Vice President Human Resources

Steak n Shake; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 200,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Steak n Shake, a landmark American restaurant brand, is seeking a Vice President of Human Resources to drive enterprise-wide HR strategy across corporate and restaurant operations. This executive will lead talent acquisition, leadership development, compensation and benefits, HR operations, and compliance to support rapid growth and organizational transformation.

Reporting to the executive leadership team, this role builds a culture of accountability and high performance, partners with

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive human resources leadership experience, including executive-level responsibility.
• Significant HR leadership experience within the restaurant, retail, hospitality, or other multi-unit consumer business.
• Proven success leading organizational transformation, talent development, and culture initiatives.
• Deep knowledge of employment law, employee relations, compensation, benefits, compliance, and HR best practices.
• Experience supporting large, geographically dispersed workforces.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to translate workforce strategy into measurable business results.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, coaching, and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the company's long-term human resources and talent strategy.
• Partner with executive leadership to align people initiatives with business objectives and organizational priorities.
• Lead talent acquisition strategies to attract exceptional leaders across corporate, restaurant, and franchise support functions.
• Design and implement leadership development, succession planning, and performance management programs that build a strong leadership pipeline.
• Foster a high-performance culture centered on accountability, recognition, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Oversee compensation, benefits, incentive programs, and total rewards to ensure competitiveness and alignment with company goals.
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local employment laws while proactively managing organizational risk.
• Lead employee relations initiatives that promote engagement, retention, and positive workplace culture.
• Continually improve HR systems, processes, reporting, and analytics to improve efficiency and decision-making.
• Partner with Operations to support workforce planning, labor strategy, and organizational effectiveness across company-owned restaurants.
• Build and lead a high-performing HR organization focused on service, execution, and measurable business impact.

Skills

Executive leadership

Talent acquisition

Leadership development

Organizational design

Employee relations

Compensation & benefits

HR operations

Employment law

Communication

Data-driven decisions

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR

MBA preferred

SHRM-SCP or SPHR preferred

Job description

Steak n Shake is one of America's most recognizable restaurant brands and is leading the industry in same store sales – and we are just getting started. We're transforming the business with a relentless focus on operational excellence, leadership development, and sustainable growth. We serve real food, made fresh to order. Beef tallow fries. Grass-fed Steakburgers. No microwaves. Fresh ingredients. Clear standards. Real execution. Our pace is fast. Our standards are high. Our mission is clear.

As we accelerate the expansion of our company-owned and franchised restaurants, we're looking for an exceptional Vice President of Human Resources to build the talent, culture, and organizational capabilities that will power our next chapter.

Position Summary

The Vice President of Human Resources is responsible for leading the company's enterprise-wide human resources strategy across corporate and restaurant operations. This executive leader will oversee talent acquisition, leadership development, organizational design, employee relations, compensation and benefits, performance management, compliance, and HR operations.

Reporting directly to executive leadership, the VP of Human Resources will partner across the organization to build a culture of accountability, operational excellence, and employee engagement while supporting rapid growth and organizational transformation.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the company's long-term human resources and talent strategy.
• Partner with executive leadership to align people initiatives with business objectives and organizational priorities.
• Lead talent acquisition strategies to attract exceptional leaders across corporate, restaurant, and franchise support functions.
• Design and implement leadership development, succession planning, and performance management programs that build a strong leadership pipeline.
• Foster a high-performance culture centered on accountability, recognition, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Oversee compensation, benefits, incentive programs, and total rewards to ensure competitiveness and alignment with company goals.
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local employment laws while proactively managing organizational risk.
• Lead employee relations initiatives that promote engagement, retention, and positive workplace culture.
• Continually improve HR systems, processes, reporting, and analytics to improve efficiency and decision-making.
• Partner with Operations to support workforce planning, labor strategy, and organizational effectiveness across company-owned restaurants.
• Build and lead a high-performing HR organization focused on service, execution, and measurable business impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field; Master's degree or MBA preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive human resources leadership experience, including executive-level responsibility.
• Significant HR leadership experience within the restaurant, retail, hospitality, or other multi-unit consumer business.
• Proven success leading organizational transformation, talent development, and culture initiatives.
• Deep knowledge of employment law, employee relations, compensation, benefits, compliance, and HR best practices.
• Experience supporting large, geographically dispersed workforces.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to translate workforce strategy into measurable business results.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, coaching, and organizational skills.
• SHRM-SCP or SPHR certification is preferred.

What You'll Bring

• Visionary leadership with the ability to execute at every level of the organization.
• A hands-on passion for building teams, developing leaders, and creating high-performing cultures.
• Strategic thinking supported by sound business judgment and data-driven decision making.
• The ability to influence senior leaders while earning trust throughout the organization.
• Strong operational mindset with a commitment to continuous improvement.
• The energy and adaptability to thrive in a fast-paced, transformation-focused environment.

Why Steak n Shake?

Steak ‘n Shake is a classic American brand born on Route 66 in 1934. We are the creators of the Steakburger, extraordinary homemade milkshakes, and famous beef tallow fries. We use higher quality ingredients. We care about our people by proudly being the maximum wage employer. We seek to lead in food quality and service and embrace leading technologies such as Bitcoin. We are proud to be an American company.

If you are ready to lead with pride, discipline, and purpose, we want to hear from you.

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana