What are the responsibilities and job description for the HR Specialist position at Athenian Grill - North Locust Hill?
Title: Human Resources Generalist (Restaurant / Multi-Location)
Office Location: Lexington, KY (Onsite)
Schedule: Office hours (weekday daytime), with occasional flexibility for restaurant needs
Type: Full-time
About the role
We’re looking for an experienced HR professional to be the supportive, go-to contact for employees and the person responsible for hiring and HR operations across our locations in KY and other states. You’ll partner closely with ownership and managers to build a reliable hiring pipeline, improve onboarding, and ensure we stay compliant while maintaining a positive workplace culture.
Responsibilities
Hiring & Recruiting
- Own hourly hiring end-to-end: job posts, screening, interviews, offers, and start dates
- Coordinate with managers on staffing needs and speed up time-to-hire
- Build a simple pipeline process and track applicants
Employee Support & Relations
- Be a trusted point of contact for employee questions and concerns
- Help resolve workplace issues professionally, fairly, and confidentially
- Support managers with coaching and best practices
Onboarding & HR Operations
- Run onboarding: paperwork, I-9 verification, file setup, policy acknowledgements
- Maintain employee files and basic HR documentation
- Help implement/maintain handbook policies, attendance standards, and performance documentation
Compliance & Best Practices
- Support compliance with employment requirements and documentation
- Coordinate training basics (harassment prevention, safety, etc.) as needed
- Help reduce turnover through better onboarding and consistent practices
Requirements
- 4 years HR experience (hospitality/restaurant experience is a big plus)
- Hands-on experience hiring hourly teams
- Comfortable handling employee relations with maturity and discretion
- Strong organization and follow-through
- Based in Lexington and available for onsite office hours
- Ability to travel
Nice to have
- Experience with multi-location hourly workforces
- Familiarity with payroll/HRIS systems
- Experience improving onboarding and retention
To apply: Send resume a short note on your HR experience (especially hiring employee relations).