Head of Employee Relations & HR Compliance

Position Title: HR Manager, Carwash Division

Reports To: Director of HR, PMG

Classification: Full-time, Exempt

Location: Orange County, CA preferred (sites in Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, San Pedro); Travel: ~20-25% — monthly across the home-state cluster, quarterly to the other state

This role establishes dedicated HR ownership for PMG’s Carwash division, which operates two brands, Wild Water Express and Ocean Express, across 11 locations in California and Texas. It is a full-scope, hands‑on position that owns the people function for the division end to end: talent acquisition and employer brand, employee relations, two‑state compliance, performance and manager development, payroll validation, benefits and leaves, and HR operations.

The HR Manager reports to the Director of HR and works closely with the Head of the Carwash Division, partnering with both to set people strategy and carrying it through to consistent execution across every site. accountable for outcomes and operating across both strategic partnership and day-to‑day delivery. The position is backed by PMG’s shared corporate infrastructure and outside partners (payroll processing, benefits and HRIS systems, employment counsel), so the HR Manager can focus on leading HR for the division and escalate complex matters appropriately.

Help shape the division’s talent acquisition strategy — in partnership with the Head of the Carwash Division and the Director of HR — and drive its execution day to day: a deliberate, multi‑channel approach to attracting frontline talent, including career fairs, community sourcing, and recruiting collateral developed with Marketing.

Own the applicant tracking system: open and manage requisitions on behalf of store managers, keep the pipeline healthy, and report on hiring outcomes.

Coach store managers on sound, compliant hiring practices and oversee the recruiting process end to end.

Employee Relations & Manager Partnership

Serve as the first point of contact for managers and employees across all sites, and the day-to-day HR partner who coaches frontline managers and builds their capability.

Own employee relations matters and workplace investigations, escalating to the Director of HR and counsel when warranted.

Performance Management

Own the performance management framework, coaching frameworks, and documentation standards for the division.

Serve as a thought partner to managers on PIPs and corrective action and maintain the supporting documentation.

Training & Workplace Safety

Own the relationship with the third‑party vendor that develops the division’s safety and compliance programs — including the IIPP (Injury & Illness Prevention Program), WVPP (Workplace Violence Prevention Plan), and HazCom — managing the vendor, keeping the programs current, and ensuring they’re implemented across sites.

Assign required training across the workforce and track it to completion: mandated training (CA harassment‑prevention / SB 1343), safety and program training, and new‑hire training.

Develop people‑focused training and a counsel‑partnered compliance training for store managers, in collaboration with the Director of HR and division leadership.

Compliance & Risk Mitigation

Serve as the compliance lead for the Carwash unit across CA, TX, and federal requirements — monitoring wage‑and‑hour (meal/rest, regular rate of pay, overtime), final‑pay timing, wage‑statement accuracy, workplace postings, and mandated reporting — partnering with the payroll outsourcer, counsel, and the Director of HR to catch risk early and handle complex matters.

Own source‑data accuracy and cutoffs, liaise with site managers on hours, and serve as the validation checkpoint — reviewing the payroll preview before lock so errors are caught before they reach employees.

Field first‑line pay questions and route exceptions to the PMG payroll lead.

Own day‑to‑day benefits administration for Carwash employees — new‑hire enrollment, qualifying life events, benefits‑during‑leave coordination, and employee questions — and partner with PMG/Finance on monthly billing reconciliation.

Own the relationship with the workers’‑comp TPA, claims management, OSHA 300/300A recordkeeping, and return‑to‑work / light‑duty coordination.

Own new‑hire setup and records initiation, onboarding packets and required notices, I‑9 completion, and confirmation that every required step is done.

Own offboarding: separation processing, COBRA administration, separation documentation, and unemployment‑claim response; HR Systems, Records & Documentation

Own HRIS management and data integrity across the division’s legal entities, including employee files and I‑9 storage.

Maintain the employee handbook, HR policies, and BU SOPs — current and consistent with practice, under the Director of HR’s governance.

3-5 years of progressive HR experience, ideally as a generalist who has independently owned HR in a multi‑site environment.

Demonstrated employee‑relations and workplace‑investigation experience.

HRIS proficiency and strong documentation discipline.

Willingness to travel ~20-25% across multiple sites and between states.

Bilingual knowledge (English/Spanish) — a strong plus for a frontline, multi‑site workforce.

Background in retail, QSR, hospitality, or another multi‑unit, frontline‑workforce industry.

Hands‑on experience with Paylocity (our HRIS platform) a plus.

Experience partnering with an outsourced payroll provider and validating payroll for accuracy.

Track record of standing up programs from scratch (employer brand, training, analytics).

PMG offers a comprehensive benefits package for full‑time employees. Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Company‑paid basic life and AD&D insurance, with voluntary supplemental coverage available

401(k) retirement plan with company match

Paid time off and paid company holidays

Complimentary or discounted car washes and other employee perks

The range reflects base salary only and does not include bonus, benefits, or other forms of compensation. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

#J-18808-Ljbffr Paek Management Group