People Partner - Palm Beach - Florida, US

Big Mamma•Palm Beach Gardens, FL

8d•Onsite

About The Position

When Big Mamma set out to reimagine Italian dining, we had a simple, audacious dream: build places where hospitality is heartfelt, the food is wildly abundant, and the room crackles with energy before you even sit down. Now, we’re bringing that passion to the US. We are landing in Southern Florida with big ambition, genuine humility, and an eager appetite to learn from the incredible local talent around us. Together, Carmine’s & Big Mamma Group are launching an exciting expansion strategy across the United States, combining Carmine’s deep market knowledge with Big Mamma’s globally recognized restaurant concepts and distinctive brand identity. Carmine’s Gourmet Market offers butcher meats, seafood, produce, baked goods, delicatessen items, imported cheeses, wine, specialty groceries and prepared meals. Carmine’s La Trattoria is an authentic Italian restaurant that operates alongside the market and serves incredible dishes in a waterfront dining room. This partnership marks the beginning of a long-term development project aimed at creating landmark hospitality destinations and delivering unforgettable guest experiences throughout Southern Florida. As our first dedicated People Partner on the ground, you will champion our people-first culture, protect our team through pristine compliance, and shape the end-to-end employee experience as we write our next chapter in the US. You won’t just be keeping the HR machinery running, you will be the key player on all things HR during our American launch.

Requirements

5+ years of progressive HR/People experience in multi-unit operations.
Backgrounds in high-volume hospitality, restaurant groups, retail, or fast-paced corporate HR environments are all welcome, operational chops and labor law fluency matter most.
Demonstrated expertise in US employment law, Form I-9 audits, payroll tracking, and workforce record-keeping.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to partner constructively with diverse operational leaders and restaurant teams.
Fluent in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and comfortable managing HRIS platforms.
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
Currently based or willing to independently relocate to Palm Beach area.

Responsibilities

Maintain audit-ready, secure employee records in our HRIS, upholding strict US data privacy standards and personnel confidentiality.
Lead the Right to Work (Form I-9/E-Verify) process with total precision, conducting regular audits to guarantee valid work authorization across all restaurant teams.
Drive seamless documentation management, issuing offer letters, employment agreements, probation notices, and variations to terms and conditions.
Guarantee Day 1 readiness for every new joiner with timely access and paperwork. Process leavers with accuracy, managing final pay calculations, accrued PTO/holiday balances, and final separation documentation.
Track payroll adjustments, leave updates, and status changes, delivering precise data to the Payroll team within established deadlines.
Partner with restaurant managers to navigate employee relations with fairness and care. Take lead notes during investigations and hearings, draft formal correspondence, and maintain immaculate case records.
Guide managers through sickness absence, unauthorized leave, and return-to-work protocols to keep operations balanced and supported.
Identify complex or sensitive employment law matters early, escalating them to the Operations Director US to protect both our people and our business.
Ensure every operational HR action strictly aligns with company policies, Florida state labor regulations, and federal employment laws.
Oversee the probation review workflow, gathering actionable feedback from managers and issuing appropriate milestone documentation.
Conduct thorough exit interviews with departing team members, translating feedback into meaningful insights for Senior Leadership.
Facilitate monthly staff round tables to capture real-time team sentiment and champion local engagement initiatives.
Drive the execution of our annual engagement survey, handling distribution, data collection, and action-plan administration.
Support the Talent Acquisition team through active growth phases by coordinating interview schedules and delivering a warm candidate experience.
Execute onboarding logistics and HR administrative readiness for upcoming restaurant openings in Florida.
Maintain proactive, transparent alignment with the Operations Director US and CFO US.
Work seamlessly with Payroll & HR Admin and Talent Acquisition partners to deliver a unified HR service.
Act as a vibrant culture carrier for Big Mamma and partner values (including Carmine's and Ballyhoo Hospitality) across all restaurant locations.
Lead with unwavering ethics, discretion, and confidentiality across every touchpoint.