Job Description

Hawksmoor began 20 years ago when two childhoodfriends set out to open a restaurant in London serving the best steak theycould find, alongside great cocktails and genuinely warm hospitality. Sincethen, we have grown into one of the most respected restaurant groups in the UKand Ireland. Despite that growth, we remain a founder-led business, with astrong sense of who we are and how we do things. We were recently named the 2ndBest Steakhouse Group in the World for the second year running and are proud tobe known not just for our food, but for the way we make people feel when theyvisit us. In the US, we currently have restaurants in New York, Chicago, and Boston. Eachmarket is at a different stage of its development, from a well-establishedrestaurant in New York, to a growing presence in Chicago, through to the launchof Boston which opened in September. We are seeking to hire a Senior Director of Human Resources to be based in New York. This position is responsible for building and protecting the peopleinfrastructure that makes Hawksmoor US a great place to work and to ensureevery single employment decision, process, and interaction reflects thestandards and values Hawksmoor stands for. This is a hands-on, high-accountability leadership role.The Senior Director will own everything from how Hawksmoor hires in the US to how it handlesits most complex employee relations matters. They partner closely withoperational leaders, support General Managers, and ensure the business iscompliant, fair, and capable of attracting and retaining exceptionalhospitality talent. The Senior Director of HR isexpected to be present in the restaurants understanding how the team feels,what is working, and what needs attention and not managing from a distance. Key Responsibilities Include but are not limited to: · All US recruitment management andhourly, all sites · Employment compliance · Employee relations · Performance management · Culture and engagement · HR operations · Payroll oversight in partnershipwith Finance · New restaurant openings — peopleworkstream Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning · Ownthe US talent strategy — finding and hiring exceptional people at every level,from hourly team members to senior management · Leadrecruitment for management roles and above; build the tools and processes thatenable GMs to hire effectively at hourly level · Buildand maintain pipelines for critical roles — GM, Head Chef, senior management · Workwith the Director of Operations and COO to anticipate headcount needs as thebusiness grows and new sites are added Employee Relations & Compliance · Ownall US employment compliance — federal and multi-state labour law, wage andhour, leave entitlements, discrimination, harassment, and documentation · Manageall ER matters with speed, consistency, and care — investigations, performanceimprovement plans, terminations, grievances · Ensureall employment documentation is accurate, complete, and legally sound acrossevery site · Builda consistent, fair, and legally defensible approach to people · Stayahead of regulatory changes in New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts Performance Management & Development · Ownthe performance review cycle across the US business — cadence, quality, andfollow-through · EnsureGMs have the right tools, frameworks, and coaching to have great performanceconversations · Identifyhigh-potential people across the US portfolio and build visible developmentpathways · Partnerwith the Director of Operations and COO to build succession plans for everycritical role Culture & Engagement · Protectand develop the Hawksmoor culture in the US through the standards andenvironment created every day · OwnUS employee engagement data — surveys, exit interviews, retention trends — andtake genuine action on what it reveals · Partnerwith the Head of Purpose (global) on cultural initiatives and ensure they landmeaningfully in the US context · Createa work environment that attracts and retains the best people in hospitality —throughthe quality of leadership and the culture of the business HR Operations & Systems · Ownthe US HR infrastructure — HRIS, onboarding processes, documentation standards,and data management · Ensureemployment records, right-to-work documentation, and compliance paperwork areaccurate and complete at all times · Managethe US HR team — setting clear expectations, developing capability, andensuring consistency of standards across all sites · Overseepayroll in partnership with Finance — accuracy, compliance, and on-timedelivery are non-negotiable New Restaurant Openings · Leadthe people workstream for every new US restaurant opening · Workclosely with the GM of each new restaurant to ensure the culture is right fromday one · Coordinatewith Finance and Operational Services to ensure employment setup, payroll, andbenefits are in place ahead of opening Preferred Knowledge, Skillsand Experience: · SignificantHR leadership experience in multi-site hospitality, food service, or retail —ideally with deep exposure to US employment law across multiple states · Strongknowledge of US federal and multi-state employment law — particularly New York,Illinois, and Massachusetts — and a track record of operating compliantly atpace · Ademonstrable record of building HR teams that are genuinely respected byoperational leaders · Experiencemanaging complex ER matters from investigation through to resolution — withlegal precision and human care · Agenuine feel for hospitality culture — they understand why this business isdifferent and why that matters · Theability to influence without authority across a fast-moving, operationally ledbusiness where people are always the priority We use eVerify to confirm U.S. Employment eligibility. #J-18808-Ljbffr

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