HR Compliance Manager at Bel Brands USA – Chicago, Illinois

Job Description Summary

The HR Compliance Manager serves as a leader responsible for safeguarding the organization’s compliance with all employment laws, regulations, and internal HR policies. This role will design and execute enterprise-wide HR compliance programs, proactively identify and mitigate legal and regulatory risks, conduct compliance audits, and ensure timely and effective training. By establishing robust compliance governance, monitoring legislative developments, and acting as a trusted advisor to internal stakeholders and external legal experts, the HR Compliance Manager ensures organizational practices remain thorough and aligned with business objectives.

Essential Duties & Functions

• Lead Compliance Governance:
• Develop, implement, and oversee robust methodologies for the periodic review of HR policies, programs, practices, and documentation to ensure legal and regulatory compliance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional leaders and external legal counsel to identify and address emerging compliance risks; proactively recommend program enhancements and process improvements.
• Ensure effective governance of employee policies by managing tracking, documentation, employee acknowledgements, and monitoring policy adherence; promptly elevate gaps and potential compliance risks to senior management.
• Compliance Program Ownership and Audit:
• Direct the governance of HR policies by leading policy creation, review, approval workflows, distribution, retention, and full lifecycle management to maintain integrity and accessibility.
• Design and execute regular compliance audits and risk assessments to validate adherence to internal controls, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices; report findings and lead the development of corrective action plans.
• Continuously monitor federal, state, and local legislative changes—including agency guidance—and assess their impact on HR operations; provide timely, actionable guidance to senior leaders and HR partners for compliance response.
• Serve as an advisor on compliance implications for strategic HR projects, mergers & acquisitions, and business transformation initiatives.
• Regulatory Filings & Records Compliance:
• Lead the design and enforcement of HR record retention and destruction programs; partner with corporate counsel and HR stakeholders to ensure compliance with evolving legal requirements.
• Participate in completion of all required government filings and compliance-related audit activities, serving as the subject matter expert and primary contact for regulatory and third-party audits.
• Ethics and Workplace Investigations:
• Lead the response to compliance concerns or investigations—including those reported via the ethics hotline—by evaluating root causes and collaborating on preventive policy and process enhancements.
• Training & Capability Building:
• Develop and deliver targeted compliance training programs to HR professionals, managers, and business leaders, focusing on key risk areas such as wage and hour law, anti-discrimination, and ethics.
• Assess training effectiveness and implement continuous improvement initiatives to elevate compliance capability across the organization.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the organization’s compliance management vision and objectives.

Qualifications

Knowledge, Education & Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field required.
• Advanced HR certification (SPHR, SHRM-SCP, or equivalent) strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated and comprehensive knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, including but not limited to FLSA, ERISA, FMLA, ADAAA, NLRA, ACA, wage and hour, EEO, employment at-will, and pay equity/fair pay.
• Proven understanding of regulatory concepts related to employment compliance, record retention, and employee classification.
• Demonstrated commitment to staying current on legislative and regulatory developments affecting HR policies and practices.

Experience & Abilities

• Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in HR compliance, employment law consulting, and/or or HR management responsibilities.
• Experience leading internal audits, risk assessments, compliance investigations, or similar activities.
• Proven ability to interpret and operationalize complex legal and regulatory requirements into practical, compliant, and business-aligned HR policies, processes, and workflows.
• Outstanding communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to present to and influence audiences at all levels, including senior leadership and external partners.
• Strong consultative and relationship-building skills to effectively collaborate across functions and geographies, as well as with internal and external legal counsel.
• Detail-oriented, highly organized, and able to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• High level of discretion and judgment in handling sensitive and confidential matters.
• Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills, with experience conducting root-cause analysis, compliance risk evaluation, and developing actionable recommendations.
• Advanced proficiency in HRIS platforms, Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word), and other business intelligence or compliance software tools.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able work in normal office conditions for a minimum of 8 hours per day.
• Must be able to travel intermittently via airplane within the U.S. and internationally.

Working Conditions

• Work is performed largely in a hybrid office environment. Hours of work will generally be during regular business hours with at least 40 hours a week. At times there will be some variation in work hours due to special projects, deadlines and other business needs.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Disclaimer

This job description provides a general overview of the position's requirements and duties. It is not a comprehensive list of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications. Employees may perform additional functions as needed, directed by management. The company reserves the right to modify this job description at any time, reflecting business needs. Employment is at-will, allowing either party to end the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice. Employees must satisfactorily perform essential functions, with or without reasonable accommodations. The company will accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities where feasible, provided such accommodations do not impose undue hardship.