Senior HR Specialist (CA - Hayward)

The Senior HR Specialist serves as the on-site HR partner and primary point of contact for our Hayward location, which includes the Central Kitchen and administrative offices supporting Dough Zone USA and Moji Food. 

This is a full-time individual contributor role with site-level ownership responsible for driving efficient, consistent, and compliant HR operations across the full employee lifecycle.

What you’ll do

• Serve as the primary on-site HR point of contact for day-to-day employee questions and HR matters, including employee concerns, grievances, and workplace conflict; conduct investigations and guide managers through corrective action, PIPs, and terminations
• Partner with the HR team to ensure compliance with multi-state employment laws including state-specific wage and hour, leave, and termination requirements
• Support the OSHA program including the Accident Prevention Program, Safety Data Sheet (SDS) reviews and maintenance across all locations, recordkeeping, incident reporting, 300 log compliance, and site safety inspections
• Own and manage workers' compensation claims end-to-end including filing, carrier coordination, light duty assignments, return-to-work, and workplace injury documentation
• Process and maintain employee data and personnel changes in HRIS including transfers, pay updates, status changes, and terminations
• Partner with and provide guidance to the HR Admin to coordinate onboarding and offboarding processes including I-9 compliance, system setup, voluntary separations, and the inactive termination process
• Maintain HR policies and the employee handbook; partner with operations leadership to ensure consistent application across both entities
• Oversee personnel file integrity, employment verifications, and audit readiness
• Support HR reporting, initiatives, and projects 

What you bring

• 5+ years of HR experience in a restaurant, food service, hospitality, or production/manufacturing environment
• Demonstrated experience managing employee relations cases including investigations, PIPs, and terminations
• Working knowledge of multi-state employment law including Texas, California, Oregon, and Washington, as well as federal regulations (FLSA, FMLA, EEOC, ADA, OSHA)
• Comfortable working on-site in a fast-paced, shift-based environment with a predominantly hourly workforce
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to build trust across all levels of the organization
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office or Google Suite; familiarity with HRIS platforms (ADP, JazzHR, or similar) preferred
• PHR, SHRM-CP, or equivalent certification preferred
• Bilingual in English and Spanish a plus
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred (not required)

Work Requirement

Must be able to work 100% on-site at our Hayward, CA location.

Pay Range: $80,000 - $100,000 

Why Join Us

• Competitive salary
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Sick Leave
• Paid Holidays
• 401(k) retirement plan (eligibility-based)
• Employee discount programs
• Opportunities for growth and career advancement

*Dough Zone USA is committed to creating a diverse work environment and are proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.  Dough Zone USA participates in the E-Verify program to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.