Senior Employee Relations & HR Compliance Specialist

Pop Mart · Foster City · $100,000–$130,000 (stated in the posting)

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Founded in 2010, POP MART is a leading global pop culture and entertainment company. With IP at its core, POP MART works with artists and designers worldwide to develop and operate IPs, creating products, services and entertainment experiences for consumers. Its portfolio includes beloved IP characters such as THE MONSTERS , TWINKLE TWINKLE, CRYBABY, DIMOO, SKULLPANDA, Hirono and MOLLY. As of the first half of 2026, POP MART had more than 100 million registered members worldwide, operated 676 physical stores and over 2,800 ROBO SHOP vending machines, and reached nearly 100 countries and regions through cross-border e-commerce platforms,bringing joy to consumers around the world.

Position: Senior Employee Relations & HR Compliance Specialist

Department: HR

Reports To: Employee Relations/HR Compliance Leadership

Location: Los Angeles, CA (Fully On-site)

Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt

Salary Range: $100,000–$130,000 annually

Position Summary

POP MART Americas, Inc. is seeking a Senior Employee Relations & HR Compliance Specialist to support a fair, consistent, and respectful employee experience across our corporate and retail operations. This role will primarily manage employee relations matters, conduct workplace investigations, and advise managers on performance management, corrective action, and workplace concerns, while supporting HR compliance programs across the Americas.

The Senior Employee Relations & HR Compliance Specialist will partner closely with HR Business Partners, Legal, Retail Operations, Loss Prevention, Payroll, Benefits, and external counsel to resolve employee concerns, strengthen management practices, and reduce employment risk. Additional responsibilities include policy development, compliance audits, manager training, and implementation of employment requirements across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and future expansion into South America.

This position is ideal for an experienced, hands-on employee relations professional who exercises sound judgment, manages sensitive situations objectively, and translates policy and legal guidance into practical recommendations.

Key Responsibilities

Employee Relations & Workplace Investigations

• Manage employee relations cases from intake through resolution, including concerns involving workplace conduct, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, interpersonal conflict, attendance, and policy violations.
• Assess incoming concerns, prioritize cases based on urgency and risk, and promptly escalate serious or complex matters to HR Leadership and Legal.
• Conduct timely, thorough, and impartial workplace investigations, including developing investigation plans, interviewing employees and witnesses, reviewing evidence, and preparing clear findings and recommendations.
• Maintain accurate case records, investigation reports, and supporting documentation, handling sensitive information with discretion and sharing it only as appropriate.
• Provide practical guidance to managers and HRBPs on employee concerns, performance management, coaching, corrective action, and policy interpretation.
• Review proposed disciplinary actions and separations for consistency, supporting documentation, and potential risk; coordinate required approvals before implementation.
• Draft and review employee communications, coaching recaps, written warnings, performance improvement plans, investigation outcome communications, and separation documentation.
• Partner with managers and HRBPs to address workplace conflict, reinforce expectations, and support constructive working relationships.
• Coordinate with HR, Benefits, and Legal when employee relations matters intersect with leaves of absence, accommodation requests, workplace injuries, or other protected activities.
• Conduct appropriate follow-up after case resolution to assess whether concerns have been addressed and identify potential retaliation or recurring issues.
• Track case volume, aging, outcomes, and recurring concerns; recommend targeted training, policy updates, or operational improvements.

