Overview

Luke's Lobster is looking for an HR Manager to own the full spectrum of people operations for our growing, multi-state business. This is a hands-on, individual contributor role- you'll be the engine behind payroll, benefits, compliance, and HRIS while simultaneously identifying where manual work can be eliminated, where data can tell us something useful, and where our team experience can be meaningfully improved.

You'll report directly to the Chief People Officer and work closely with shack managers, HQ leadership including the broader People + Culture team, and our external vendors and broker partners. This role sits at the intersection of operational excellence and people strategy- the right person takes pride in both getting the details right and stepping back to ask whether we're doing it the right way.

Location: This is an in-person role based in Portland, ME at our office adjacent to our flagship restaurant with 360 views of the working waterfront. We have a culture of flexibility for when life occurs, however, this is not a remote role.

Reports To: Chief People Officer

Company Overview

Luke’s Lobster is a renowned seafood brand and a leading national restaurant group with nearly 30 locations, with both fast-casual and full-service lobster roll restaurants. We also oversee our own seafood processing facility in Saco, Maine, ensuring our 'Shacks' provide our guests the highest quality, best tasting seafood. Further, we produce branded seafood grocery products as part of our CPG business at grocery stores and other outlets around the country.

Key Responsibilities

• Payroll: You are the owner of weekly payroll for all employees across the company- full stop. That means processing, auditing, and problem-solving, but also building the systems and documentation that make the process more reliable over time.
  
  • Process weekly payroll for all employees, as well as all manual and special payrolls (e.g., final pay per state regulations)
  • Import tips to timecards for our shacks teammates
  • Audit payroll deductions and timecards regularly and resolve discrepancies
  • Continuously evaluate and implement process improvements- including automation opportunities
• HRIS Administration (currently Paycom): Paycom is the backbone of our people data. You'll keep it accurate, complete, and evolving with the business.
  • Maintain accurate employee records across all lifecycle events- onboardings, transfers, status changes, and offboardings
  • Manage HRIS workflows for common changes (rehires, terminations) and execute monthly org chart updates
  • Own all checklists, tasks, documents, and accrual configurations; audit state-by-state onboarding checklists regularly and follow up with supervisors where action is needed
  • Conduct Paycom training for managers (PAFs, timecard review, etc.) for new managers and ongoing refreshers as needed
  • Look for opportunities to expand how we use people data- surface insights that inform leadership decisions
• Benefits Administration: You'll manage our benefits ecosystem end-to-end, from enrollment to vendor management to team member support.
  • Administer all Cigna health, HSA, and supplemental plans: enrollments, terminations, changes, COBRA, and payroll deduction configuration/tracking
  • Administer other benefits, including
    • Cell phone stipend program
    • Hartford Life Insurance plans and manage invoicing
    • 401(k) administration with Human Interest
    • PTO, sick, holiday, bereavement, and parental leave
  • Partner with our broker on Open Enrollment strategy, benefit guide updates, and overall plan management efficiency that reduces manual effort and improves the team member experience
• Compliance: Luke's operates across multiple states, and our compliance requirements grow with every new shack. You'll own this landscape and stay ahead of it.
  • Identify and execute reporting obligations across all states where we operate, including paid leave, short-term disability, and other state-specific programs
  • Manage recurring compliance filings, e.g., OSHA, EEO-1, and year-end 401(k)
  • Manage ACA/1095 and W-2/1099 approvals
  • Conduct minimum wage audits and push annual wage agreement updates
  • Administer unemployment claims through third party, PeopleSystems UI reporting
  • Look for additional vendors to partner for automating or outsourcing regular reporting requirements
  • Lead the HR workstream for new shack openings: HRIS buildout, state compliance research, labor law posters, and onboarding support (remote or on-site as required)
  • Manage workers' compensation communications with our carrier, including first reporting, Concentra portal preauthorizations, employee check ins, wage report submissions, and partnering with supervisors to review work restrictions.
• Recruiting Support: You'll provide operational support for shack-level recruiting and HQ offer administration.
  • Post and sponsor open roles for shack locations
  • Issue offer letters for HQ/salaried leadership roles
  • Maintain accurate position seat counts and data in our ATS
• Team Member Operations: Beyond your core functional areas, you'll be a reliable operational resource for the broader team- the person who makes sure day-to-day people operations run smoothly and that team members feel supported.
  • Manage team member access in Google Workspace: user provisioning and deprovisioning, group and calendar management, and org chart updates
  • Support team members with access, account, and operational questions — and proactively identify ways to scale that support rather than handle it all manually
  • Be a knowledgeable, approachable resource for team members navigating benefits, payroll, and other questions
  • Process employee verifications as requested
  • Build and maintain SOPs; train and empower supervisors to take on appropriate ownership in real time

Qualifications

• 4–7 years of HR generalist+ or people operations experience, ideally in a multi-state, multi-unit environment (hospitality, retail, or food & beverage a strong plus)
• Hands-on payroll processing experience required; Paycom HRIS specific experience preferred but not required
• Solid working knowledge of multi-state compliance- you don't need to have every regulation memorized, but you need to know what you don't know and how to find out
• Benefits administration experience, including carrier management and employee-facing support
• A genuine interest in process improvement and automation- you're not satisfied leaving a manual process manual if there's a better way
• Comfort working with people data and an instinct for what it can tell you
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail- you manage a lot of moving parts without dropping any
• Clear, warm communicator who can translate HR complexity into plain language for managers and hourly employees alike
• Self-directed and comfortable in a lean environment; you don't need a lot of structure to do great work, but you help build it for others
• This is an in-person role based in Portland, ME at our office on the working waterfront adjacent to our flagship restaurant, but we have a culture of flexibility for when life occurs. However, this is not a work-from-home role.

Compensation and Benefits

• Salary commensurate with experience: expected in the range of $80,000-$90,000
• Paid vacation, sick days, and holidays
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance on a national PPO network with company premium contributions
• Access to an Health Savings Account (HSA) and supplemental insurance policies (Accident Insurance and Hospital Indemnity Insurance)
• Low-asset fee 401k retirement plan after one month
• Optional life insurance and pet insurance after one month
• Mobile phone stipend program
• 50% off in shack food purchases
• Paid parental leave

About Luke’s Lobster

Luke’s Lobster was born out of the dream of Maine native and third-generation lobsterman Luke Holden to bring the quality lobster rolls of his youth to the big city. After meeting business partner Ben Conniff on Craigslist, the two twenty-somethings opened their first lobster shack in a 250 square foot space in NYC’s East Village in October 2009.

Now over 15 years later, Luke’s Lobster brings traceable, sustainable seafood to guests across the globe. Our vision is to be the world’s most trusted seafood brand. Our mission is to serve the best seafood because we care for it obsessively from the dock to you, and because we're devoted to serving the whole community of people it touches. We work directly with fishermen to hand pick the best seafood, bring it straight to our own seafood company in Saco, ME and then ship directly to our shacks, grocery partners, and consumers. Cutting out the middleman means better tasting seafood for you to enjoy and a fairer price for our fishermen.

At Luke’s, our company culture comes first. We are proud and passionate about the work environment we have fostered and are excited to see it continue to grow. We value diversity, creativity, transparency, and open communication from all levels. In 2018, we furthered our commitment to sustainability and socially conscious business practices by becoming a certified B Corporation®, reflecting Luke’s Lobster’s deep devotion to our communities, family of teammates, and the environment. Please visit www.lukeslobster.com for more information.

EEO Statement

Luke's Lobster provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to any status, including but not limited to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Luke's Lobster complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. Luke's Lobster expressly prohibits all forms of workplace harassment. Improper interference with the ability of Luke's Lobster employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge. Essential job functions include standing for sustained periods of time, lifting objects from lower to higher positions, ascending or descending stairs or ladders, and bending, crouching, and reaching to low and high places. Luke's Lobster is a participant of E-Verify.