People Operations Specialist

ABOUT ALBERT USTER IMPORTS Albert Uster Imports, Inc. (“AUI”) is a privately held gourmet food company headquartered in the Washington, DC area (Gaithersburg, MD) with warehouse locations in Kansas City, Las Vegas, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Gurnee and Gaithersburg. AUI falls under the Vestar Capital Partners portfolio with affiliate organization, Roland Foods, LLC. Founded in 1968, the company offers over 1,400 products from around the world. We serve leading hotels, restaurants, casinos, cruise lines, airlines, and manufacturers with innovative, high quality products and solutions to their most demanding culinary challenges. We operate a network of distribution centers across the U.S. and serve select international markets as well. AUI has a national direct selling organization of over 60 sales professionals and a staff of culinary experts (chefs and food scientists) adept at custom product solutions. ABOUT THE ROLE The People Operations Specialist plays a critical role in supporting Human Resource programming in a positive, engaging, and highly compliant workplace environment. This position is responsible for managing key employee lifecycle processes, including onboarding, offboarding, employee relations, performance management support, leave and accommodation administration, compliance initiatives, and day-to-day people operations for employees across all locations. Additionally, serving as a trusted advisor to the Distribution Center network and a resource for employees, the People Operations Specialist provides guidance on policies, performance, compliance requirements, and safety programs while helping ensure a consistent and seamless employee experience. In addition to owning core People & Culture processes, this role partners closely with leaders across the organization to support organizational effectiveness, employee engagement, and continuous improvement initiatives. The Specialist plays a key role in maintaining compliance, supporting training and culture-building programs, and fostering a fair, inclusive, and high-performing workplace. This is an exciting opportunity to join an innovative, food-focused organization passionate about the diversity of cuisines and the power of food to bring people together. The ideal candidate is thoughtful, detail-oriented, solution-focused, and committed to delivering exceptional support to employees and leaders alike. As a response to the pandemic, Albert Uster Imports Inc. office employees have transitioned to a hybrid working schedule, requiring employees to report in-person Monday through Wednesday, with the option to telework on Thursday and Friday each week. Due to the collaborative, cross-functional nature of the organization, employees at the Gaithersburg office are required to work in-person for the abovementioned days, outside of any People & Culture-approved disability accommodation request. RESPONSIBILITIES Employee Life Cycle Programs: Own, facilitate, and continuously improve programs including onboarding, offboarding, leave of absence and accommodation management, training, performance management support, and employee relations administration, ensuring effective, timely, and compliant execution for employees across all locations Distribution Center Business Partner: Serve as a trusted advisor to Distribution Center leaders and employees by providing guidance on employee relations, performance management, policy interpretation, compliance requirements, workplace concerns, and other people-related matters PEO/HRIS Administration: Maintain accurate employee data and records within the P&C platform, support reporting and analytics, generate workforce metrics, resolve data discrepancies, and ensure the integrity of P&C operations HR Programs: Lead and support P&C initiatives including our compliance, safety, DEIB training, and policy development while identifying opportunities to improve processes, enhance employee experience, and strengthen organizational effectiveness Compliance & Culture: Ensure adherence to company policies, regulatory requirements, emergency preparedness standards, and DEIB principles while fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, inclusion, and belonging throughout the organization Team Support: Provide administrative and functional support across all P&C disciplines, respond to employee inquiries, escalate concerns as appropriate, and complete ad hoc projects to support business objectives Travel : You will be expected to visit 3-4 Distribution Centers a year with additional travel for high need situations QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS Required 3-5 years of experience in HR, compliance, or employee relations support Strong communication, interpersonal, and project management skills, with the ability to organize multiple priorities and maintain a high level of attention to detail Ability to partner effectively with cross-functional leaders, providing practical guidance and sound judgement in a fast-paced, fluid environment A self-starter who is willing to “roll up their sleeves” and perform multiple tasks independently as a resource for employees and the business Strong sense of follow-through and commitment to timely and accurate completion of tasks A passion for food and people! Preferred Strong preference for bi-lingual with English and Spanish Experience handling confidential and sensitive information Experience supporting distribution, warehouse, logistics or manufacturing environments Working knowledge of employee relations, leave management, and performance management best practices, knowledge of federal and state compliance standards Desire to grow in a career in HR and interest in DEIB initiatives Bachelor’s degree in human resource management or business i