Director of People & Culture

The Pulpo Group is seeking a Director of People & Culture to join our leadership team and help support the continued growth, development, and culture of our restaurants and teams.

This role is responsible for leading and supporting the people, culture, and Human Resources functions across our restaurant concepts. The Director of People & Culture helps foster a workplace rooted in our company values while supporting the systems, structure, and organizational consistency necessary for a growing multi-unit hospitality company.

Working closely with restaurant leadership teams, this role helps strengthen employee engagement, leadership development, communication, onboarding, team member experience, and organizational support across all concepts. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who is highly collaborative, operationally minded, people-focused, and passionate about hospitality-driven leadership.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Lead and oversee the People & Culture function across all restaurant concepts.
• Support and develop leadership teams through coaching, accountability, training, and organizational support.
• Oversee recruiting strategy, workforce planning, onboarding, and leadership hiring initiatives.
• Help strengthen communication, employee engagement, team culture, and operational consistency throughout the organization.
• Support employee relations matters, workplace investigations, corrective action processes, and organizational standards.
• Maintain and support compliance with employment laws, company policies, leave administration, and workplace practices.
• Assist with organizational planning, workforce scalability, leadership transitions, and company growth initiatives.
• Oversee and support company onboarding, orientation, and leadership development programs across all locations.
• Partner closely with restaurant leadership teams to help improve team member experience, retention, and long-term employee development.
• Continuously evaluate and improve People & Culture systems, processes, and organizational practices to support operational efficiency and consistency.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

• 5+ years of Human Resources leadership experience, preferably in hospitality or multi-unit operational environments.
• Strong knowledge of employee relations, investigations, employment practices, and workplace compliance.
• Experience coaching and developing leaders in fast-paced operational environments.
• Strong organizational, communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to maintain professionalism, sound judgment, confidentiality, and discretion in sensitive situations.
• Bachelor’s degree in HR or business-related field preferred. Equivalent experience will be considered.
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification preferred.

WHY JOIN THE PULPO GROUP

• Opportunity to help shape the culture and growth of a respected and evolving hospitality group.
• Competitive salary.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance with company contributions.
• Company sponsored short term disability coverage.
• Paid time off and sick time benefits.
• Retirement plan with company match.
• Paid parental leave.
• Growth and professional development opportunities across a multi-concept restaurant organization.

PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• 5+ years of Human Resources leadership experience required, preferably in hospitality or multi-unit operational environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in HR or business-related field preferred. Substantial HR experience will be considered in lieu of the degree.
• Strong knowledge of employment law, employee relations, investigations, wage and hour compliance, and HR best practices.
• Experience leading and developing teams while working closely with operational leadership.
• Strong organizational, communication, problem-solving, and leadership skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to maintain professionalism, confidentiality, sound judgment, and discretion in sensitive situations.
• SHRM-CP or SPHR/SHRM-SCP preferred.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Ability to travel between restaurant locations and support on-site operational needs as required.
• Ability to move throughout active restaurant environments during operational visits, meetings, investigations, and training.
• Must be able to lift and carry materials or equipment up to 15 lbs occasionally.
• Ability to work occasional evenings, weekends, or holidays based on operational business needs.