People & Development Manager
Job description
About the role
This role reports to the Regional Head of People and manages employment, compliance, and engagement for two sites.
People teams handle hiring, development, and employee experience. Recruiters find and screen candidates. HR partners advise managers on policy and performance. People operations run payroll, benefits, and compliance. The work requires discretion, fairness, and clear communication. People teams support employees through every stage, from hiring to exit. Most companies run structured processes for reviews, compensation, and policy changes.
Key facts
What you'll do
Employment and compliance processes maintain adherence to company policies and procedures across sites.
Recruitment and screening coordinate activities such as outreach, interviews, background checks, and reference verification for Soho House personnel. Employee transitions including hire, transfer, and promotion are recommended or approved, and FLSA reviews determine employee status when necessary.
Training and development are managed with local leadership to support staff growth.
Payroll elements like wage and hour practices are monitored alongside promotions, transfers, and other employee transitions. Safety and loss prevention practices are tracked through incentives and compliance with HR related Loss Prevention SOPs. Turnover reports are monitored and analyzed to understand hiring and termination trends using data metrics.
Employee engagement is sustained through programs such as Employee of the Month and other recognition initiatives. Staff development is supported by coaching, counseling, progressive discipline, and terminations when required.
Requirements
A minimum of 5 years of progressive Human Resources management experience in a hotel or related industry is required, or a bachelor's degree is preferred.
Experience with HRIS, payroll, and Applicant Tracking Systems is required. Compensation benchmarking and work with variable compensations such as bonuses is required.
Familiarity with California employment and labor laws is required, along with experience conducting employee investigations.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills are imperative. Adaptability to changing priorities, handling multiple projects, and meeting deadlines are required.
Proficiency in Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint is required. Knowledge of California employment and labor laws is required.
Team leadership through effective management skills is required. Detail orientation, sound judgment, and strong interpersonal skills are required.
Skilled and experienced decision-making is required.
Practical notes
The position requires participation in union, government, and regulatory hearings as needed.
Typical interview steps
People team interviews usually include a case scenario, a policy question, and behavioral rounds. Candidates may be asked to design an interview process or handle a sensitive employee situation. Confidentiality and judgment are tested throughout. Structured answers with empathy land best. Interviewers often test how you handle sensitive information and disagreement. Framing answers around policy, fairness, and company values works well.
Good to know
Generalist HR roles cover policy, recruitment, payroll, and employee relations across multiple sites. Human Resources Information Systems support compliance, payroll, and workforce analytics in modern hospitality environments. California labor law heavily influences hiring, compensation, and termination practices in the state. Training programs, performance evaluations, and structured onboarding processes standardize team development. Leadership influence guides consistency, documentation, and cross department alignment.
Questions to ask
Useful questions for the interview: what a typical week looks like, how work is assigned, what tools the team uses, and how feedback works. Asking how the role has changed recently and what the team wishes it had known when joining is also reasonable. Questions about the manager's priorities are especially valued.
Career growth
People careers grow from coordinator to generalist, manager, and director levels. Recruiters can move into talent leadership. HR partners can move into people operations leadership. Business acumen becomes more important at each level. People careers reward breadth across recruitment, development, and operations. Experience with tools such as HRIS and ATS systems helps at every level.