People Manager - Black Sheep Coffee

Location: Miami Office, Florida

Reports to: Managing Director, USA

Department: People

Employment Type: Full-time

Salary: Up to $110,000 per year, depending on experience

Role Overview

Black Sheep Coffee is seeking an experienced, commercially minded and hands-on People Manager to lead the Human Resources function across our growing US business.

Based at our US headquarters in Miami and reporting directly to the Managing Director, USA, this role will be the most senior People leader in the United States. The People Manager will also work closely with our Miami-based Co-CEOs and collaborate with the UK People Director to share best practices and maintain appropriate alignment across the wider group.

The role will oversee the full employee lifecycle across our US corporate business, including workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, employee relations, performance management, learning and development, compensation, benefits, payroll coordination, engagement, compliance and offboarding.

The People Manager will provide appropriate Human Resources standards, tools and guidance to our franchise network. Franchisees remain responsible for their own employment decisions and legal obligations as independent employers.

Alongside leading the People function, this individual will act as the de facto Office Manager for our Miami headquarters, ensuring it provides a safe, organized and effective working environment.

Key Responsibilities

People Strategy and Leadership

Develop and deliver a US People plan aligned with the Managing Director’s growth priorities and provide trusted, commercially balanced advice to the Managing Director, Co-CEOs and US leadership team.
Translate business plans into clear workforce requirements, organizational structures, recruitment priorities, succession plans and People budgets.
Build scalable Human Resources policies, processes, systems and controls that support corporate operations, franchise growth and new store openings.
Identify people, culture, capability and compliance risks early, presenting clear recommendations and ensuring agreed actions are completed.
Work closely with the UK People Director to align relevant policies, systems, leadership development and People standards while meeting US market requirements.

Talent Acquisition and Employee Lifecycle

Manage end-to-end recruitment for US corporate and support-office roles and lead or support recruitment for operational positions, including role definition, selection, compensation and hiring.
Build effective recruitment channels and talent pipelines to support business growth, succession planning and new store openings.
Oversee the employee lifecycle from offer and pre-employment screening through onboarding, employment changes, development and offboarding.
Ensure offer letters, background checks, employment eligibility documentation and employee records are accurate, compliant and completed on time.
Maintain secure and auditable personnel files, organization charts and workforce data within the relevant Human Resources and payroll systems.
Conduct or coordinate exit interviews, identify recurring themes and agree on appropriate actions with the relevant leaders.

Employee Relations, Compliance and Total Rewards

Manage all corporate employee relations matters, including conduct, performance, attendance, complaints, investigations, corrective action, appeals and terminations.
Provide fair, practical and well-documented advice to managers, personally managing sensitive or high-risk cases and engaging external employment counsel when appropriate.
Maintain compliant employee handbooks, policies, employment documentation and records, responding to changes in federal, state and local employment requirements.
Oversee the administration and review of compensation and benefits, including salary benchmarking, pay recommendations, annual enrollment and relationships with relevant providers.
Coordinate payroll inputs and approvals, ensuring compensation, bonuses, deductions, benefits and employee changes are processed accurately and on time.
Work with Finance to manage People costs, resolve payroll issues and provide accurate information for budgets and forecasts.

Performance, Development and Culture

Manage the US performance management process, ensuring goals, feedback, reviews and development plans are completed consistently.
Coach managers to lead effectively, address underperformance promptly and build strong, accountable teams.
Identify capability gaps and coordinate appropriate leadership, operational and compliance training.
Lead employee engagement and recognition initiatives, using employee feedback, retention data and exit trends to improve performance and the employee experience.
Promote Black Sheep Coffee’s values, expected behaviors and high-performance culture across the US business.

Franchise Support and Growth

Act as the primary US People contact for franchise partners regarding approved employment practices, workforce standards and Human Resources support.
Develop practical recruitment, onboarding, development and retention toolkits while maintaining appropriate boundaries between Black Sheep Coffee and each franchisee as an independent employer.
Identify recurring capability, conduct, culture or compliance concerns within the franchise network and escalate material business or brand risks.
Work with Operations to incorporate appropriate People standards into franchise onboarding, new-store readiness and ongoing business reviews.
Deliver People plans for new corporate store openings, covering workforce structure, recruitment, onboarding, training and opening readiness.

Miami Office Management

Act as the de facto Office Manager for the Miami headquarters, maintaining a safe, professional, welcoming and productive working environment.
Manage office supplies, equipment, access, meeting rooms, visitors, workplace postings and agreed office services.
Coordinate vendors, maintenance requirements, new-hire arrangements, leadership meetings and company events while managing office expenses.

Reporting and Continuous Improvement

Maintain a clear US People dashboard covering headcount, vacancies, recruitment, retention, turnover, attendance, employee relations, labor costs, engagement and compliance.
Provide regular reporting to the Managing Director and relevant stakeholders, with clear actions, owners and deadlines.
Use workforce data and employee insights to identify risks, trends and opportunities and recommend practical improvements.
Regularly review Human Resources systems, processes and external providers to ensure the function remains effective, well controlled and scalable.

Qualifications and Experience

Significant generalist Human Resources experience, ideally within a multi-unit hospitality, retail, foodservice or consumer business.
Proven experience operating as a senior People leader or trusted advisor to a Managing Director, founders or senior leadership team.
Strong practical experience across recruitment, employee relations, performance management, compensation, benefits, payroll coordination and employee lifecycle management.
Strong working knowledge of US federal employment law and relevant state and local requirements.
Experience supporting hourly and salaried employees across multiple locations and, ideally, multiple states.
Strong business judgment and proven experience managing complex employee relations matters, including investigations and terminations.
Experience building practical Human Resources policies, processes, reporting and infrastructure within a growing business.
Strong communication, coaching and stakeholder-management skills, with the confidence to challenge constructively and handle confidential information appropriately.
Experience supporting a franchise network or managing an office environment would be an advantage.
Ability to travel within the United States, with occasional international travel as required.
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

A relevant degree or recognized Human Resources certification, such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR or SPHR, would be preferred but is not required.

Benefits

Performance-based bonus of up to 15% of base salary per year.
15 days of paid time off, plus six federal holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Comprehensive health insurance, including medical, dental and vision coverage.
Eligibility to participate in the company’s 401(k) retirement plan.
Mobile phone allowance of up to $100 per month.
Free coffee at Black Sheep Coffee locations.
Discounted food and beverages at Black Sheep Coffee locations.
Quarterly take-home coffee orders, including pods, whole bean or ground coffee.
Summer and winter employee social events.
Career development opportunities within a high-growth international business.

US People Manager