Director of People and Culture

Job Description

Momofuku

Momofuku was founded by chef David Chang in 2004 with the opening of Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York City. Credited with “the rise of contemporary Asian-American cuisine” by the New York Times and named the “most important restaurant in America” by Bon Appétit magazine, Momofuku has restaurants in the New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas as well as Momofuku Goods, a line of restaurant-grade products for home cooks.

Why Momofuku?

At Momofuku, we value our team members and make it a priority to offer competitive compensation packages that encourage longevity with the company and long-term growth. We offer competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits package, including vision/dental/medical, 401k, paid time off, flexible spending account, employee assistance program, and dining discounts, plus more after required wait periods. We encourage our team members to grow and learn and offer many opportunities for personal and career development. 

The Director of People and Culture is a strategic and hands-on leader responsible for defining and executing the People strategy in support of Momofuku's business objectives, culture, and growth. Serving as a trusted advisor to the COO and executive leadership team, this role leads the full employee life cycle across corporate and multi-unit restaurant operations - from workforce planning and talent acquisition through onboarding, development, engagement, performance, rewards, retention, and offboarding. The Director will build scalable People practices, strengthen leadership capability, ensure compliance, and use data and employee insights to improve both business and employee outcomes.

RESPONSIBILITIES

People Strategy, Workforce Planning and; Organizational Effectiveness

• Act as a trusted advisor to the COO and executive leadership team on organizational, talent, culture, and other people-related matters.
• Develop and execute an integrated People strategy aligned with business priorities across corporate and restaurant operations.
• Lead workforce planning, organizational design, and talent strategy to support business growth, seasonal staffing needs, expansion markets, and new restaurant openings.
• Build scalable People programs, policies, systems, and operating rhythms that support a multi-state, multi-unit hospitality organization.
• Lead change management and internal People communications in partnership with business leaders and key stakeholders.
• Lead, coach, and develop the People and Culture team, establishing clear accountability, priorities, service standards, and shared goals.

Attract | Workforce Planning and; Talent Acquisition

• Own the talent acquisition strategy and hiring practices for corporate and restaurant roles, ensuring the organization can attract high-quality, diverse talent at the pace required by the business.
• Partner with operational leaders on staffing plans, recruiting priorities, market expansion, and new restaurant opening needs.
• Establish recruiting processes, tools, metrics, and candidate experience standards that improve quality of hire, speed, consistency, and hiring manager accountability.
• Strengthen employer brand and talent pipelines for critical and hard-to-fill roles.

Onboard | New Hire Experience & Integration

• Design and continuously improve onboarding programs that accelerate productivity, reinforce culture and expectations, and create a consistent employee experience across locations.
• Partner with Operations and functional leaders to ensure new hires and newly promoted leaders receive the training, tools, resources, and role clarity required for success.
• Use onboarding feedback and early-tenure data to identify opportunities to improve retention and the employee experience.

Develop | Learning, Leadership Development and; Career Growth

• Set the strategy for employee and leadership development, including manager capability, career development, and role-specific training.
• Build succession planning and talent review practices that identify critical roles, high-potential talent, readiness, and development priorities.
• Create career mobility and development pathways that strengthen internal talent pipelines and support retention.
• Partner with Operations to ensure training programs support execution, leadership effectiveness, and consistent employee and guest experiences.

Perform | Performance Management: Talent Management

• Lead the performance management philosophy, annual cycle, goal setting, feedback, calibration, and development planning processes.
• Establish performance systems and practices that reinforce accountability, collaboration, innovation, and business results.
• Coach leaders on performance expectations, difficult conversations, development planning, and effective talent decisions.
• Use talent and performance data to identify organizational capability gaps and recommend targeted actions.

Engage: Retain | Culture, Employee Experience & Employee Relations

• Shape and sustain an inclusive, mission-driven culture across corporate and field teams.
• Develop employee engagement, recognition, retention, and frontline experience strategies tailored to the realities of hospitality operations.
• Oversee employee listening tools, including engagement surveys and exit interviews, and translate insights into measurable action plans.
• Serve as a senior escalation point for complex employee relations matters and coach leaders toward timely, fair, and consistent resolution.
• Partner closely with Operations on employee relations, staffing, training, retention, and workplace practices across restaurant locations.

Reward | Compensation, Benefits, Payroll, Total Rewards

• Lead compensation strategy and total rewards programs that are competitive, equitable, financially responsible, and aligned with business priorities.
• Establish compensation models and practices that reinforce performance, collaboration, retention, and internal equity.
• Lead the strategy, implementation, and administration of employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, 401(k), wellness, and voluntary benefits.
• Serve as the primary liaison with insurance brokers, carriers, and benefit vendors; lead renewals, RFPs, contract negotiations, and vendor performance management.
• Develop and execute open enrollment strategy, including employee communications, enrollment support, system readiness, and post-enrollment review.
• Provide strategic oversight of payroll practices and partner with Payroll and Finance to support accurate, timely pay and effective controls.

Transition | Offboarding, Knowledge Transfer, Alumni Experience

• Oversee consistent and compliant offboarding practices, including resignations, involuntary separations, exit interviews, final pay coordination, and benefits transitions.
• Ensure employee departures are managed respectfully, consistently, and with appropriate documentation and risk management.
• Analyze turnover and exit data to identify trends, root causes, and retention opportunities; translate findings into business and People actions.
• Support leadership transitions and knowledge-transfer planning for critical roles.

People Operations, Compliance, Systems; Analytics

• Ensure compliance with applicable local, state, and federal employment regulations, including labor laws, wage and hour requirements, leave practices, and workplace safety protocols.
• Maintain effective People policies, processes, documentation, and controls across all locations and employee populations.
• Lead the implementation and optimization of HR systems and tools that improve employee experience, operational efficiency, data quality, and scalability.
• Establish People analytics, dashboards, and reporting that enable data-informed decisions related to headcount, hiring, turnover, engagement, performance, compensation, and other key workforce measures.
• Monitor People-related risk and emerging employment practices and recommend proactive changes as appropriate.

SKILLS & REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree and/or PHR, SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or comparable HR certification preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive Human Resources/People leadership experience; hospitality, restaurant, retail, or other multi-unit operating experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading the full employee life cycle, including talent acquisition, talent management, leadership development, performance management, employee relations, compensation, benefits, and People operations.
• Proven ability to operate as a credible advisor to senior executives while remaining hands-on and connected to frontline employees and operating leaders.
• Experience supporting multi-state operations and navigating complex employment, wage and hour, and compliance requirements.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to connect People priorities to operational and financial outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to attract, develop, engage, and retain outstanding talent and to build effective succession pipelines.
• Strong analytical skills and comfort using People data, systems, and metrics to identify trends and guide decisions.
• Exceptional interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with sound judgment and the ability to influence across all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage competing priorities, and deliver high-quality work with pace, accountability, and attention to detail.
• Flexibility to travel as needed across the company locations.