HR Compliance Lead

Wella

4d•$150,000 - $165,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The HR Compliance Lead is the senior North America owner of HR compliance, governance, statutory reporting, and workplace investigations. The role sits within the global Employee & Labor Relations function, with hands-on knowledge of California and New York regulatory requirements and autonomous operational authority over US and Canadian compliance matters. This is a senior individual contributor role with end-to-end operational ownership. The role partners closely with Employment Counsel, Global Employee & Labour Relations, People Business Partners, Total Rewards, Talent & DEI, Risk Control & Audit, and Global Facilities / EHS.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required.
Minimum 8 years of progressive experience in HR compliance, HR audit, or HR governance within a US corporate environment, including multi-state experience.
Deep, hands-on expertise in California and New York compliance requirements, including wage and hour, leave administration, pay transparency, and workplace safety.
Demonstrated end-to-end experience conducting workplace investigations.
Demonstrated experience with US statutory reporting cycles and OFCCP / Affirmative Action Plan preparation.
Working knowledge of federal and state employment laws and regulations, with US wage & hour depth.
Proficiency in SAP SuccessFactors and HR case management systems. Ability to partner with HRIS on compliance and audit workflows.
Ability to operate with high independence, manage multiple concurrent sensitive matters under regulatory deadlines, and deliver executive-level reporting.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in HR, or senior HR certification (SPHR, SHRM-SCP) preferred.
J.D. degree
Canadian HR compliance experience (federal and provincial).
Experience operating within a global matrix organization.
Experience with ethics hotline and case management platforms (e.g., Navex, EthicsPoint, or equivalent).

Responsibilities

Drive, own and maintain the NA HR policy library, including the US and Canadian employee handbooks, state-specific addenda, and all regional policies, including but not limited to those covering conduct, leave, accommodation, and separation.
Lead the annual policy review cycle in coordination with Employment Counsel and relevant Centers of Excellence. Translate federal, state, provincial, and local regulatory developments into clear policy and process updates.
Maintain version control, audit trail, and effective-date management. Document policy decisions and underlying compliance rationale in an audit-defensible manner.
Own the HR record retention schedule and oversee periodic audits of personnel files, investigation records, and I-9 documentation in coordination with Legal.
Monitor multi-state remote work compliance across all US states where employees are located, including jurisdictional triggers (tax registration, unemployment insurance, compliance obligations), new-hire reporting, state-specific leave laws, posting requirements, and wage and hour rules. Coordinate with Payroll and Legal.
Serve as the NA subject matter expert on California and New York HR compliance requirements, including wage and hour, leave administration, pay transparency, workplace safety, and applicable HR data privacy frameworks.
Operate the NA HR compliance calendar covering federal, state, and provincial filing deadlines, mandatory training cycles, and posting requirements.
Lead annual statutory reporting cycles (EEO-1, VETS, California Pay Data, OFCCP / Affirmative Action Plan submissions, and applicable state and provincial equivalents). Be accountable for data accuracy and timely submission.
Design and run periodic HR audits covering wage & hour, classification, leave administration, I-9 documentation, contingent workforce, and onboarding / offboarding compliance.
Maintain Cal/OSHA workplace safety plans (WVPP, IIPP) in partnership with Global Facilities / EHS. Perform compliance controls for North America in coordination with Risk, Control & Audit.
Own NA vendor relationships for HR compliance services (harassment prevention training, AAP preparation, I-9 management). Budget ownership, performance management, escalation handling.
Support agency-facing matters in coordination with Employment Counsel, including EEOC, DOL, California CRD, OFCCP, OSHA, and state and provincial regulator inquiries.
Conduct workplace investigations end-to-end across the NA workforce into allegations of misconduct, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and policy violations, applying the Global Investigation Guidelines.
Scope, plan, and execute investigations, including witness interviews, evidence handling, written reports with factual findings, recommended remediation, and interim protective measures. Develop and own regional investigation SLA.
Track patterns and themes across investigations. Report aggregate trends to HR leadership and Employment Counsel. Coordinate with external investigators or counsel where independence is required.
Ensure timely launch and completion of statutory training cycles across all NA jurisdictions.
Develop and deliver proactive manager training on documentation standards, anti-retaliation, leave and accommodation obligations, wage & hour basics, and performance management.
Translate policy into operational guidance for People Business Partners and line managers, and coordinate with Global Compliance on cross-regional rollouts and completion reporting.
Ability to simplify trainings and communications – consider automations wherever possible and think with an OpEx friendly view, enabling the business to deliver with speed and simplicity at a cost savings where possible.