Senior Director, Talent & Performance

Nando’s•Washington, DC

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Director, Talent & Performance leads the enterprise talent architecture for Nando’s USA — to include talent acquisition, performance development, succession bench strength, performance, inclusion, and organizational resilience. This role owns the full talent lifecycle for Operations leadership, ensuring that every process — from hiring to performance to succession — is fair, transparent, scalable, and aligned to our Compass, Values, and Red Threads. As the senior HR Business Partner to Restaurant Operations, the Senior Director provides strategic counsel on organizational design, workforce planning, performance, culture, and leadership effectiveness. This role oversees two HRBPs who also serve as subject matter experts for talent acquisition and talent management supporting both Restaurant Support and Operations and ensures consistent activation of talent tools across both. Success in this role requires a blend of strategic vision, operational precision, and the ability to lead with heart. The Senior Director must anticipate operational needs, move at the pace of operational leadership, and create a culture where every Nandoca feels seen, safe, and supported.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s preferred.
15+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, including enterprise talent systems, performance, succession, and governance.
Proven ability to design and implement enterprise-wide talent architecture.
Strong collaboration and influencing skills across Operations, Commercial, Finance, and Training.
Experience with HRIS platforms (ADP, Harri), performance systems, and analytics tools.
Demonstrated ability to lead with heart, clarity, and operational discipline.

Nice To Haves

Master’s preferred.

Responsibilities

Own the enterprise job architecture, leveling guidelines, competencies, and minimum qualifications for RS and OPs leadership roles.
Set governance for role clarity, decision rights, and career pathways across the organization.
Working in partnership with the HR COE’s, ensures alignment between job architecture, pay structures, and training.
Lead the evolution of the leadership capability framework and succession philosophy.
Oversee leadership hiring strategy for Restaurant Support and Operations.
Own employer brand, selection philosophy, and assessment standards.
Govern HRIS workflows and ADP modules for leadership hiring and related talent processes.
Build a predictable, high-quality leadership pipeline aligned to Nando’s culture and operational realities.
Partner with Compensation & systems on integrations, data integrity and workflow alignment.
Maintain governance for talent related compliance
Own the enterprise succession strategy, including Operations 4-Box and Restaurant Support potential assessments.
Lead calibration governance and talent review processes.
Partner with Operations and HRBPs to identify high-potential talent and build readiness pipelines.
Track and report succession metrics and leadership depth.
Ensure talent decisions are fair, evidence-based, and aligned to leveling guidelines.
Govern technology modules/ systems related to talent management and succession planning.
Maintain governance for talent related compliance (succession documentation)
Design and govern the enterprise performance system for RS and Operations.
Ensure fairness, transparency, and alignment to Nando’s leadership behaviors.
Partner with CPO on performance outcomes, accountability rhythms, and leadership development.
Govern performance cycle design, communications, and system workflows
Build systems that connect performance, capability, and succession.
Ensure HRBPs activate performance tools consistently across the enterprise
Govern technology modules/ systems related to performance management and compliance (documentation)
Partner with People Systems on integrations and data integrity
Own the enterprise inclusion strategy, embedding Ubuntu and belonging into every stage of the talent lifecycle.
Govern ERGs, P4P, and recognition frameworks.
Lead engagement strategy, insights, and action planning across RS and Operations.
Reduce systemic barriers and ensure equitable access to opportunities.
Collaborate with the UK People Team on global engagement design, insights, and action planning to ensure alignment with global standards and local relevance.
Partner with the UK SEI team to align on global inclusion frameworks, reporting, and enterprise-wide belonging initiatives
Ensure HRBPs and leaders activate engagement insights to strengthen culture and operational consistency.
Set the cultural tone for the function by role-modeling “I am because we are.”
Build psychological safety, trust, and alignment across teams.
Lead with warmth, clarity, and pace — ensuring people feel informed, included, and inspired.
Anticipate enterprise needs and move with Courage, Integrity, Pride, Passion, and Family.