Human Resource Manager

About I.M.P.

I.M.P. is the DC region’s leading independent concert promoter and venue operator, home to the 9:30 Club, The Anthem, Lincoln Theatre, The Atlantis, and Merriweather Post Pavilion. Our venues run on people — hundreds of full-time, part-time, and event staff who make live music happen every night. This role exists to make sure those people are treated fairly, consistently, and in line with our policies and values.

About the Role

The HR Manager is I.M.P.’s day-to-day owner of employee relations across all five venues. You will be the first call when a manager needs guidance on a performance issue, the steady hand when an employee raises a concern, and the person who makes sure every case is handled promptly, documented properly, and resolved fairly. You’ll work in a fast-moving live-entertainment environment that includes three collective bargaining agreements, applying their terms confidently in daily practice while partnering with the Senior Director on anything that touches the bargaining relationship. This is a hands-on generalist-plus-specialist role for someone who loves the human side of HR and has the judgment to know what to solve, what to document, and what to escalate.

What You’ll Do

• Own the employee relations caseload across five venues: intake, triage, fact-gathering, documentation, and follow-through on employee concerns, complaints, and workplace conflicts.
• Support and conduct workplace investigations — interview planning, witness statements, timelines, and investigation files that stand up to scrutiny.
• Coach managers through progressive discipline: coaching conversations, written warnings, performance improvement, and separations — with consistency across venues and clean documentation in every file.
• Apply the terms of our collective bargaining agreements accurately in day-to-day decisions (scheduling, discipline, seniority, pay practices), and flag anything with grievance or bargaining implications to the Senior Director before acting.
• Administer and coordinate leaves of absence and accommodations (FMLA, DC accrued sick and safe leave, ADA interactive process) with venue managers and payroll.
• Keep employee records, case logs, and HR documentation current and audit-ready in Paycom.
• Support recurring compliance work: I-9s and reverifications, required postings and notices, anti-harassment training logistics, and policy acknowledgments.
• Be visibly present in the venues — this job is done on the floor as much as at a desk, and includes occasional evenings aligned to the show calendar.

What You’ll Bring

• 4–6 years of progressive HR experience with a genuine emphasis on employee relations — you’ve owned cases end to end, not just supported them.
• Investigation experience: you know how to interview, document, and reach a supportable conclusion.
• Working knowledge of federal and DC/Maryland employment law (Title VII, FMLA, ADA, FLSA, DC sick and safe leave).
• Experience in a unionized environment strongly preferred; hospitality, entertainment, or another hourly/shift-based industry a plus.
• HRIS fluency — Paycom experience a plus.
• Discretion, warmth, and steadiness: people trust you with hard conversations, and you keep confidences.

Compensation & Benefits

The salary range for this role is $78,000–$85,000, based on experience. I.M.P. offers medical, dental, and vision coverage; a 401(k) with company match; paid time off; commuter and fringe benefits; and the best seat in the house for live music in Washington, DC.

Equal Opportunity

I.M.P. is an equal opportunity employer. We make employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law.