HR Compliance & Policy Support

• Support HR compliance programs across the Americas, with an emphasis on employment practices affecting corporate and retail employees.
• Monitor employment law developments in partnership with Legal and external counsel and help implement necessary policy, process, and training updates.
• Draft, review, and maintain employee handbooks, HR policies, SOPs, acknowledgments, templates, and manager resources.
• Support compliance reviews involving wage and hour practices, timekeeping, meal and rest breaks, scheduling, paid sick leave, leaves of absence, accommodations, and personnel records.
• Conduct targeted HR audits, identify gaps, and coordinate corrective actions with HRBPs, Payroll, Benefits, HRIS, Operations, and Legal.
• Help maintain compliance calendars, required notices, policy acknowledgments, training requirements, and record retention practices.
• Partner with Learning & Development to deliver manager training on employee relations, documentation, corrective action, complaint escalation, retaliation prevention, and employment compliance.
• Support new store openings and market expansion by helping establish consistent employee relations processes and applicable HR compliance practices.
• Assist Legal and external counsel with responses to employment claims, agency inquiries, audits, subpoenas, and information requests.
• Prepare leadership updates summarizing employee relations trends, compliance findings, and recommended actions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Legal Studies, or a related field preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive HR experience, including substantial hands-on experience in employee relations, workplace investigations, and advising managers on sensitive employment matters.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage an active caseload, prioritize competing concerns, and bring matters to timely resolution.
• Experience conducting workplace investigations, evaluating conflicting information, documenting findings, and making objective recommendations.
• Strong working knowledge of U.S. employment laws relevant to employee relations and HR compliance, including anti-discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour, paid sick leave, leaves of absence, and accommodations.
• Experience advising on performance management, corrective action, attendance concerns, workplace conflict, and employment separations.
• Strong interviewing, analytical, and writing skills, including the ability to prepare clear investigation reports and employee-facing communications.
• Ability to build trust with employees and managers while maintaining impartiality and appropriate professional boundaries.
• Experience translating policies and legal guidance into practical recommendations and consistent business processes.
• Sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to handle confidential and sensitive information.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to work independently in a fast-paced, growing environment.
• Familiarity with HRIS, employee relations case management, timekeeping, LMS, and document management systems; Workday, AllVoices, Lark, or similar systems preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting multi-state retail, hospitality, restaurant, or other distributed hourly workforces.
• California employee relations and employment compliance experience strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting employee relations or employment compliance in Canada and/or Mexico; South America experience is a plus.
• Experience conducting HR audits, drafting policies, and tracking corrective actions.
• Prior experience partnering with employment counsel on complex investigations, employment claims, or agency matters.
• Experience developing and delivering manager training.
• PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, or similar HR certification.
• Spanish, French, or Portuguese language skills are a plus.

Core Competencies

• Employee Relations & Case Management
• Impartial Workplace Investigations
• Manager Coaching & Conflict Resolution
• Sound Judgment & Risk Assessment
• Employment Compliance
• Clear Communication & Documentation
• Confidentiality & Professional Discretion
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Prioritization & Follow-Through
• Continuous Improvement

What We Offer

• Market-competitive packages: 401k, health insurance, PTO, paid sick leave, and family leave.
• Growth opportunities: on-the-job training, leadership development, and stretch assignments to advance your career.
• Career development: opportunities to take on larger responsibilities as POP MART’s North America business scales rapidly.

The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It is not all-inclusive. There may be additional duties, responsibilities, and qualifications for this job.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position (e.g., seated or at a desk) for extended periods while operating a computer or other office equipment.
• Must be able to occasionally lift or move items weighing up to 25 pounds.

Pay Range Details

The base salary range for this position is $100,000–$130,000 annually. This range is provided in accordance with applicable state and local pay transparency laws and may vary based on geographic location. Individual compensation will be determined based on factors including job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and qualifications. This position may also be eligible to participate in the Company’s incentive compensation program.

Background Checks

For applicants located in Los Angeles or San Francisco: In accordance with applicable local Fair Chance laws, POP MART conducts criminal background checks only after a conditional offer of employment has been made. Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance (Los Angeles Municipal Code § 189.04) and the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, as applicable.

Equal Employment Opportunity

POP MART is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful workplace where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, medical condition, genetic information, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Employment decisions at POP MART are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications.

Reasonable Accommodation

Applicants who require a reasonable accommodation during the application or hiring process may request assistance by emailing na.hrsupport@popmart.com.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job function satisfactorily. The qualifications, skills, abilities, and physical demands described in this job posting are representative of those required to perform the essential functions of the position. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of the job.

*POP MART is committed to equal pay initiatives and will not ask candidates for their current or past salary.

*As an Equal Opportunity Employer, POP MART does not discriminate against applicants or employees

because of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, veteran status, disability, age, citizenship,

imarital or domestic/civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or because of

any other status or condition protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

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