Employment & Regulatory Compliance Analyst

Job Description

At Fogo de Chão, we strive to give our guests an unforgettable dining experience of discovery while showcasing the Culinary Art of Churrasco. Our mission is to ignite fire and joy to care for our team, our guests, and our communities. We believe better futures start when we bring our best to the table every day to Feed a Purposeful Future – starting with our team members. We feed our teams with fulfilling job opportunities, making space around the table so everyone feels welcome. At Fogo, we’ll provide you with a fulfilling career with professional and personal growth opportunities at every level. Our values of teamwork, integrity, excellence, humility and Deixa Comigo (we’ve got you!) are more than just words, it’s how we do things every day.

The Employment & Regulatory Compliance Specialist serves as a key member of the Legal, Human Resources, and Operations teams, supporting regulatory compliance, employment law risk management, liquor licensing administration, and legal operations across a global restaurant portfolio.

Reporting directly to the Associate General Counsel, with a dotted-line relationship to the Chief People Officer, this role acts as a strategic business partner responsible for coordinating legal compliance activities, managing alcohol licensing processes, supporting employment-related investigations and litigation matters, and identifying proactive risk mitigation opportunities.

The ideal candidate combines strong regulatory and employment law knowledge with exceptional project management, organization, and stakeholder management skills. This individual will regularly collaborate with internal business leaders, outside counsel, regulatory agencies, and employee representatives to ensure the organization maintains compliance while supporting business growth.

What You'll Bring

Direct Report: Associate General Counsel

Dotted-Line Relationship: Chief People Officer

Key Business Partners:

• Human Resources Leadership
• Operations Leadership
• Development Team
• Finance and Payroll Teams
• External Legal Counsel
• Regulatory Agencies

Insurance and Risk Management Partners

Characteristics

Regulatory Compliance & Liquor Licensing

• Manage and maintain all alcohol licensing activities across company-operated locations.
• Coordinate new license applications, renewals, transfers, ownership changes, and manager change filings.
• Maintain a centralized licensing database and compliance calendar.
• Monitor licensing requirements and regulatory developments across applicable jurisdictions.
• Serve as the primary liaison with alcohol beverage control agencies and outside licensing counsel.
• Coordinate responses to regulatory inquiries, audits, inspections, and compliance reviews.
• Identify and escalate licensing risks that may impact operations.

Employment Law & Labor Compliance Support

• Support the Legal and Human Resources teams in managing employment-related matters and legal risk.
• Assist with intake and administration of employee complaints, attorney demand letters, agency charges, and litigation matters.
• Coordinate document collection, evidence preservation, and litigation hold processes.
• Support internal workplace investigations involving employee relations concerns.
• Track and monitor legal claims, investigations, and regulatory inquiries.
• Partner with HR leadership to identify trends and emerging employment risks.

Wage & Hour / Tipped Employee Compliance

• Support compliance efforts related to wage-and-hour laws affecting restaurant operations.
• Assist with monitoring and documentation related to:
• Tip credit compliance
• Tip pooling arrangements
• Overtime calculations
• Meal and rest break compliance
• Employee classification matters
• Timekeeping practices
• Coordinate with HR, Payroll, Finance, and outside counsel to investigate potential compliance concerns.
• Support remediation efforts when operational or payroll issues are identified.

Legal Operations & Outside Counsel Management

• Act as a primary coordinator between internal stakeholders and external legal counsel for employee and commercial litigation.
• Manage legal matter tracking, status reporting, and document repositories.
• Assist with legal spend tracking and invoice management.
• Prepare executive summaries and reporting for senior leadership.
• Maintain privileged and confidential legal records in accordance with company policies.

Global Compliance Coordination

• Support legal and HR compliance initiatives across the United States, Brazil, and the United Kingdom.
• Coordinate with local counsel and external advisors on jurisdiction-specific employment and regulatory matters.
• Assist with implementation and documentation of compliance programs across multiple jurisdictions.
• Maintain compliance calendars and reporting requirements for key employment and regulatory obligations.

Governance, Controls & Risk Mitigation

• Identify operational, employment, and regulatory risks and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Assist in developing and documenting compliance processes, controls, and standard operating procedures.
• Support policy management and document retention programs.
• Maintain audit-ready documentation and compliance records.
• Contribute to broader governance initiatives that strengthen internal controls and support future Sarbanes-Oxley compliance objectives.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's Degree, Associate Degree, or Paralegal Certification.
• Minimum 3 years of experience supporting legal, employment, regulatory, compliance, or labor-related functions.
• Experience working with external counsel and regulatory agencies.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage confidential and privileged information.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office and document management systems.

Preferred

• Experience within restaurants, hospitality, retail, franchise, or multi-unit operating environments.
• Experience supporting liquor licensing programs.
• Employment law or labor relations experience.
• Experience supporting wage-and-hour compliance initiatives.
• Exposure to multi-state or international employment matters.
• Paralegal certification preferred but not required.
• Regulatory Compliance
• Employment Law Administration
• Risk Assessment and Mitigation
• Workplace Investigations Support
• Liquor Licensing Management
• Legal Operations
• Stakeholder Management
• Project Management
• Process Documentation
• Internal Controls and Governance
• Executive Communication

Problem Solving and Judgment

Success Measures

Within the first 12 months, the successful candidate will:

• Establish and maintain a centralized licensing and compliance management process.
• Improve visibility into employment-related legal matters and associated risks.
• Implement tracking and escalation protocols for regulatory and employment issues.
• Strengthen documentation and legal operations processes.
• Develop reporting tools that support informed decision-making by Legal, HR, and Operations leadership.
• Contribute to a stronger governance and compliance framework that supports sustainable growth and operational excellence.

Why Join Us

This role offers a unique opportunity to operate at the intersection of Legal, Human Resources, and Operations within a growing global hospitality organization. The successful candidate will gain exposure to complex employment law matters, regulatory compliance, liquor licensing, labor risk management, and governance initiatives while partnering directly with senior business leaders and legal counsel.

Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance are available for full-time Team Members on the first of the month following their start date. Additionally, company-paid Life Insurance and Short-Term Disability are provided where allowed. We offer a comprehensive voluntary benefits package including Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, and Accident Coverage.

Fogo de Chão is an Equal Opportunity & E Verify Employer