HR Generalist / Safety, Risk and Compliance Manager

The Human Resources Generalist/Safety, Risk and Compliance Manager supports a safe, engaged, and compliant workplace by maintaining a visible presence with frontline employees, building trust with staff and supervisors, and helping identify safety concerns, operational pain points, and workplace challenges. This role partners with leaders and employees to strengthen safety awareness, support practical training, coach employees and supervisors through difficult situations, and ensure HR, safety, risk, and compliance practices meet the needs of the business.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Maintain a visible presence with frontline employees to build trust, understand concerns, and reinforce a positive, safety-focused culture.
• Partner with supervisors and employees to identify safety concerns, operational pain points, communication gaps, and recurring workplace challenges.
• Develop, coordinate, and support safety programs through employee engagement, safety contacts, observations, inspections, audits, and incident follow-up.
• Promote a Safety-First culture by recognizing safe behaviors, addressing unsafe practices early, and encouraging employee participation in safety improvement.
• Conduct routine safety and environmental inspections, communicate findings, recommend corrective actions, and follow up to ensure issues are resolved.
• Support accident investigations, workers’ compensation claims, injury management, and root cause analysis to prevent recurrence.
• Instruct and coach employees and supervisors on implementing safety best practices, required procedures, and corrective actions in their daily work.
• Coach supervisors and employees on handling difficult situations, de-escalating conflict, and communicating professionally with employees, customers, and coworkers.
• Develop practical tools, scenarios, talking points, or training concepts to help staff respond consistently to challenging people or situations.
• Assist supervisors with performance management, corrective action, disciplinary matters, feedback conversations, and employee relations concerns.
• Support recruiting, onboarding, retention, employee development, and training initiatives that meet the needs of each division.
• Ensure compliance with employment laws, OSHA standards, DOT requirements, company policies, and other applicable regulatory obligations.
• Maintain required compliance tracking, including DOT driver compliance, Fed Med, driver license, PSP/MVR reviews, UST, liquor license, ServSafe, SDS, and other business-unit requirements.
• Administer or support HR processes including employee records, HRIS, payroll, benefits, compensation, FMLA, short-term disability, 401(k), and related documentation.
• Analyze HR, safety, and incident trends to recommend practical process improvements, training needs, or risk-reducing solutions.
• Coordinate fleet, facility, vendor, lease, and property-related activities as needed to support safe operations and compliance.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATION, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Safety, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Minimum of 5 years of HR generalist, employee relations, safety, compliance, or operations leadership experience preferred.
• Prior experience in a multi-location, frontline, retail, agriculture, energy, transportation, warehouse, or service-based environment strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience building relationships with frontline employees, supervisors, and senior leaders.
• Experience supporting workplace safety programs, safety meetings, inspections, incident follow-up, and corrective action processes.
• Working knowledge of OSHA, DOT, employment laws, workers’ compensation, FMLA, FLSA, ADA, and related compliance requirements.
• OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 certification preferred, or willingness to obtain within a defined period after hire.
• HR certification such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR preferred but not required.
• Strong coaching, communication, conflict resolution, and de-escalation skills.
• Ability to assess workplace concerns, identify root causes, and recommend practical solutions.
• Comfortable being visible and present in frontline work areas, including regularly engaging employees and supervisors in operational settings.
• Ability to develop practical training tools, talking points, scenarios, and discussion guides for supervisors and employees.
• Strong judgment, professionalism, confidentiality, and ability to handle sensitive employee matters.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, compliance records, and follow-up items.
• Proficiency with HRIS systems, Microsoft Office, and related HR, safety, or compliance tracking tools.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to be insured under company insurance requirements.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Ability to apply federal, state, and local employment and safety requirements, including FMLA, FLSA, ADA, and OSHA, to retail, agriculture, and transportation operations.
• Excellent problem-solving and conflict resolution abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal skills for navigating sensitive issues
• Ability to build relationships with employees, supervisors, and senior leadership to foster collaboration and engagement.
• Capacity to adapt HR practices and approaches to the unique needs of our business.
• Maintains confidentiality and sound judgment when handling sensitive employee, wage, safety, and business information.
• Ability to lead teams thru empathy, good judgment and exceptional communication

WORKING CONDITIONS

Position requires this candidate to work 45 hour per week in this full-time exempt position.
Must be able to periodically lift up to 30 pounds

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER