People Operations Generalist

About CookUnity:

Food has lost its soul to modern convenience. And with it, it has lost the power to nourish, inspire, and connect us. So in 2018, CookUnity was founded as the first-of-its-kind platform that connects the world with the source of truly great food: chefs. Today, CookUnity delivers 50 million meals a year from the industry’s best chefs to homes all over the country. Fresh. Ready-to-eat. And crafted with the passion that nourishes body and soul.

Unwilling to stop there, CookUnity is expanding beyond delivery to become an ever-innovating marketplace focused on our singular mission: empower Chefs to nourish the world.

If that mission has you hungry in more ways than one, you’ve found the right job posting.

About the Team:

The People Experience Team at CookUnity isn’t just about office logistics or HR checkboxes—it’s about building a culture where people feel connected, inspired, and cared for. Whether we’re planning an unforgettable culinary trip, hosting In-Person Weeks, or welcoming new team members with curated experiences, we’re driven by a simple mantra: Make Something People Want.

The role:

The HR Generalist is a key member of the People team responsible for executing core HR operations and ensuring strong compliance practices at our distribution center. This role works closely with site leadership and collaborates with the HR Business Partner to drive consistent employee relations practices, performance management, and workforce initiatives.

This individual will help translate People strategy into effective on site execution, ensuring policies are applied consistently and managers are supported in building a high performing, compliant workplace. The ideal candidate is detail oriented, solutions focused, and comfortable operating in a fast paced, high volume environment.

Responsibilities:

Compliance and Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, including wage and hour regulations, leave requirements, and required postings

• Maintain accurate, audit ready employee files and ensure HRIS data integrity

• Partner with the Onboarding Coordinator to ensure all new hire documentation meets regulatory standards, including but not limited to I-9’s

• Support workers compensation case management, OSHA documentation, and required reporting

• Assist with internal audits, reporting, and compliance reviews to mitigate organizational risk

Employee Relations and Manager Enablement

• Partner closely with the HR Business Partner to manage employee relations matters, including investigations, documentation, corrective action, and performance improvement plans

• Conduct intake conversations, gather documentation, and prepare case details to support timely and thorough resolution

• Provide day to day coaching to managers on policy interpretation, documentation standards, and performance conversations

• Ensure consistent application of company policies and escalate complex or high risk matters appropriately

• Support performance management cycles and reinforce accountability across the site

Onboarding and Employee Lifecycle Support

• Partner with the Onboarding Coordinator to ensure a seamless and compliant onboarding experience

• Provide guidance on employment eligibility verification and documentation requirements

• Support employee lifecycle changes including promotions, transfers, status changes, and offboarding to ensure proper documentation and system updates

HR Operations and Programs

• Serve as a resource for employees regarding benefits, policies, and general HR inquiries

• Coordinate and track leave of absence processes and required documentation

• Support hiring process coordination as needed in partnership with managers and recruiting

• Contribute to People team initiatives related to engagement, compliance, and talent development and other projects.

Minimum Requirements:

• 2+ years of progressive HR experience, with exposure to multiple HR functions such as onboarding, employee relations, compliance, or benefits administration.

• Bilingual (Spanish/English) is required to support of a diverse hourly workforce

• Strong time management and organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, high-growth environment

• Excellent oral and written communication skills; able to communicate clearly and with empathy across all levels of the organization

• Self-starter with a high level of initiative and ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with a team

• Tech-savvy and proficient in using HR systems and productivity tools (e.g., Google Workspace, HRIS platforms)

• Proven ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion

Preferred requirements:

• Experience supporting a distributed workforce and managing remote onboarding processes

• Familiarity with employee benefits administration and leave of absence coordination

• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and change in a scaling startup or operations-driven environment

• Proficiency with tools such as Notion, Google Sheets, Monday.com, Rippling

Benefits

🩺 Health Insurance coverage

🌅 401k Plan

📈 We grow, you grow: Stock Options Plan granted on Day 1

⛱ Unlimited PTO policy and paid sick days

🗓️ 5- year Sabbatical: After 5 years with CookUnity, you get a 4-week paid sabbatical

🐣 Paid Family leave

🕯 Compassionate Leave: 3-5 days each time the need arises

🥘 A generous amount of CookUnity credits to enjoy our amazing meals, added to your account, monthly

🧘🏽‍♀️ Wellness perks: access to fitness subsidies to build a healthy lifestyle

👩🏾‍🏫 Personalized Spanish coach

🚀 Awesome opportunity to join a company that is looking to change how we eat and how chefs work!

Compensation

All final pay rates will be determined by candidates experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data.
Pay Range for this position
$66,000—$72,000 USD

If you’re interested in this role, please submit your application, and if we think you might be a fit, we'll get in touch with you. Thank you for your time!

CookUnity is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are dedicated to creating a community of inclusion and an environment free from discrimination or harassment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status, protected veteran status, genetic information, or physical or mental disability.

A quick note for all candidates
We’ve recently seen an increase in recruitment scams across the industry, and we want to make sure you (and your data) stay safe while applying to CookUnity. We also want you to know that we take this seriously — sometimes, as part of our process, we may ask for a brief “proof of humanity” to confirm that we’re connecting with a real person, not an impersonator. Here are a few tips to help you protect yourself and know what to expect from us:

• Apply only through our official channels. All open roles are listed on our official careers page: careers.cookunity.com

• Our recruiters are real people — and easy to verify. You can always find them on LinkedIn with verified profiles. If you’re unsure, feel free to reach out to us on our official LinkedIn Company Page.

• We only communicate through official CookUnity channels. That means emails ending in @cookunity.com and interviews held through official company platforms (Google Meet or Zoom) — never WhatsApp, Telegram, or SMS.

• We’ll never ask for payment or personal financial details. If anyone does, please don’t share any information and let us know right away.

If something ever feels off or you’re unsure about a message, we’d much rather you double-check with us. You can always contact us directly through any of our social media channels. We appreciate your interest in joining CookUnity — and we care about keeping your experience (and safety) as genuine as possible.