Head of People and Culture QSR

HEAD OF PEOPLE & CULTURE

Growing Multi-Unit Hospitality & Retail Brand |

NYC Brooklyn & Manhattan Salary:

$95,000-$105,000 + Benefits A highly successful and growing New York City hospitality and retail brand is seeking its first-ever Head of People & Culture to join the leadership team during an incredibly exciting stage of growth and evolution. With 9 locations across Brooklyn and Manhattan , a loyal following, and approximately 140 employees company-wide , this founder-led business has built a strong reputation through quality, consistency, hospitality, and an authentic people-first culture. The company is known for creating an energetic, supportive, and community-driven work environment while continuing to scale thoughtfully across New York City. This is a rare opportunity for an experienced and emotionally intelligent HR leader to step into a foundational role where they will have the ability to truly shape company culture, people systems, leadership development, and the overall employee experience across the organization. The ownership team has personally overseen many of these responsibilities up until now and is looking for a trusted strategic partner who can help professionalize and elevate the company's People & Culture infrastructure while preserving the warmth, humanity, and strong culture that already exists today. This role is ideal for someone who genuinely loves hospitality, understands the realities of fast-paced multi-unit operations, and thrives balancing structure, empathy, accountability, and leadership development. The position will be based out of the company's corporate office in Midtown West - Manhattan.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Head of People & Culture will serve as the primary HR and people leader for the company, partnering directly with ownership and operational leadership across all locations. This role will oversee the full employee lifecycle while helping create systems, programs, and organizational structure that support both operational excellence and long-term team growth. The ideal candidate is highly collaborative, people-oriented, emotionally intelligent, organized, and proactive — someone capable of building trust with everyone from hourly employees to senior leadership. This is not simply an "HR manager" position. This is a highly visible leadership role with the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on company culture, retention, communication, training, and long-term organizational success.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Talent Acquisition, Hiring & Onboarding Lead and oversee recruiting, hiring, and onboarding efforts company-wide Build hiring systems, interview structures, onboarding standards, and recruiting strategies across all departments Partner closely with operational leadership on workforce planning and staffing needs Help strengthen retention and employee engagement from the first day of employment onward Employee Relations & Culture Leadership Serve as the primary HR resource for employee relations, workplace concerns, coaching, and conflict resolution Foster a healthy, supportive, respectful, and high-performing workplace culture Coach managers and operational leaders on communication, accountability, leadership, and team development Create and implement employee engagement initiatives, surveys, and feedback systems Formalize offboarding procedures and lead exit interviews to identify opportunities for growth and improvement HR Compliance & Risk Management Ensure full compliance with all federal, New York State, and NYC employment laws and workplace regulations Oversee required trainings, including sexual harassment prevention and workplace compliance programs Maintain all HR records, employee files, work authorization documentation, and HR systems Manage and oversee workplace incident reporting, workers' compensation matters, staff injuries, guest incidents, and related risk management procedures Compensation, Benefits & Performance Development Conduct compensation benchmarking and wage analysis to ensure market competitiveness and internal equity Partner with finance and leadership teams on benefits administration and employee support programs Build and implement the company's performance review structure, evaluation philosophy, and manager training systems Develop leadership training, mentorship initiatives, career pathing, and succession planning strategies for operational leadership teams Brand Standards & Internal Infrastructure Help standardize internal policies, communication systems, employee handbooks, and organizational practices Act as a steward of company culture, professionalism, and brand standards across all locations Support operational consistency while maintaining a warm and hospitality-driven employee experience

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Strong HR leadership experience within hospitality, restaurants, retail, lifestyle, or service-driven environments Excellent knowledge of NYC labor law, compliance, and HR best practices HR certification strongly preferred Strong emotional intelligence, empathy, communication, and conflict resolution skills Experience supporting multi-unit operations and coaching leadership teams Ability to influence and collaborate across multiple departments and personalities Highly organized, trustworthy, proactive, and solutions-oriented Passion for hospitality, people development, mentorship, and culture-building Someone who leads with professionalism, warmth, maturity, and genuine care for people

WHY THIS ROLE IS SPECIAL

This opportunity offers the chance to join a respected and growing NYC brand at a pivotal moment in its evolution. The company already has a strong foundation, loyal teams, and ownership that genuinely values people and culture. They are now looking for the right person to help bring greater structure, leadership development, communication systems, and long-term people strategy to the organization. For the right candidate, this is an opportunity to build something meaningful, become a true strategic partner to ownership, and help shape the future culture and infrastructure of a beloved New York hospitality brand. Apply directly through LinkedIn or email: hiring@personenyc.com