Director of People, West Coast

THINK FOOD GROUP LLC•Las Vegas, NV

About The Position

At José Andrés Group, our purpose is to change the world through the power of food—and that begins with how we care for our people. Across our restaurants, we are guided by a culture of hospitality, humanity, and service, where respect, empathy, and accountability are not just values, but daily practices. We are seeking a Director of People for our West Coast portfolio who will serve as both a strategic partner and a cultural steward—someone who understands that preserving what makes JAG special is just as important as building what comes next. This is a highly visible, hands-on role that requires balancing operational excellence with a deep commitment to people. The ideal candidate brings strong experience in complex, multi-state employment environments and knows how to translate legal and compliance requirements into thoughtful, consistent practices that support both the business and the employee experience. Just as importantly, you lead with emotional intelligence and integrity, building trust across all levels and navigating sensitive situations with care, fairness, and discretion. You are someone who takes ownership, follows through, and isn’t afraid to lean into the details—but always with a bigger-picture mindset. You’ll play a critical role in strengthening HR infrastructure, supporting leaders, and ensuring that as we grow, we remain grounded in the culture, values, and sense of purpose that define José Andrés Group.

Requirements

The ideal candidate brings strong experience in complex, multi-state employment environments and knows how to translate legal and compliance requirements into thoughtful, consistent practices that support both the business and the employee experience.
Just as importantly, you lead with emotional intelligence and integrity, building trust across all levels and navigating sensitive situations with care, fairness, and discretion.
You are someone who takes ownership, follows through, and isn’t afraid to lean into the details—but always with a bigger-picture mindset.

Responsibilities

Serve as a trusted, highly visible HR resource across all West Coast locations — genuinely known and accessible to both hourly and salaried team members.
Investigate complaints, mediate conflicts, and resolve employee relations matters with empathy, consistency, and thorough documentation that withstands scrutiny.
Partner closely with restaurant leaders to diagnose engagement and morale challenges and develop solutions grounded in the realities of restaurant operations.
Champion and reinforce a workplace culture that reflects our commitment to dignity, inclusion, and hospitality — for employees and guests alike.
Own multi-state compliance across the West Coast portfolio, with deep, applied expertise in complex state employment law environments — including wage and hour, meal and rest break requirements, pay transparency, predictive scheduling, anti-discrimination, leave laws, and workers' compensation — across all applicable jurisdictions.
Translate complex legal and regulatory obligations into clear, practical guidance that managers can act on in real-time restaurant environments.
Conduct regular compliance audits, close identified gaps, and maintain documentation to the standard required for any internal review, agency inquiry, or litigation hold.
Monitor state and local regulatory developments and proactively surface relevant changes to leadership before they become operational issues.
Own the end-to-end HR operations lifecycle across the West Coast market: onboarding, offboarding, records management, policy administration, documentation, and process execution — completed with accuracy and consistent follow-through.
Build and improve HR systems and processes where gaps exist, and document everything to a standard that scales across a growing multi-unit portfolio.
Maintain full personal accountability for your own workflows — this role operates with a lean support structure, and thoroughness in execution is expected at every level.
Partner with operations and the VP of People on recruiting support, staffing strategy, workforce planning, and new restaurant opening HR readiness.
Serve as the go-to HR resource for managers across the region — proactive, accessible, and solutions-oriented rather than reactive.
Coach managers on HR processes, employee conversations, documentation best practices, and people leadership to build consistency and confidence across locations.
Drive completion of all required trainings across the West Coast market, including sexual harassment prevention and LMS-based coursework.
Develop tools, templates, and resources that make manager behavior more consistent and compliant without adding unnecessary friction.
Lead or co-lead sensitive HR matters — including workplace investigations, formal complaints, and complex separations — with discretion, sound judgment, and full documentation.
Serve as the primary liaison to the VP of People and outside counsel on escalated employee relations and compliance matters, delivering clear analysis and well-reasoned recommendations.