People Ops Partner / Generalist (West Coast)

Sifted; Redwood City (CA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance (HDHP, company-paid)

401(k) program

Unlimited PTO

Paid holidays

Paid winter break

Cell phone reimbursement

Free lunch

Mileage reimbursement

Career growth opportunities

Job summary

Sifted is seeking an experienced People Ops Partner/Generalist to support employee relations and manager coaching across the Western Region. The role includes handling investigations, performance management, and disciplinary actions with confidentiality and strong documentation practices.

Based in Seattle with multi-location responsibilities, the position also covers onboarding, HRIS administration, and other lifecycle activities. Travel to Western Region markets will be required.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years of progressive HR experience with employee relations.
• Experience conducting workplace investigations and supporting corrective action, performance management, and terminations.
• Experience coaching frontline and mid-level managers through difficult employee situations.
• Strong written and verbal communication, documenting investigations clearly and objectively.
• Familiarity with CA and WA employment requirements.
• Experience with HRIS and HR tools like Rippling; proficient in Google Workspace.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary HR resource for employee relations matters throughout the Western Region.
• Conduct intake conversations and workplace investigations; interview involved parties and document findings.
• Coach managers through performance management, disciplinary actions, and terminations with proper documentation.
• Support managers with coaching, warnings, PIP, and final notices; ensure consistent application of decisions.
• Escalate higher-risk issues to HR leadership; maintain documentation and confidentiality.
• Provide policy guidance and ensure consistent HR processes across locations.
• Partner with senior leaders to strengthen policies and manager training; maintain HR presence onsite.
• Assist with onboarding, offboarding, HRIS administration, status changes, exits, and file maintenance.

Skills

Employee relations

Performance management

Investigation conduct

Coaching managers

Policy interpretation

Documentation

Confidentiality

Communication skills

Travel availability

Tools

HRIS Rippling

Google Workspace

Job description

About the role

The People Ops Partner / Generalist serves as Sifted's primary employee relations and people-management resource for employees and managers throughout the Western Region. The role is responsible for providing hands-on support for employee relations matters, performance management, corrective action, workplace investigations, conflict resolution, policy interpretation, manager coaching, and related People support.

The primary focus of this position is employee relations and manager support, with additional responsibility for administrative People support, including onboarding, offboarding, employee documentation, HRIS administration, and other employee lifecycle activities.

This role should be comfortable working directly with frontline employees and managers in a fast-paced, multi-location environment, independently handling routine and moderately complex employee matters while escalating higher-risk issues to the People Ops Manager or senior leadership when appropriate.

What you'll be doing

• Serve as the primary HR resource for employee relations matters throughout the Western Region, including employee complaints, workplace conflicts, attendance issues, policy violations, misconduct, performance concerns, disciplinary matters, and manager requests for support.
• Conduct employee relations intake conversations and workplace investigations, including interviewing employees, managers, and witnesses; gathering relevant documentation; documenting findings; and identifying issues requiring additional escalation.
• Coach managers through performance management, corrective action, employee communication, conflict resolution, attendance management, and difficult personnel decisions.
• Support managers with documented coaching, written warnings, performance improvement plans, final warnings, and terminations while helping ensure disciplinary decisions are documented and applied consistently.
• Participate in disciplinary and termination conversations when HR involvement is appropriate and support follow-up with employees and managers after significant employee relations matters.
• Maintain clear, objective, timely, and confidential documentation related to complaints, investigations, discipline, performance management, and terminations.
• Identify matters involving elevated legal, compliance, employee safety, retaliation, accommodation, leave, or reputational risk and escalation them appropriately to the HR Manager or senior leadership.
• Provide employees and managers with guidance regarding Sifted policies and HR procedures and help ensure policies are implemented consistently across Western Region locations.
• Maintain awareness of recurring employee relations and people-management trends and partner with the HR Manager to identify opportunities to strengthen policies, manager training, documentation, and HR processes.
• Maintain a visible and approachable HR presence within Sifted workplaces and build trusting relationships with employees while maintaining confidentiality and appropriate professional boundaries.
• Partner with Managing Chefs, City Managers, Account Managers, Regional Managers, and other people leaders to address workplace issues, improve team management, and strengthen manager accountability.
• Support manager HR training and help leaders understand when they should independently manage an employee matter and when HR involvement is required.
• Assist with onboarding, offboarding, employee documentation, HRIS administration, employee status changes, exit interviews, file maintenance, and other HR administrative responsibilities as needed.

Our ideal candidate

• At least 5–8 years of progressive Human Resources experience, with significant direct responsibility for employee relations.
• Demonstrated experience conducting workplace investigations and supporting corrective action, performance management, and employee terminations.
• Experience coaching frontline and mid-level managers through difficult employee situations.
• Strong judgment and ability to independently manage routine and moderately complex employee relations matters while recognizing when escalation is appropriate.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to document investigations, employee concerns, performance matters, and disciplinary decisions clearly and objectively.
• Ability to communicate calmly and professionally during sensitive or emotionally challenging conversations.
• Strong understanding of confidentiality, documentation practices, and consistent application of company policies.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple active employee matters simultaneously.
• Experience supporting hourly employees and distributed or multi-location workforces strongly preferred.
• Experience in hospitality, food service, retail, logistics, healthcare, manufacturing, or another operational environment strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with Washington and California employment requirements strongly preferred.
• Experience working within an HRIS; Rippling experience is a plus.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace and related business tools.
• Ability to regularly travel between Seattle-area Sifted locations and periodically travel to other Western Region markets.

Perks + benefits

• Compensation : $75,000 - 85,000 / year
• Company-sponsored health insurance plans, including 100% company-paid HDHP, as well as vision + dental opt-in
• 401(k) program after six months of employment
• Unlimited PTO; paid company holidays; paid winter break
• Monthly cell phone usage reimbursement
• Free lunch during meal service
• 100% mileage reimbursementOpportunities to take on larger roles within our organization

Job Type: Full time
Weekly day range: Monday - Friday

Eligibility : This position must maintain ServSafe Food Handler card (company-paid);

Work environment : This position is based in Seattle, Washington and will operate out of multiple Sifted kitchens and client locations throughout the Seattle/Bellevue market. The People Partner is expected to maintain a regular onsite presence in Sifted workplaces to build relationships with employees and managers, understand workplace dynamics, conduct employee meetings and investigations, and provide timely HR support The position may periodically travel to other Sifted Western Region markets, including California and Colorado, as business needs require.

Physical requirements : This position requires the ability to lift up to 50 lbs, the ability to stand for long periods of time, and the ability to bend, squat, and reach