Nashville Restaurant Group is hiring a hands-on HR Director for a growing multi-unit quick-service restaurant franchise group. Starting January 2027, we will operate 150+ restaurants across six states: Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Location:

Nashville, TN, with regular travel to restaurants in all six states

Type:

Full-time, salaried; in the Nashville office 4 days a week Reports to: Ownership, working directly with the President of Operations This is a working HR role, not a corporate policy job. You will onboard an entire workforce when we take over the restaurants, keep an eye on our automated systems so every restaurant stays compliant in six states, and be the go-to person for restaurant managers on people issues. You will lead all HR for the group; there is no HR staff under this role today. What you will do Acquisition transition (January 2027) Run onboarding through payroll platform online onboarding tool, which makes it quick and easy, for every team member and manager joining at closing: new-hire paperwork, handbook and policy sign-offs, arbitration and bonus acknowledgments. Each state's required forms are also signed on paper so nothing is missed All forms are managed automatically; confirm each restaurant's forms carry the correct legal employer name; we operate through several state operating companies Explain changes clearly to transferring employees: new hire date, biweekly pay, PTO and vacation rules, benefits Keep complete, organized personnel files for every employee from day one Hiring and onboarding Support restaurant and area managers with hiring for hourly team members, shift managers and general managers Review I-9s, E-Verify where required, new-hire state reporting and tax withholding forms, all managed automatically Enforce minimum hiring age and minor work-hour rules in every state Compliance monitoring in six states Compliance is handled automatically by our systems; keep an eye on them so the employee handbook (delivered to every employee automatically), required postings and notices stay current for TN, AL, GA, KY, MN and WI Monitor Minnesota Earned Sick and Safe Time and any other state leave rules Monitor wage-and-hour compliance: breaks, overtime, final pay and exempt vs. non-exempt classifications Coordinate with our employment attorney on policy updates and difficult cases Payroll support Review payroll in ADP each biweekly cycle. Hours and new-hire paperwork flow into ADP automatically and ADP calculates pay, so there is no manual data entry Work with our benefits administrator, who handles all benefits, on new hires, changes and terminations Review PTO and vacation balances; all PTO and vacation is calculated automatically in ADP Employee relations Be the HR contact for complaints, investigations, discipline and terminations Coach restaurant managers on documentation, attendance policy and fair treatment Handle unemployment claims, workers' compensation claims and employment verifications Manager bonus program Review quarterly manager bonus payouts; all bonuses are calculated automatically Required 5+ years of HR experience for a multi-unit restaurant, hospitality or retail operator Direct multi-unit restaurant franchise experience is required. Candidates without it will not be considered. Experience supporting 50+ locations and 1,000+ hourly employees Multi-state employment law knowledge; Minnesota or Wisconsin experience is a strong plus Hands-on experience onboarding large groups of employees, such as an acquisition, new market or restaurant opening Working knowledge of I-9s, FLSA, ACA, FMLA, unemployment and workers' compensation Experience with ADP payroll and HR tools Organized record keeping Works independently without an HR team Based in or willing to relocate to Nashville; able to travel regularly to six states Preferred PHR, SHRM-CP or

SHRM-SCP

certification Experience with multi-brand franchise groups and working directly with ownership Bilingual English/Spanish Experience rolling out a new employee handbook across multiple states

Equal Opportunity Employer Benefits:

Health insurance Retirement plan Application Question(s): Do you have Minnesota or Wisconsin HR law knowledge?

Experience:

multi-unit restaurant franchise

HR:

1 year (Required)

HR:

5 years (Required)

Language:

Spanish (Preferred)

License/Certification:

PHR, SHRM-CP or

SHRM-SCP

(Preferred) Ability to

Commute:

Nashville, TN 37204 (Required) Ability to

Relocate:

Nashville, TN 37204: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location:

Hybrid remote in Nashville, TN 37204