Senior HR Generalist

Position Summary

The Senior Human Resources Generalist serves as a trusted business partner to organizational leaders and employees across cultivation, manufacturing, retail, and corporate functions. This role is responsible for leading employee relations, benefits administration, leave management, compliance, and retirement programs while supporting workforce planning and strategic HR initiatives. The Senior HR Generalist collaborates closely leadership throughout the company to foster a positive employee experience, ensure legal compliance, and align people strategies with business objectives.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Talent Acquisition & Recruitment

• Lead full-cycle recruitment for retail, cultivation, manufacturing, and corporate positions, including workforce planning, sourcing, screening, interviewing, selection, and onboarding.

• Partner with hiring managers and operational leaders to understand staffing needs, develop recruiting strategies, and ensure timely hiring to support business objective.

• Manage job postings across internal and external recruitment platforms and maintain an active pipeline of qualified candidates.

• Conduct candidate screening, phone interviews, and coordinate interview processes while ensuring a positive candidate experience.

• Collaborate with leadership to establish competitive hiring practices, compensation recommendations, and offer strategies.

• Monitor and analyze recruitment metrics, including time-to-fill, source effectiveness, turnover trends, and hiring outcomes.

• Ensure compliance with company policies, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) requirements, and applicable federal, state, and local employment laws throughout the recruitment process.

• Support employer branding initiatives, hiring events, career fairs, community outreach efforts, and workforce development partnerships.

• Coordinate pre-employment activities, including background checks, employment verification, and onboarding requirements.

• Develop and maintain standardized recruiting processes, interview guides, and selection tools to improve hiring quality and consistency across all departments.

Employee Relations & Performance Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for employee relations matters, providing guidance and resolution on workplace concerns, investigations, disciplinary actions, and conflict management.

• Conduct thorough and objective investigations regarding employee complaints, policy violations, and workplace issues.

• Partner with managers to address performance concerns and facilitate corrective action processes.

• Coach leaders on employee engagement, performance management, communication, and leadership best practices.

• Promote a positive workplace culture and support employee retention initiatives.

Benefits Administration

• Manage the administration of employee benefits programs, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, and wellness initiatives.

• Serve as the primary liaison between employees, benefit providers, and brokers.

• Coordinate annual open enrollment activities, employee education, and benefit communications.

• Assist with benefits audits, reporting, and compliance requirements.

Leave Administration

• Administer all employee leave programs, including FMLA, ADA accommodations, and workers' compensation.

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local leave regulations.

• Coordinate interactive processes and accommodations with employees and management.

• Maintain accurate leave documentation and reporting.

Retirement Programs

• Oversee administration of the company's 401(k) retirement program.

• Coordinate employee enrollment, education, and compliance activities with plan providers.

• Support annual audits, nondiscrimination testing, and regulatory reporting requirements.

Strategic HR Partnership

• Partner with General Managers, Cultivation Director, Manufacturing Director, and department leaders to develop workforce strategies that support operational goals.

• Provide guidance on organizational structure, talent management, employee development, succession planning, and workforce planning.

• Analyze workforce trends and recommend solutions that improve employee engagement, retention, and organizational effectiveness.

• Participate in strategic initiatives that support company growth and operational excellence.

HR Compliance & Policy Administration

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.

• Maintain and update employee handbooks, policies, and HR procedures.

• Support preparation for audits and regulatory reviews within the cannabis industry.

• Monitor HR practices to ensure consistency, fairness, and compliance across locations.

• Ensure recruiting, onboarding, and employment practices align with all regulatory requirements in a highly regulated cannabis environment.

Additional Responsibilities

• Support onboarding and offboarding processes as needed.

• Maintain HRIS and employee records with a high degree of accuracy and confidentiality.

• Generate HR metrics and reports for leadership decision-making.

• Participate in special projects and process improvement initiatives.

• Travel between company locations as needed to support operational and workforce needs.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred.

• 5+ years of progressive HR experience, including employee relations and leave administration.

• 3+ years of full-cycle recruiting experience, including high-volume recruiting within retail, manufacturing, production, cultivation, distribution, or corporate environments preferred.

• Experience supporting manufacturing, cultivation, production, distribution, or other operational environments preferred.

• Experience recruiting for exempt and non-exempt positions across multiple business functions and geographic locations.

• Experience in a highly regulated industry, preferably cannabis, agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, or pharmaceuticals, is highly desirable.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong expertise in employee relations, investigations, benefits administration, leave management, talent acquisition, and HR compliance. 

• Strong knowledge of full-cycle recruitment, sourcing strategies, interviewing techniques, and talent acquisition best practices. 

• Working knowledge of FMLA, ADA, FLSA, COBRA, HIPAA, ERISA, and applicable employment laws. 

• Experience utilizing applicant tracking systems (ATS), HRIS platforms, recruitment tools, and Microsoft Office Suite. 

• Ability to influence and build strong relationships with leaders at all levels. 

• Strong business acumen and strategic thinking skills. 

• Ability to manage multiple requisitions and competing priorities in a fast-paced, high-growth environment. 

• Strong understanding of workforce planning and talent pipeline development. 

• Excellent problem-solving, conflict resolution, and decision-making abilities. 

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills. 

• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and professionalism.

Preferred Certifications

• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification preferred.