Director, Team Member (Employee) Relations

Dine Brands Global; Pasadena (CA); Hybrid; USD 165,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Dine Brands Global based in Pasadena, CA seeks a Director of Team Member Relations to lead employee relations for designated business groups, guiding investigations, performance management and policy interpretation. You will partner with leaders to translate business goals into people strategies and manage risk while upholding company values.

Reporting to the Executive Director, Talent & HR Business Partners, you will drive talent reviews, succession planning and organizational development

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive HR experience with a strong focus on employee relations.
• Deep knowledge of federal and California employment law frameworks.
• Experience conducting sensitive investigations and interpreting policy.
• Broad exposure in talent management, succession planning, leadership and org development.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills with a track record advising senior leaders.
• Restaurant/retail/hospitality industry experience preferred; franchise experience a plus.
• BS degree in business or HR management; Master’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Translate business strategy into people strategies that leverage strengths while driving culture change.
• Serve as trusted advisor to leaders, addressing workforce challenges and risk mitigation.
• Lead complex employee relations matters, investigations, policy interpretation, and performance management.
• Coach leaders on best practices, difficult conversations, and documentation.
• Lead talent review, succession planning, and organizational development processes.
• Drive enterprise improvements in HR programs, policies, and processes.
• Manage employee relations programs to ensure equitable treatment and compliance.
• Target base salary range $165k – $180k depending on experience

Skills

Employee relations

Investigations

California employment law

Talent management

Change management

Leadership

Strategic advisory

Business acumen

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

BS in business or HR

Master’s in HR or related field

Job description

Based in Pasadena, California, Dine Brands Global, Inc. (NYSE: DIN), through its subsidiaries and franchisees, supports and operates restaurants under the Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar®, IHOP®, and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop® brands. As of December 28, 2025, these three brands consisted of over 3,500 restaurants across 20 international markets. Dine Brands is one of the largest full-service restaurant companies in the world and in 2022 expanded into the Fast Casual segment. For more information on Dine Brands, visit the Company’s website located at www.dinebrands.com.

Job Location Type

Hybrid

The Role

The Director, Team Member (Employee) Relations serves as the lead employee relations partner and strategic HR advisor for designated business groups, providing expert guidance on employee relations matters, including workplace investigations, conflict resolution, performance management, policy interpretation, and risk mitigation.

This role partners closely with leaders to translate business objectives into people strategies, lead organizational change, support talent and succession planning, and strengthen leadership capability. Reporting to the Executive Director, Talent & HR Business Partners, this role also serves as the primary HR business partner for designated client groups.

Responsibilities

• Translate business strategy into people strategies that leverage the organization’s strengths and values while driving culture change for high performance and accountability.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to business leaders, providing strategic HR guidance and employee relations expertise to address workforce challenges, organizational effectiveness, and risk mitigation.
• Lead complex employee relations matters, including investigations, policy interpretation, conflict resolution, performance management, workplace concerns, and corrective action while ensuring consistency, fairness, and legal compliance.
• Coach leaders on employee relations best practices, performance management, difficult conversations, and documentation to strengthen leadership effectiveness and reduce organizational risk.
• Lead talent review, succession planning, and organizational development processes that align performance, talent development, and business objectives.
• Collaboratively drive enterprise improvements in HR programs, policies, and processes that enhance consistency, compliance, efficiency, and organizational effectiveness.
• Manage employee relations programs and cases to ensure equitable treatment, policy adherence, regulatory compliance, and alignment with company values while minimizing legal and reputational risk.
• Target base salary range $165k – $180k depending on experience

Skills & Requirements

• 10+ years of progressive HR experience with a strong focus on employee relations and workplace investigations.
• Demonstrated experience conducting sensitive, confidential investigations, including deep knowledge of federal and California employment law frameworks.
• A professional career track that includes broad functional exposure in the areas of talent management and succession planning, leadership and organizational development, change management, employee relations and engagement, and recognition.
• Outstanding interpersonal and leadership skills with a proven record of advising senior leaders through periods of change and growth.
• Proven expertise in building consensus and positively influencing the outcome of projects and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to contribute to business planning and execution.
• Contributes to a collaborative, productive work environment; interacts with team members at all levels of the organization; fosters an enterprise culture that discourages siloed mindsets.
• Places a high priority on talent, both acquiring and developing the talent that drives the business, with a deep understanding that talent is a key driver of a successful business strategy.
• Prior experience in the restaurant, retail, or hospitality industries preferred; franchise experience a plus.
• BS degree in business or HR management; Master’s degree in Human Resource Management or a related field preferred.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Dine Brands Global strongly supports equal employment opportunity for all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, veteran status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act and/or other applicable laws and regulations in other jurisdictions.

Dine Brands reviews criminal history in connection with a conditional offer of employment. The following is a list of all material job duties which Dine Brands reasonably believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: manage compliant and ethical people operations throughout the entire employment lifecycle; securely obtain, store, and transmit employees’ personal, financial, and medical information.

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