People Ops Partner / Generalist

The People Ops Partner / Generalist acts as the primary employee relations and manager support resource for the Western Region, combining hands-on HR case work with day-to-day people operations administration. The role also manages key HR processes across the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, offboarding, documentation, and HRIS support.

Role Scope

• Serve as the primary HR resource for employee relations matters across the Western Region, addressing topics such as complaints, workplace conflict, attendance issues, policy violations, misconduct, performance concerns, and disciplinary actions.
• Provide people-management support to managers, including guidance on performance management and difficult personnel decisions.
• Deliver People Ops administration for onboarding, offboarding, documentation, HRIS administration, employee status changes, exit interviews, and file maintenance.
• Maintain an onsite HR presence in Sifted workplaces to build trusted relationships while handling sensitive information with confidentiality and appropriate professional boundaries.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct employee relations intake conversations and lead workplace investigations, including interviewing employees, managers, and witnesses; gathering relevant documentation; recording findings; and determining whether escalation is required.
• Coach managers through performance management, corrective action, employee communication, conflict resolution, attendance management, and personnel decisions.
• Support managers with documented coaching, written warnings, performance improvement plans, final warnings, and terminations, helping ensure disciplinary decisions are documented and applied consistently.
• Participate in disciplinary and termination discussions when HR involvement is appropriate, and support follow-up with employees and managers after significant employee relations matters.
• Maintain clear, objective, timely, and confidential documentation related to complaints, investigations, discipline, performance management, and terminations.
• Identify matters that involve elevated legal, compliance, employee safety, retaliation, accommodation, leave, or reputational risk, and escalate appropriately to the HR Manager or senior leadership.
• Provide guidance on Sifted policies and HR procedures and help ensure consistent application across Western Region locations.
• Track recurring employee relations and people-management trends and partner with the HR Manager on opportunities to improve policies, manager training, documentation, and HR processes.
• Collaborate with Managing Chefs, City Managers, Account Managers, Regional Managers, and other people leaders to address workplace issues and strengthen manager accountability.
• Support manager HR training and clarify when leaders can manage matters independently versus when HR involvement is required.
• Assist with onboarding, offboarding, employee documentation, HRIS administration, and other administrative People support duties as needed.

Minimum Requirements

• At least 5 to 8 years of progressive Human Resources experience, including significant direct responsibility for employee relations.
• Experience conducting workplace investigations and supporting corrective action, performance management, and employee terminations.
• Experience coaching frontline and mid-level managers through difficult employee situations.
• Strong judgment to manage routine to moderately complex employee relations matters independently while recognizing escalation triggers.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including objective documentation of investigations, employee concerns, performance matters, and disciplinary decisions.
• Ability to communicate calmly and professionally during sensitive or emotionally challenging conversations.
• Strong understanding of confidentiality, documentation practices, and consistent application of company policies.
• Strong organization and ability to manage multiple active employee matters simultaneously.
• Experience supporting hourly employees and distributed or multi-location workforces is strongly preferred.
• Hospitality, food service, retail, logistics, healthcare, manufacturing, or other operational environments is strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with Washington and California employment requirements is strongly preferred.
• Experience working within an HRIS; Rippling experience is a plus.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace and related business tools.
• Ability to travel regularly between Seattle-area Sifted locations and periodically to other Western Region markets.

Eligibility and Certifications

• Must maintain a ServSafe Food Handler card (company-paid).

Work Location and Travel

• Based in Seattle, Washington and will operate out of multiple Sifted kitchens and client locations throughout the Seattle/Bellevue market.
• Expected to maintain a regular onsite presence in Sifted workplaces to conduct employee meetings and investigations and provide timely HR support.
• May periodically travel to other Western Region markets, including California and Colorado, as business needs require.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs, stand for long periods, and bend, squat, and reach.

Compensation

$75,000 to $85,000 per year (USD).

Benefits

• Company-sponsored health insurance plans, including 100% company-paid HDHP, plus vision and dental opt-in.
• 401(k) program after six months of employment.
• Unlimited PTO, paid company holidays, and paid winter break.
• Monthly cell phone usage reimbursement.
• Free lunch during meal service.
• 100% mileage reimbursement.
• Opportunities to take on larger roles within the organization.

Job Type and Schedule

• Full time
• Weekly day range: Monday to Friday

Tools and Technologies

• Rippling (plus)
• HRIS
• Google Workspace