Senior Director of Human Resources

A highly successful, profitable premier restaurant group known for its authentic, high-quality a la carte dining concepts is seeking an experienced Director of Human Resources to oversee its multi-state operations. With nine established, high-volume full-service locations across California and Washington and an active pipeline expanding to 40+ locations nationwide over the next four years, this organization is positioned for monumental growth. Backed by private equity funding closing this summer, this is an incredible opportunity for a seasoned HR leader to build scalable infrastructure, step into a high-visibility leadership role, and directly impact a rapidly expanding corporate footprint.

This position is based full-time out of the corporate office in Torrance, California, with occasional travel to restaurant locations. The incoming Director will inherit a dedicated regional HR manager and an assistant to support the day-to-day department needs. As a true "working director" role, it requires a hands‑on executive who can flawlessly balance high-level strategic alignment with daily HR execution. This leader will serve as a vital business partner to executive leadership and restaurant managers, implementing scalable infrastructure, managing multi‑state compliance, and developing data‑driven people strategies that champion a culturally diverse workforce of over 700 employees.

Position Responsibilities

• Oversee all core human resources functions, employee relations, and multi‑state employment law compliance across existing and future restaurant concepts, excluding payroll.
• Partner directly with executive leadership to establish and track key HR metrics and dashboards, including turnover rates, time-to-fill, workplace safety, and employee satisfaction scores.
• Build out robust, scalable HR infrastructure to support imminent multi‑state expansion, managing state‑specific employer registrations, onboarding procedures, tax account setups, and localized handbook addenda.
• Lead executive coaching efforts, providing direct guidance to restaurant managers on performance management, employee relations investigations, corrective actions, and sensitive personnel issues.
• Lead corporate office talent acquisition efforts and manage external recruiting vendor relationships to attract diverse, culturally competent talent in highly competitive hospitality markets.

Position Requirements

• Minimum of 7 years of progressive human resources experience, with at least 3 years serving in a senior‑level or director‑level HR capacity.
• Must possess comprehensive, hands‑on knowledge of California labor and employment laws as well as multi‑state HR operations.
• Substantial background in the hospitality, restaurant, or high‑volume retail sectors, managing a large hourly, geographically dispersed workforce of at least 500+ employees.
• Outstanding communication, presentation, and articulation skills, with proven confidence leading large group meetings, management sessions, and company‑wide presentations.
• High proficiency with standard corporate productivity suites (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams), as well as familiarity with AI applications in HR workflows.
• Ability to work full‑time on‑site in Torrance, California, with flexibility to commute to regional properties as operationally required.

Compensation: $125,000 - $150,000 base (commensurate with experience), 10% bonus program, comprehensive health, dental, vision, 401k, PTO, and much more!