Manager, Total Rewards & People Operations
About Pret A Manger: Building the US Future of a Beloved Global Brand
Pret US is at a defining moment. Backed by substantial investment and strategic commitment, we are not simply operating; we are transforming a beloved brand in the American market. With a newly established US Board and an entirely rebuilt senior leadership team, we are assembling exceptional talent to drive this ambitious vision forward.
This is an opportunity to join a winning team built on an ownership mindset, rapid learning, bias for action, and competitive drive. Our ideal candidates are resilient, flexible, comfortable with ambiguity, and data-driven. We are seeking leaders who thrive in dynamic, high-stakes environments and are energized by the challenge of building something remarkable.
As part of the Pret US team, you will work directly with seasoned leaders who understand turnarounds, scaling operations, and delivering results. If you are driven to exceed ambitious goals, make bold decisions, and build a brand that matters, this is where you belong. Join us in writing the next chapter of Pret in America.
About the Role
As Manager, Total Rewards & People Operations, you will make sure every Pret US employee is paid accurately and on time, enrolled in the right benefits, and represented correctly in our systems. That covers our shops across New York City, Philadelphia, Washington DC and Chicago.
Reporting directly to the Head of People, you will own payroll, benefits administration, HR data and our key People vendors. You'll also be the go-to expert for employees and managers on pay and benefits.
This is a hands-on role with real ownership. You'll run the day-to-day engine while making it better: tightening controls, cleaning up data, automating manual work, and building the reporting that helps leaders make faster, smarter decisions.
Key Responsibilities
Payroll Processing
- Own end-to-end multi state weekly payroll for non exempt employees and bi-weekly for exempt employees, ensuring accuracy and timeliness
- Review and audit hours, overtime, spread-of-hours, predictive scheduling premiums, and tip credits before the close of each payroll cycle
- Partner with Finance on payroll journal entries, GL reconciliation, accruals and year end W-2s and Tax Filings
HR Data & Analytics
- Manage HRIS data integrity and compliance by running audits and tracking changes across different platforms on a regular basis (job codes, pay rates, locations, managers, status, etc.)
- Maintain and analyze headcount, workforce, compensation, and other People data to support planning, decision-making, and organizational initiatives.
- Partner with the Head of People on HR data and analytics projects, including reporting enhancements, process improvements, automation, and organizational design and transformation initiatives.
Benefits Administration
- Administer medical, dental, vision, life, disability, commuter and 401(k) programs, including new-hire eligibility, qualifying life events and terminations
- Track ACA eligibility for variable-hour employees using measurement periods; support 1094-C/1095-C reporting
- Manage COBRA notices, carrier and broker relationships, invoice reconciliation and EDI feed accuracy
- Coordinate annual open enrollment: system setup, employee communications and post-enrollment audits
- Support leave administration (FMLA and state paid family and sick leave programs) in partnership with People Managers
Employee Support
- Serve as an escalation point for employee and manager questions regarding pay, benefits, deductions, and records
- Resolve tickets quickly and in plain language, with a clear owner and timeline for every open item
- Spot recurring questions and fix the root cause through better process, system settings or manager guidance
- Build simple, multilingual-friendly FAQs and job aids for shop teams
Vendor Management
- Serve as the day-to-day owner of the ADP (payroll) and Harri (scheduling and timekeeping) relationships, including account teams, support tickets and escalations
- Hold vendors to agreed service levels; track issues, resolution times and recurring errors, and escalate when commitments slip
- Validate the Harri-to-ADP time and pay data flow each cycle, and partner with vendors to fix integration breaks at the source
- Test and sign off on vendor system releases, configuration changes and new pay or tax rules before they go live
- Support contract renewals and invoice management
- Maintain current documentation of vendor configurations, contacts and escalation paths
Required Experience
- 4+ years of Human Resources, Compensation, Payroll, or Benefits experience (restaurant, retail, hospitality, or high-volume operational environments preferred )
- 2+ years of experience with ADP or comparable HRIS (Harri preferred)
- Excel Proficiency (lookups, index matching, Ifs logic, dashboards )
- Strong communication skills and customer service skills
- Ability to manage confidential data with discretion
- Familiarity with employment laws, leave regulations, and benefits compliance (Fair Work Week Preferred )
Education
- Bachelor's degree required
Benefits and Salary
- Competitive salary and performance bonus (target 20% annual)
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits
- 401(k) with company match
- Generous paid time off and company holidays
- Free Pret food and coffee
- Professional development and career growth within a global brand
- The pay range for this role is $100,000 - $125,000. Compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, depth of experience, certifications, and the specific work location of New York, New York, United States. In addition, you will be eligible for a discretionary bonus if you are an active employee as of fiscal year-end.