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. Roland Foods sells its products 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.

The company is the original purveyor of the world's finest flavors, offering an unrivaled assortment of products spanning global cuisine segments: from French Dijon mustard to Israeli couscous, Thai fish sauce to Mexican salsa macha. Roland Foods procures ingredients from the places that make them best, making the Roland® brand synonymous with quality, authenticity, and creativity for consumers and chefs 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 supports key employee lifecycle processes, including leave administration, onboarding, offboarding, and compliance initiatives. Serving as a trusted resource for employees, the People & Culture Specialist ensures 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 requires approximately two days a month working from the New Jersey office.

Roland Foods office employees follow a hybrid working schedule, requiring in-person work 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 on the specified 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 and 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 ensuring 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.

Requirements

• 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 to balance multiple deadlines, adapt to changing business needs, and proactively plan ahead.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• A compliance-first mindset with the ability to exercise sound judgment and maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive employee matters.

Skills

• Experience with Microsoft Office applications (Teams, Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint), Slack, Monday.com, and HRIS and PEO platforms such as Justworks, TriNet, or Workday (preferred).
• Passion for Human Resources and creating positive employee experiences through thoughtful, responsive, and service-oriented support.
• Passion for all things food (preferred).

Pay

The base salary for this role will be $65,000-$75,000. Based on your qualifications, previous experience, and transferable skills, the company will determine the salary offered at its sole discretion.