Director Of Human Resources

The Role

This is a hands-on, player-coach leadership role. You'll own HR and payroll compliance across every entity and location in the group — setting the systems, catching errors before they reach a paycheck, and being the person managers and staff trust to get it right. You'll be on-site across our LA locations weekly, and you'll build the function to scale as we open new units.What You'll Own

Payroll & Wage-and-Hour Compliance

• Own payroll accuracy end to end across multiple LLCs; manage and audit our outside payroll provider before every run is approved
• Design and enforce compliant tip pooling and tip distribution policies, including who is eligible and how hours are counted
• Ensure compliance with the California Labor Code: final pay timing, meal and rest breaks, overtime, pay statements, deductions and authorizations, and waiting-time and late-payment exposure
• Lead the transition to our new payroll system and the return to direct deposit
• Handle wage disputes, corrections, and settlements with speed and documentation

Employee Relations

• Be the first call for managers on discipline, documentation, and terminations; run terminations in person
• Investigate complaints and resolve issues before they become claims
• Build a consistent progressive discipline and documentation process across all units

Infrastructure & Policy

• Write and maintain an employee handbook and policies that fit each concept (full-service, counter, bakery, commissary, venue)
• Build clean onboarding and offboarding, I-9/E-Verify, personnel file, and recordkeeping practices
• Manage benefits, leaves of absence, workers' comp, and required postings and trainings (including harassment prevention)
• Choose and implement HRIS, scheduling, and timekeeping tools that talk to payroll

Growth & Talent

• Lead recruiting and staffing plans for new openings, including Bogavante (Montecito) and our future New York expansion (multi-state compliance)
• Partner with chefs and GMs on hiring, training, and retention
• Track and report on headcount, turnover, labor cost, and compliance risk to leadership

What You Bring

• 5+ years of HR experience, including 2+ years leading HR in multi-unit restaurants or hospitality
• Deep, current command of California wage-and-hour law — tip pools and final pay especially
• Hands-on payroll experience; you can read a payroll register and find the error
• Experience overseeing third-party payroll or PEO providers
• Track record of building HR from scratch or rebuilding it at a growing company
• Bilingual English/Spanish (required)
• Calm, direct, and credible with both line cooks and investors
• SHRM-CP/SCP or PHR/SPHR a plus; multi-state (NY) experience a plus

Details

• On-site role based in Los Angeles; regular travel between our LA locations and occasional travel to Montecito and New York
• Must be available for time-sensitive employee matters, including some evenings and weekends

Muy Salsa Hospitality is an equal opportunity employer.