HR & Payroll Generalist

Kitchen Brains; Stratford (CT); Presencial; USD 75 000 - 110 000; Tempo integral

Vantagens oferecidas por esta oferta de emprego

Competitive benefits

On-site role in Stratford, CT

Resumo da oferta

Kitchen Brains, Stratford, CT, is seeking an hands-on HR & Payroll Generalist to run HR as a shared service across their operations in Stratford and Fort Myers. You will own payroll via ADP TotalSource, administer benefits and compliance, and drive workforce analytics for leadership.

You’ll be on the manufacturing floor, building trust with hourly staff, and partnering with Operations on staffing and overtime while shaping the HR function as the company grows through organic and acquisitive

Qualificações

• 3–7 years of HR generalist experience, including at least 2 years supporting hourly manufacturing employees.
• Hands-on payroll ownership for 100+ employees; PEO experience (ADP TotalSource preferred).
• Strong Excel skills; comfortable building reports, analyzing trends, and discussing data with Finance and leadership.
• Working knowledge of FLSA, FMLA, ADA, ACA, and multi-state wage and hour rules.
• Bachelor’s degree in HR, business, or related field, or equivalent experience.

Responsabilidades

• Be present on the shop floor weekly; build trust with hourly employees and supervisors.
• Own bi-weekly payroll for hourly and salaried staff via ADP TotalSource; review time and resolve exceptions.
• Process new hires, terminations, pay changes, leaves, and PTO accurately.
• Maintain HRIS data integrity and reconcile benefit deductions and invoices.
• Produce a monthly HR dashboard for leadership and assist with headcount planning.

Conhecimentos

HR generalist

Payroll management

Employee relations

HR policies & compliance

Multi‑state wage & hour rules

Data-driven decision making

Formação académica

Bachelor's degree in HR, business, or related field

Ferramentas

ADP TotalSource

Excel

Descrição da oferta de emprego

HR & Payroll Generalist

Job Description

Location: Stratford, CT (on-site, with periodic travel to Fort Myers, FL)

Company Overview

Kitchen Brains (Stratford, CT, with a UK office) designs and manufactures intelligent appliance controls for the commercial foodservice industry. Its sister company, Micro Control Systems (Fort Myers, FL), was acquired in 2025. Together, the companies employ roughly 165 people across manufacturing, engineering, and sales, and are private equity–backed, with an active growth and acquisition strategy.

Position Summary

We are hiring a hands‑on HR & Payroll Generalist to run HR as a shared service across both companies. You will own the function hands‑on, using ADP TotalSource as our payroll, benefits, and HR platform. As we grow organically and through acquisitions, this role offers the opportunity to shape and build out the HR team.

This job is built around three things: being a trusted, visible presence on our manufacturing floors; running accurate payroll and HR operations; and turning workforce data into planning and risk insights for leadership.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Employee Relations and the Manufacturing Floor (top priority)

• Be present on the production floor every week; build trust with hourly employees, leads, and supervisors.
• Serve as the first point of contact for employee concerns; investigate and resolve issues fairly, quickly, and with documentation.
• Coach supervisors on attendance, performance, discipline, and difficult conversations.
• Run onboarding, safety orientation, and retention efforts for direct labor.
• Partner with Operations on shift staffing, temp labor, and overtime needs.

Payroll and HR Operations

• Own bi‑weekly payroll for hourly and salaried staff through ADP TotalSource: review time, approve changes, and resolve exceptions before each run.
• Process new hires, terminations, pay changes, leaves, and PTO accurately and on time.
• Reconcile benefit deductions and invoices; provide payroll reports to Accounting for GL posting.
• Administer 401(k), benefits, ACA, workers’ comp, and multi‑state compliance, using ADP TotalSource tools and resources.
• Manage temp agency timesheets and invoices; maintain personnel files and HRIS data integrity.

Workforce Analytics and Planning

• Produce a monthly HR dashboard for leadership: headcount, turnover, overtime, absenteeism, open roles, time‑to‑fill, and labor cost by entity and department.
• Partner with Finance on headcount budgets, forecasts, and labor cost variances.
• Identify personnel risks: retirement and flight risk, single points of failure, succession gaps, and compensation outliers.
• Support annual talent reviews, org design, and team planning with managers.

Shared Services, M&A, and Compliance

• Lead HR for both Kitchen Brains and MCS, including periodic on‑site support in Fort Myers.
• Harmonize policies, handbooks, and benefits across entities.
• Support acquisition due diligence and integration: headcount, compensation, benefits, and retention planning.
• Maintain compliance with federal, state (CT, FL, NJ), and UK employment requirements, with outside advisors as needed.
• Lead recruiting end‑to‑end, with emphasis on direct labor and technical roles.

Required Education and Experience

Required:

• 3–7 years of HR generalist experience, including at least 2 years supporting hourly manufacturing or plant employees.
• Hands‑on payroll ownership for 100+ employees; PEO experience (ADP TotalSource preferred).
• Strong Excel skills; comfortable building reports, analyzing trends, and discussing data with Finance and leadership.
• Working knowledge of FLSA, FMLA, ADA, ACA, and multi‑state wage and hour rules.
• Bachelor’s degree in HR, business, or related field, or equivalent experience.

Preferred:

• PHR or SHRM‑CP.
• Experience in a PE‑backed or acquisitive company, including integrations.
• Multi‑site or multi‑entity