About the Company
An internationally recognized hospitality and entertainment brand is launching an ambitious U.S. expansion plan and seeking a Director of Human Resources to help build the people infrastructure that will support rapid growth. With hundreds of successful locations globally and a strong reputation for guest-focused service, this organization is bringing a fresh, inclusive, and community-driven concept to the American market.
This is a rare opportunity to join at the ground floor of a high-growth U.S. platform and shape the culture, compliance, and talent strategy from day one.
Position Overview
The Director of Human Resources will serve as the senior HR leader for the U.S. business, partnering closely with executive leadership to establish scalable people systems, ensure legal compliance, and support multi-unit expansion. This individual will build foundational HR practices while also operating tactically in a startup environment.
The ideal candidate is both strategic and hands-on, with strong California labor law knowledge, hospitality or multi-unit experience, and the ability to create structure in a fast moving environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Build and lead all U.S. Human Resources functions including employee relations, compliance, recruiting support, onboarding, benefits, and performance management
- Ensure compliance with federal, California, and local employment laws, wage/hour regulations, handbook policies, and required postings
- Create and implement HR systems, SOPs, employee handbook, training programs, and scalable people processes
- Partner with operations leadership to support hiring for current openings and future locations
- Develop compensation structures, organizational planning, and performance review programs aligned with business growth
- Lead employee relations matters with professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment
- Manage onboarding/offboarding processes and maintain HRIS / personnel documentation
- Support leadership coaching, culture development, retention strategies, and engagement initiatives
- Assist with workforce planning for future expansion across California and additional U.S. markets
- Serve as a trusted advisor to ownership and senior leadership on all people matters
Qualifications
- 7+ years of progressive Human Resources leadership experience
- Strong knowledge of California employment law and multi-state compliance preferred
- Experience in hospitality, restaurants, retail, entertainment, or multi-unit consumer-facing businesses strongly preferred
- Proven success building HR infrastructure in growth-stage or startup environments
- Experience supporting hourly and salaried workforces
- Excellent communication, leadership, and conflict-resolution skills
- High level of professionalism, discretion, and emotional intelligence
Ideal Profile
- Builder mentality who enjoys creating systems from scratch
- Comfortable in a hands-on, entrepreneurial environment
- Able to balance strategy with execution
- Passion for culture-building and people development
- Excited by growth, expansion, and being part of a launch story
Why This Role
- Ground-floor leadership opportunity with a globally established brand entering the U.S. market
- High visibility role with direct access to ownership and executive leadership
- Opportunity to shape culture and people strategy across future locations
- Dynamic, fun, hospitality-driven concept with meaningful expansion plans
