Senior People Director

Ssp Group Plc•Ashburn, VA

5d•$185,000 - $195,000•Remote

About The Position

The Senior People Director leads and is accountable for the performance, effectiveness, and results of the Regional People Leader team across the United States and Canada. This role serves as a strategic partner to Field Operations leadership, ensuring consistent, high-quality execution of all people processes, including talent management, employee relations, labor relations, training, compliance, and culture across the field organization. The Senior People Director champions SSP's values of Passion, Ownership, Team, and Curiosity, driving a high-performance, inclusive culture where leaders are developed, teams are engaged, and results are achieved. This role ensures full alignment and consistency with enterprise-wide people strategies, policies, programs, and initiatives, while holding leaders and People teams accountable for execution, compliance, and measurable outcomes. The position plays a critical role in shaping organizational capability, mitigating risk, and building strong leadership pipelines to support SSP's growth and operational excellence.

Requirements

Minimum high school diploma/certificate required (or international equivalent).
Bachelor's degree in human resources, or related degree, or Foreign Equivalence preferred.
10+ years of HR Business Partner experience, plus a minimum of 3 years' experience at the Director level preferred.
Minimum of 3 years' experience overseeing a team of human resource professionals preferred.
Proven experience in human resource related project management, including planning, execution, and delivery of cross-functional initiatives with measurable outcomes.
Strong proficiency in HR systems (HRIS), timekeeping platforms, and related technologies; ability to leverage systems for reporting, analytics, and process optimization.
Advanced computer literacy, including Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word), project management tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet), and collaboration platforms.
Ability to manage heavy workloads. Effectively manage conflict situations leading to successful outcomes. Must be able to work under high pressure situations and meet tight deadlines.
Flexible schedule as business demands.
Must be able to establish and maintain eligibility to perform work in the US without sponsorship, and be able to travel and work ~60% within the US and Canada as needed, with overnight and extended stay.
Must be able to pass and maintain a criminal background check, and as required, meet airport security requirements (e.g., Transportation Security Administration (TSA) clearance, comprehensive Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Transport Canada, etc.).

Nice To Haves

Previous HR experience in the restaurant, retail, or hospitality industry preferred.
Previous experience in a union environment preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead & Develop the Regional People Leader Team
Build, lead, coach, and hold accountable a high-performing team of Regional People Leaders to deliver consistent, high-quality HR support across all locations.
Set clear performance expectations, regularly review results, and take decisive action to address performance gaps.
Foster a strong sense of teamwork, collaboration, and shared accountability across the People team and with Operations partners.
Culture, Engagement & Values Leadership
Champion and embed SSP's values of Passion, Ownership, Team, and Curiosity across the field organization.
Drive measurable improvements in engagement, retention, and morale through targeted listening and action planning.
Coach field leaders to lead with empathy, clarity, and accountability.
Ensure leaders consistently model SSP values and are held accountable when behaviors do not align.
Promote meaningful recognition by encouraging leaders to actively celebrate wins, reinforce positive behaviors, and acknowledge effort.
Employee Relations & Performance Management
Own the execution and consistency of employee relations practices, ensuring fair, timely, and legally compliant resolution of issues.
Provide strategic guidance to leaders on performance management, corrective action, investigations, and terminations.
Analyze trends with curiosity and rigor to proactively address root causes and reduce repeat issues and risk.
Talent Management & Succession Planning
Lead execution of the region's talent processes including performance reviews, talent reviews, Individual Development Plans, and succession planning.
Identify and develop high-potential talent by guiding leaders to make thoughtful and consistent, forward-looking decisions that strengthen bench and build readiness.
Challenge leaders to think differently and creatively about development and succession, promoting internal mobility and growth.
Training, Development & Leadership Capability
Develop the capability of the Field HR teams by building foundational KSAs, providing coaching, and ensuring they are prepared to effectively support and deliver leadership development training in the field.
Partner with the Learning and Development team by driving the regional strategy, execution, and continuous improvement of key development initiatives,
Equip field leaders with the skills, tools, and knowledge needed to lead effectively, manage performance, and foster high‑performing teams.
Labor Relations & Collective Bargaining
Partner closely with Labor Relations to support collective bargaining strategy and execution.
Ensure consistent execution of union initiatives, contract administration, and day-to-day union relationship management.
Coach leaders on taking ownership of labor strategy, grievance handling, and contract compliance.
Legal Compliance & Risk Management
Ensure full compliance with all federal, state, provincial, and local employment laws and regulations.
Proactively identify, escalate, and mitigate people-related risk across the field organization.
Hold leaders accountable for compliance and appropriate people practices.
Policy, Process & Program Execution
Own and lead the administration and consistent application of all SSP HR policies, procedures, and programs in the field.
Ensure policies are clearly understood, followed, and enforced by field HR and operations leaders
Partner with Operations and Support Center teams to drive consistency and execution excellence.
Strategic Partnership & Organizational Planning
Serve as a strategic partner to Operations and Field Leadership, influencing organizational design, workforce planning, and decision-making.
Apply curiosity to understand business challenges and translate strategy into people solutions that drive performance and scalability.
Operational Excellence & Field HR Execution
Ensure all core field HR processes (hiring, onboarding, performance management, discipline, separations, leaves, accommodations, etc.) are executed with accuracy, consistency, and urgency, and in compliance with state, federal, provincial, and local laws, as well as any applicable collective bargaining agreements (CBAs).
Drive continuous improvement in HR service delivery, effectiveness, and efficiency.
Bring passion to improving the team member experience at every stage of the lifecycle.
Leadership, Ethics & Role Modeling
Model ethical behavior, sound judgment, and SSP values at all times.
Coach and develop leaders to build strong, accountable, respectful, and inclusive teams.
Data, Metrics & Results Accountability
Establish, monitor, and act on key people metrics (turnover, engagement, compliance, time to fill, ER trends, training completion, etc.).
Use data and curiosity to identify gaps, challenge assumptions, and drive better outcomes.
Hold People Leaders and field leaders accountable for results, not just activity.
Project Management & Strategic Initiative Execution
Lead the planning, execution, and delivery of complex, cross-functional HR and organizational projects with clear timelines, milestones, and measurable outcomes.
Drive accountability for project results by establishing governance, tracking progress, and ensuring alignment with SSP's strategic priorities.
Apply curiosity and analytical rigor to identify risks, remove barriers, and implement solutions that accelerate project success.
Foster collaboration across People, Operations, and Support Center teams to ensure seamless execution and stakeholder engagement.
Champion continuous improvement by capturing lessons learned and applying best practices to future initiatives.