Director of People Excellence

The Director of People Excellence, along with their direct reports, provides operational leadership and functional human resource generalist support to our restaurant employees (field operations), the Restaurant Support Center (RSC), and the Distribution Center (DC). Reporting directly to the Chief People Officer, this role requires close partnership with department heads, the Leadership Team, the Executive Team, and Field Leadership.

This role provides vital oversight for People Excellence (PEx) processes spanning the entire employee lifecycle, ensuring alignment with departmental initiatives and business plans. The Director has direct functional responsibility for employee relations, employee engagement, performance management, field compliance, training implementation, employment analytics, risk management, and safety protocols.

The Director will be responsible for executing and sustaining a culture that celebrates teamwork and individual growth. Serving as a hands-on leader, employee advocate, and subject matter expert, the Director will maintain a genuine partnership with the restaurant operations team to cultivate an excellent workplace rooted in the day-to-day reality of our field operations.

People

• Promote an Open-Door environment with all employees, serving as an active, unbiased listener.
• Champion employee relations consistent with company values.
• Establish and maintain credible partnerships with field and department leaders.
• Provide direct, hands-on guidance and coaching to the PEx Field Managers to solve complex problems and elevate field performance
• Collaborate with Operations to create a culture of safety where risk is actively prevented, not just mitigated.
• Partner with management to document disciplinary actions, terminations, and exit interviews.
• Spearhead employee engagement efforts by strengthening the connection between work, colleagues, and the organization.
• Provide clear performance management guidance to management (e.g., coaching, counseling, career development, disciplinary actions).
• Coach people managers to enhance performance and solve problems.
• Frequently communicate and provide feedback to Leadership, Area Directors, and Operators regarding people development opportunities within the field.
• Advocate for a positive new employee onboarding and assimilation experience.
• Assist with the identification and selection of employees.

Thought

• Serve as the primary operational advisor to managers on coaching, counseling, and investigations in alignment with internal policies and employment law.
• Monitor legislation and legal changes impacting operations to identify when external counsel guidance or policy updates are required.
• Partner with key leaders to ensure enterprise risks are considered in planning.
• Support crisis management and emergency responses as the PEx and Safety stakeholder.
• Coordinate responses to employment-related claims (EEOC, DOL, worker's compensation, general liability) and manage the liaison relationship with external legal counsel.
• Partner with leadership to align business objectives with people-related initiatives.
• Harness surveys and focus groups to improve engagement and retention.
• Support and execute organizational change management efforts.
• Analyze employee trends and metrics to develop data-driven operational insights proactively.
• Track, analyze, and report enterprise-wide safety and claim metrics.
• Establish team performance measurements to support strategic goals.
• Assist with organizational development and succession planning.

Results

• Conduct investigations and recommend proactive solutions.
• Chair the cross-departmental Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Committee, facilitating framework discussions to help other departments identify, track, and close their risks, while owning direct accountability for HR and Safety related risk metrics.
• Oversee and manage liability and workers’ compensation claims, including working with outside counsel and applicable insurance carriers to negotiate and resolve claims.
• Organize and manage regular insurance program reviews with brokers and carriers.
• Coordinate documentation and internal logistics to support external legal counsel at trials, arbitrations, and mediations.
• Serve as the primary Project Manager for PEx-related initiatives, using disciplined project management techniques to ensure timely, aligned deliverables.
• Execute and deliver course content for HR, safety, and legal compliance training.
• Work alongside managers to determine staffing needs and execute practical hiring plans.
• Track and report enterprise-wide safety metrics.

Self

• Service-minded: Fosters a service excellence culture for internal and external guests, embracing the Servant Leadership model and setting the example for your team.
• Must fully align with Biscuitville values, competencies, and norms.
• Detail-oriented, highly organized, highly motivated, hands-on, and enthusiastic.
• Lead by acting with integrity and accountability.
• Continuously review risk activity to target areas of concern.
• Participate in hearings and investigations as needed.
• Assist with annual reviews and program administration.
• Partner in performance/promotability reviews.
• Promote safety awareness and organize Safety-focus initiatives.

Education/Skills/Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, human resources or a related field or an equivalent combination of training and experience necessary to complete the essential functions of the position is required. A Juris Doctor (JD) or Master’s degree is a significant plus but not required. SPHR Certification or SHRM-SCP preferred.
• Minimum of seven (7) to ten (10) years of progressive HR experience with a strong focus on employee relations, compliance, safety and claims management. Recruiting and/or Learning and Development experience a strong plus.
• Proven experience in a field-facing, fast paced multi-unit (field) organization, preferably restaurant, hospitality, or retail
• Proven experience with preparing presentation slides, supporting data, and related materials for a variety of audiences up to and including Board of Directors
• Proven experience with Smartsheet, Asana, ClickUp, or similar Project Management Tools and proven track record in managing projects to successful execution
• Ability to partner with leaders of varying levels to help them accomplish business unit objectives, balancing both internal practices/policies, thinking outside of the box for creative, relevant people-centric solutions
• Proven ability to problem solve in ambiguous situations, effectively prioritizing and using sound judgment when partnering with management and employees
• Demonstrated experience directly managing and developing the performance of others (direct and indirect reports) to achieve operational goals
• Excellent communication skills, ability to influence/manage change, understanding of strategic HR partnership in driving business results
• Demonstrated business acumen and ability to facilitate organizational changes across all levels in a matrix organization
• Skillful at establishing personal credibility and trusting relationships by being responsive, keeping commitments, sharing insights on issues being discussed and building relationships
• Knowledge of applicable state and federal employment, labor and compliance requirements, with experience managing outside counsel in a claims process (EEOC, workers’ compensation, general liability, etc.)
• Experience with HR systems and MS Office applications. Strong Excel skills and general technology literacy is a significant plus.
• Flexibility to meet travel requirements within the market footprint (NC/SC/VA) as needed to remain highly visible in the field