calm execution.

Core Responsibilities

Employee Relations & Performance Management

 Serve as the primary HR partner for store managers, operations leaders, and production

leadership

 Provide guidance and coaching on employee relations matters, workplace investigations,

corrective actions, conflict resolution, and performance management

 Support leaders in delivering timely, consistent, and legally compliant accountability

processes

 Partner with leadership to improve communication standards, professionalism, and

workplace culture

 Help reduce organizational risk through proactive coaching, documentation, and policy

alignment

Leadership Coaching & Operational Partnership

 Build trusted relationships with leaders across retail, roastery, and support operations

 Coach managers on leadership effectiveness, team engagement, staffing, retention, and

communication

 Support organizational planning, succession planning, and talent development efforts

 Participate in operational meetings and help translate business priorities into people

strategies

Recruiting & Onboarding

 Partner with hiring managers on staffing strategy and workforce planning

 Support recruiting coordination, interview processes, and hiring best practices

 Ensure onboarding experiences are organized, welcoming, and operationally effective

 Assist in developing training and onboarding resources for retail and production teams

Compliance & Policy Administration

 Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations

 Maintain and support HR policies, handbook standards, and workplace procedures

 Partner with outside counsel or consultants when needed regarding employee matters

 Support leave administration, accommodations, wage and hour compliance, and

documentation practices

 Manage day-to-day HR administration including HRIS data integrity, personnel file

maintenance, offer letters, status change processing, and employment verifications

Culture & Employee Experience

 Help reinforce Highwire’s culture through thoughtful communication, consistency, and

leadership partnership

 Support employee engagement initiatives, recognition programs, and feedback

mechanisms

 Assist in creating a workplace environment rooted in professionalism, hospitality,

accountability, and inclusion

Qualifications

 3–5+ years of progressive HR experience, preferably in hospitality, retail, food &

beverage, or multi-unit operations

 Strong working knowledge of California employment law and employee relations

practices

 Experience supporting frontline operational teams in fast-paced environments

 Demonstrated ability to navigate sensitive and confidential situations with discretion and

professionalism

 Strong written and verbal communication skills

 Comfortable balancing strategic thinking with day-to-day execution

 Experience with investigations, corrective actions, and coaching managers preferred

 Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field preferred

 PHR/SPHR or SHRM certification is a plus

Role Structure

 Hybrid role based in the San Francisco Bay Area; must be able to work in person at

Oakland locations as needed

 Regular in-person presence at Highwire store locations and roastery across Oakland and

the Bay Area

 Some evening or weekend availability may occasionally be required based on business

needs

 Representation at collective bargaining sessions as the HR point of contact for

management

At Highwire, we believe exceptional hospitality starts internally. We’re looking for someone who

can help us build strong leaders, healthy teams, and operational consistency while preserving the

humanity and warmth that define our brand.

Robert Myers and Rich Avella first met in the mid-1990s and share an approach to coffee we call \approachable excellence\.
Our shops are welcoming spaces where we connect around our enthusiasm for coffee, our communities, and our love of music. Our coffees are always the freshest green coffees available in any season and we roast them along a roast spectrum that captures the range of coffee lovers' tastes from lighter, bright Single Origins, to the deeper chocolatey body-forward coffees typical of a darker roasted coffee.