People Operations Specialist Jobs in North Carolina

Join Our Team

At the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club, JB Duke Hotel, and The Lodge at Duke Medical Center, exceptional hospitality begins with exceptional people.

We are seeking an experienced and people-focused Area Human Resources Manager to join our Human Resources leadership team. This is an opportunity for an HR professional who enjoys being visible, accessible, and actively engaged with associates and leaders while balancing the strategic, operational, and compliance responsibilities of Human Resources.

Supporting three distinctive hospitality properties in Durham, the Area Human Resources Manager will play an important role in strengthening our culture, developing our people, supporting our leaders, and ensuring an exceptional associate experience throughout the employment lifecycle.

The Role

Reporting directly to the Area Director of Human Resources, the Area Human Resources Manager will help lead day-to-day Human Resources operations across the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club, JB Duke Hotel, and The Lodge at Duke Medical Center.

This position will serve as a trusted resource to associates and leaders while supporting recruitment, employee relations, performance management, benefits, training, compliance, HR systems, engagement, and retention initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Employee Relations & Leadership Support: Serve as a trusted HR partner to associates and leaders, providing guidance on employee relations, performance management, coaching, corrective action, conflict resolution, and workplace concerns.

• Talent Acquisition: Support and lead recruitment activities across the properties, including sourcing, interviewing, selection, offers, onboarding, and strategies designed to attract and retain exceptional hospitality talent.

• Associate Engagement & Retention: Develop and support programs that strengthen associate engagement, recognition, communication, morale, and retention.

• Performance Management: Partner with leaders throughout the performance management process, including coaching, documentation, performance improvement plans, annual reviews, and development conversations.

• Training & Development: Identify training needs and support programs designed to strengthen leadership capabilities, service excellence, compliance, and professional development.

• Benefits Administration: Partner with the Area HR team to support employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, retirement, disability, life insurance, wellness programs, and other benefits while helping associates understand and maximize the programs available to them.

• HRIS & Employee Records: Maintain accurate employee information and HR documentation within our HRIS while ensuring appropriate recordkeeping, confidentiality, and data integrity. Experience with Paycom is especially valuable.

• Compliance: Help ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws as well as company policies, practices, and procedures.

• Investigations: Assist with and lead workplace investigations when appropriate, ensuring concerns are reviewed thoroughly, objectively, consistently, and confidentially.

• Policies & Procedures: Support the development, communication, interpretation, and consistent application of HR policies and procedures across all three properties.

• Leave & Accommodation Administration: Partner with associates and leaders regarding leaves of absence, workplace accommodations, and related processes.

• Safety & Workers' Compensation: Partner with leadership and the Area HR team on workplace safety initiatives, workers' compensation matters, return-to-work efforts, and injury prevention.

• HR Reporting & Analytics: Utilize HR data and reporting to identify trends involving staffing, turnover, retention, attendance, recruiting, and other key workforce measures.

• Culture & Communication: Maintain a visible HR presence throughout our properties and help foster a workplace built around respect, accountability, teamwork, service, and genuine care for one another.

• Area HR Support: Collaborate closely with the Area Director of Human Resources and HR team on projects, initiatives, investigations, organizational priorities, and continuous improvement efforts across the three-property portfolio.

Ready to Make an Impact?

If you believe Human Resources should be more than policies and paperwork, and that great HR means being present, building trust, developing people, supporting leaders, and helping create a workplace where people want to stay and grow, we would love to hear from you.

Join a team with a longstanding tradition of hospitality excellence and help us continue building an associate experience worthy of the service we provide our guests every day.

The Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club, JB Duke Hotel, and The Lodge at Duke Medical Center are equal opportunity employers. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities and fostering a respectful and inclusive workplace.

The ideal candidate is approachable, organized, confident, compassionate, and comfortable navigating both the people side and the business side of Human Resources.

• Minimum of 3 years of progressive Human Resources experience, including experience handling employee relations and advising leaders.

• Prior HR leadership or supervisory experience required.

• Hospitality, hotel, restaurant, or other service-industry HR experience strongly preferred.

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Hospitality Management, or a related field preferred. Equivalent HR experience will also be considered.

• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, or other professional HR certification is a plus.

• Strong knowledge of employment practices and applicable federal, state, and local employment laws.

• Demonstrated experience handling employee relations matters, workplace investigations, performance management, and sensitive or confidential situations.

• Strong interpersonal, communication, judgment, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution skills.

• Ability to build credibility and productive relationships with associates and leaders at all levels of the organization.

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and follow through on commitments.

• High level of discretion and commitment to maintaining confidentiality.

• Strong HRIS and technology skills; Paycom experience is a plus.

• Strong written and verbal English communication skills.

• Ability to maintain a visible presence across all three properties and work occasional evenings, weekends, or holidays when business or employee-relations needs require.

What We Offer

Our associates are at the heart of the experience we provide, and we are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits and rewards package that includes:

• Competitive salary

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• Health Reimbursement Account (HRA)

• Employer-paid life insurance

• Employer-paid short-term and long-term disability coverage

• Voluntary life insurance

• Critical illness and accident insurance

• Generous Paid Time Off

• Eight paid holidays (includes birthday holiday)

• Birthday recognition/benefit

• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match after six months of eligible service

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

• Complimentary employee meals

• Free on-site parking

• Family & Friends hotel room and dining discounts

• Employee discounts

• Professional development and continued learning opportunities

• Opportunities for career growth within our organization

• A supportive, team-oriented hospitality environment where people and service matter

Additional Information

• Full-time, on-site position in Durham, North Carolina

• Supports the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club, JB Duke Hotel, and The Lodge at Duke Medical Center

• Reports directly to the Area Director of Human Resources

• Currently supervises one direct report

• Regular presence and interaction across all three properties is expected