People & Culture Manager

Position summary

The HR Manager leads the day to day People & Culture work for an assigned hotel property. Reporting to the Complex Director of People & Culture, the HR Manager independently manages routine employee relations matters, workplace investigations, union contract administration, California compliance support, and core HR operations. The role partners closely with hotel leaders and colleagues, applies company standards consistently, and escalates sensitive, high risk, or precedent setting matters to the Complex Director.

This is a property based HR management role with independent responsibility for daily execution. Professional fluency in English and Spanish, both spoken and written, is required to support colleagues in this union hotel.

Essential job duties and responsibilities:

HR operations and compliance

• Manage daily People & Culture operations, including colleague questions, payroll and timekeeping coordination, benefits administration support, onboarding, required notices, recordkeeping, and confidential documentation.
• Maintain accurate, complete, and confidential employee records in the designated HR system and support audits, reporting, and document retention requirements.
• Apply company policies and support compliance with applicable federal, California, and local employment requirements. Identify issues that require prompt review and escalate legal questions to the Complex Director or appropriate specialist.
• Guide managers and colleagues on HR policies, procedures, and workplace practices, and provide clear follow through on questions and requests.

Safety and compliance support

• Participate in hotel safety meetings and help coordinate, document, and follow up on assigned action items with hotel leaders.
• Support workplace safety training, incident reporting, required records, and compliance documentation in partnership with hotel leadership and the appropriate safety or risk resource.
• Help identify and promptly escalate workplace hazards, recurring safety concerns, and compliance gaps. Track assigned corrective actions through completion without replacing the responsibilities of hotel operations or designated safety leaders.

Employee relations, investigations, and labor relations

• Serve as a point of contact for employee concerns, workplace questions, and conflict resolution. Coach managers on conduct, attendance, performance, corrective action, and respectful communication.
• Conduct and document fair, timely, and impartial workplace investigations, including intake, interview planning, evidence review, findings, and recommended next steps. Protect confidentiality to the extent practical and escalate sensitive or high risk matters.
• Administer the applicable collective bargaining agreement and related memoranda under the Complex Director’s oversight. Track grievance steps and deadlines, interpret contract terms, verify classifications and wage schedules, and coordinate required referrals and communications with labor representatives.
• Support consistent application of labor agreement requirements in hotel operations and raise potential disputes, protected activity, or organizing sensitivity promptly.

Talent acquisition and onboarding

• Partner with department managers to confirm staffing needs and coordinate recruitment, candidate sourcing, interviews, selection documentation, and offers through the approved hiring process.
• Coordinate onboarding, orientation, and required training so new colleagues receive a welcoming and consistent introduction to Proper Hospitality, hotel operations, policies, and expectations.

Performance, engagement, and development

• Support performance reviews, goal setting, manager feedback, coaching, and performance improvement plans. Help leaders document expectations and follow up consistently.
• Work with hotel leadership to identify employee engagement, recognition, retention, and workplace culture opportunities. Support wellness initiatives and share available company resources when colleagues request support.
• Identify training needs with department leaders and coordinate learning and development opportunities for colleagues and managers.

Compensation, benefits, and reporting

• Help colleagues navigate approved compensation and benefit programs and route questions to the appropriate People & Culture, Finance, or benefits resource.
• Support compensation processes by maintaining documentation and coordinating approved salary review steps. The HR Manager does not set pay bands or independently approve compensation outside delegated authority.
• Monitor and report assigned People & Culture measures such as turnover, retention, engagement, hiring activity, and training completion. Identify trends and support improvement efforts with the Complex Director.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field required.
• Three to five years of human resources experience, including employee relations, recruitment, and HR operations.
• Professional fluency in both Spanish and English, spoken and written, required. Must be able to explain workplace processes, receive employee concerns, and communicate job related information accurately in either language.
• Demonstrated experience administering a collective bargaining agreement, interpreting contract language, managing grievance steps or deadlines, and working with union representatives.
• Experience conducting workplace investigations and documenting findings.
• Working knowledge of California employment requirements and ability to recognize when a matter needs prompt escalation or specialist advice.
• Hotel or other 24 hour hospitality operations experience strongly preferred.

Skills and specialized knowledge

• Strong judgment, discretion, organization, problem solving, and conflict resolution skills.
• Clear written and verbal communication in English and Spanish, with the ability to build trust with hourly colleagues, managers, and hotel leadership.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast paced hotel environment while maintaining accurate documentation and timely follow through.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and HR information systems, with UKG or comparable HRIS experience preferred. SHRM CP, PHR, or another relevant HR certification and prior HR leadership experience are preferred.

Physical demands and work environment

This on property hotel role requires regular movement through the People & Culture office, colleague areas, and operating departments, periods of seated computer work, occasional lifting or carrying up to 20 pounds, and occasional travel for recruiting or training. Reasonable accommodation will be considered consistent with applicable law.

Why Join Proper Hospitality

At Proper, we build experiences that move people — and that begins with the team behind them. As a best-in-class employer, we’re committed to creating one of the Best Places to Work in hospitality by nurturing a culture where creativity, excellence, and humanity thrive together.

Everything we do is grounded in the belief that hospitality is more than a profession - it’s an opportunity to care for others and make lives better. Guided by the Pillars of Proper, we show up with warmth and authenticity (Care Proper), strive for excellence in everything we do (Achieve Proper), think creatively and resourcefully (Imagine Proper), and take pride in the style and culture that make us who we are (Present Proper).

We believe our people are our greatest strength, and we invest deeply in their wellbeing, growth, and sense of belonging. From comprehensive benefits to meaningful development programs, Proper is designed to help you build a career, and a life, that feels as inspiring as the experiences we create for our guests.

Our Commitment: Building the Best Place to Work

Our Best Place to Work initiative is a living commitment — a continuous investment in our people, our culture, and our purpose. We listen, learn, and evolve together to create an environment where everyone feels empowered to imagine boldly, achieve confidently, care deeply, and present themselves authentically.

At Proper, joining the team means more than finding a job — it means joining a community that believes in building beautiful experiences together, for our guests and for one another.

Proper Hospitality is an equal-opportunity employer. We provide employment opportunities to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, gender identity or expression, genetics, or any other federally or state-protected category.

We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in accordance with local Fair Chance Hiring Ordinances.