Senior Director of HR

Austin Grill LLC; Reston (VA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health/Dental/Vision

401(k) match

Paid Time Off

Disability insurance

Tuition Reimbursement

Employee referral program

Pet Insurance

Travel/Discounts

Meal plan discount

Job summary

Thompson Hospitality in Reston, VA, is seeking a Senior Director of People to lead enterprise-wide people strategies in partnership with the Senior Vice President of People. You will oversee employee relations, talent acquisition, total rewards, HR operations, compliance, workforce planning, and organizational development.

The role partners with senior executives to drive business outcomes, promote a compliant, high-performing culture, and deliver data-driven HR programs across multiple

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or related field required.
• SHRM-SCP or SPHR strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership to develop and execute enterprise-wide people strategies aligned with business priorities.
• Lead People initiatives to improve operational efficiency, employee experience, compliance, and performance.
• Oversee policies, systems, and processes across the People function for consistency and compliance.
• Coach leaders on performance management, action planning, and accountability.
• Partner with Legal, Compliance, and executives on sensitive employment matters and risk mitigation.

Skills

Strategic Leadership

Employee Relations

Talent Strategy

People Analytics

Workforce Planning

Change Management

Organizational Development

Executive Coaching

Compliance

HR Operations

Education

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or related field

SHRM-SCP or SPHR strongly preferred

Job description

Overview

Position Summary The Senior Director of People serves as a strategic leader responsible for advancing the organization's people strategy in partnership with the Senior Vice President of People. This role provides leadership across core People functions, including employee relations, talent acquisition, total rewards, HR operations, compliance, workforce planning, organizational development, and team member engagement. The Senior Director leads People team members and functional leaders to ensure consistent execution, practical business partnership, and a positive, compliant, high-performing workplace culture.

Responsibilities

Essential Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Partner with the Senior Vice President of People to develop and execute enterprise-wide people strategies aligned with business priorities.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders on workforce planning, organizational effectiveness, talent strategy, employee engagement, and change management.
• Lead strategic People initiatives that improve operational efficiency, employee experience, compliance, and organizational performance.
• Use data, trends, and business insight to identify risks, recommend solutions, and measure progress against People goals.

People Operations and Compliance

• Provide oversight of People policies, procedures, systems, documentation, and process consistency across the organization.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, regulations, and company policies.
• Lead audits, reporting, documentation standards, and risk mitigation practices related to employment matters.
• Identify opportunities to simplify processes, strengthen controls, and improve service delivery across the People function.

Employee Relations

• Lead complex employee relations matters, workplace investigations, conflict resolution, and culture-related concerns.
• Partner with Legal, Compliance, and business leaders on sensitive employment matters and risk mitigation strategies.
• Promote fair, consistent, respectful, and well-documented application of employment policies and practices.
• Coach leaders on performance management, corrective action, communication, and accountability.

Talent Acquisition and Workforce Planning

• Provide strategic oversight of talent acquisition, recruitment processes, requisition management, and hiring effectiveness.
• Support workforce planning, succession planning, leadership readiness, and talent movement strategies.
• Monitor talent metrics, hiring trends, and staffing risks to support business decisions.
• Partner with operational leaders to ensure hiring practices support both immediate staffing needs and long-term talent goals.

Team Member Engagement and Organizational Development

• Lead initiatives that strengthen engagement, retention, recognition, communication, and workplace culture.
• Design and support leadership development, career pathing, cross-training, and learning initiatives.
• Use employee feedback, surveys, and listening strategies to identify opportunities and drive action planning.
• Champion a culture of accountability, inclusion, continuous improvement, and positive employee experience.

Compensation, Benefits, and Total Rewards

• Partner with total rewards leaders and vendors to support competitive, compliant, and well-communicated programs.
• Provide guidance on compensation planning, market benchmarking, pay practices, benefits strategy, and reward programs.
• Support executive-level recommendations related to compensation governance, benefit trends, and employee value proposition.

HR Technology, Analytics, and Reporting

• Oversee People systems, reporting, dashboards, data integrity, and technology-enabled process improvements.
• Use people analytics to evaluate trends, identify operational gaps, and support leadership decision-making.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts across HR technology, workflows, reporting, and user support.

Leadership and Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop People managers and team members across multiple functional areas.
• Establish goals, performance expectations, accountability routines, and development plans for direct and indirect team members.
• Promote collaboration, responsiveness, professionalism, and practical business partnership within the People function.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field required.
• SHRM-SCP or SPHR strongly preferred.

Experience

• 10+ years of progressive Human Resources or People leadership experience.
• 5+ years of experience leading HR teams, managers, or multiple functional areas.
• Demonstrated experience supporting senior executives and leading enterprise-wide initiatives.
• Strong experience in employee relations, compliance, talent management, organizational development, HR operations, and people analytics.
• Experience in a multi-location, operational, hospitality, food service, facilities, retail, or similarly distributed workforce environment preferred.

Competitive Benefits

• Health/Dental/Vision
• Paid Time Off
• 401(k), matched up to 4%
• Short and Long Term Disability

• Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee Referral Program
• Pet Insurance
• Discounts: Hotels, Travel, Tickets, Restaurants
• Employees and their relatives are eligible for a discounted meal plan at any of our HBCU client locations while they are attending school

Who We Are

Thompson Hospitality is one of the largest restaurants, food service, and facilities management companies in the country. We are highly built upon our values, do the right thing, do the best you can, and treat others how you want to be treated, which are shaped by more than 33 years of relationships with our clients, guests, and communities. We offer competitive benefits, see our website for more. https://www.thompsonhospitality.com/

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity. All employment decisions are made based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected status under applicable federal, state, or local laws.