People & Culture Specialist

ABOUT ROLAND FOODS Roland Foods, LLC, based in New York City, is an importer and distributor of high-quality specialty food products from more than 40 countries. Founded in Paris in 1934 and established in the U.S. in 1939, the Company provides customers with exceptional specialty foods, primarily offered under the Roland brand. The company sells its quality foods across the foodservice, retail, and industrial channels as well as internationally. Foodservice is the heart of the business, with the Roland® brand being one of the esteemed back-of-house brands in the industry. Roland Foods’ is the original purveyor of the world’s finest flavors and its assortment is unrivalled, with products spanning global cuisine segments: from French Dijon mustard, to Israeli couscous, to Thai fish sauce, to Mexican salsa macha, Roland Foods procures ingredients from the places that make them best. And for this the Roland® brand is synonymous with quality, authenticity and creativity for the consumer and chef alike. ABOUT THE ROLE The People & Culture Specialist plays a critical role in shaping a positive, engaging, and highly compliant workplace environment at Roland Foods. This role is responsible for supporting key employee lifecycle processes, including leave administration, onboarding, offboarding, and compliance initiatives. Serving as a trusted resource for employees, the People & Culture Specialist helps ensure a seamless employee experience while maintaining operational excellence and adherence to employment laws and company policies. Based in Roland Foods' New York office, this position partners closely with employees across the company to deliver consistent People & Culture support and programs. In addition to owning several core HR processes, the role will contribute to cross-functional projects and broader People & Culture initiatives that support the employee experience, organizational effectiveness, and company growth. *** This position will require approximately two days a month working from the New Jersey office.*** As a response to the pandemic, Roland Foods office employees have transitioned to a hybrid working schedule, requiring employees to report in-person Tuesday through Thursday, with the option to telework on Monday and Friday each week. Due to the collaborative, cross-functional nature of the organization, employees at the NY and NJ offices are required to work in-person for the abovementioned days, outside of any People & Culture-approved disability accommodation request. RESPONSIBILITIES Leave of Absence (LOA) Management: Administer and continuously improve leave of absence processes, guiding employees through the leave lifecycle, coordinating with managers, payroll, maintaining compliance, and ensuring accurate documentation and communication throughout the process. Onboarding: Manage and support the end-to-end onboarding experience, including I-9 and E-Verify administration, HRIS and payroll updates, and new hire orientations. Offboarding: Coordinate employee separation processes by managing offboarding workflows and ensure all documentation and transitions are completed accurately and timely. Compliance & HR Administration: Coordinate annual compliance training programs, draft employment-related documentation, support regulatory and unemployment-related requests, maintain HR records and systems, and help ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment requirements. Support & Partnership: Serve as a People & Culture resource for employees by building strong relationships, and providing day-to-day support QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS Required 2-3 years of Human Resources experience with a foundational understanding of HR compliance and day-to-day HR operations Strong organizational skills, project management capabilities, and attention to detail, with the proven ability to work independently and manage competing priorities Demonstrated success in a dynamic and entrepreneurial environment, with the ability…