Director Of Human Resources

Human Resources Director — Multi‑Property

Renwick Hospitality Group is seeking an experienced and people‑focused Human Resources Director to lead the full HR program across our portfolio of restaurants, bars, and rooftops in New York City and Washington, D.C. This role is ideal for a hands‑on, steady leader who can build a culture people want to be part of, while upholding standards, accountability, and compliance when it matters most.

About the Role

The Human Resources Director oversees all aspects of the employee lifecycle across multiple properties, from recruiting and onboarding through development, employee relations, corrective action, and separation. The role serves as a trusted partner to General Managers, F&B Directors, culinary leadership, and executive leadership, balancing the needs of the business with fair, consistent, and legally sound treatment of every team member. This leader is equally comfortable celebrating wins on the floor and handling difficult conversations behind closed doors. This role is supported by the HR systems and resources of our payroll provider, as well as a network of HR leaders across the organization, so you’ll have the tools and partnership to succeed from day one.

Key Responsibilities

Culture & Engagement — Build and sustain a positive, inclusive culture across all properties through recognition programs, team events, engagement surveys, and visible presence on property.

Employee Relations — Serve as the primary point of contact for employee concerns; listen, mediate, and resolve conflicts between team members and managers fairly and promptly.

Corrective Action & Discipline — Guide managers through progressive discipline, including coaching, verbal and written warnings, final warnings, and performance improvement plans; ensure every step is documented, consistent, and applied equally across properties.

Investigations — Conduct thorough, confidential investigations into complaints of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, misconduct, policy violations, and workplace safety concerns; prepare findings and recommend outcomes.

Terminations & Separations — Partner with leadership on involuntary terminations, ensuring proper documentation, legal review where needed, and a respectful exit process; oversee voluntary resignations, exit interviews, and final pay compliance.

Claims & Agency Response — Manage responses to unemployment claims, agency charges (EEOC, NYC Commission on Human Rights, DOL, and D.C. equivalents), and demand letters in partnership with legal counsel.

Compliance — Ensure adherence to federal, New York State, New York City, and District of Columbia employment laws, including wage and hour, tip and service charge rules, spread of hours, scheduling, paid leave, pay transparency, and required postings and trainings.

Labor Relations — Where applicable, administer collective bargaining agreements, partner with union representatives, and handle grievances in alignment with contract terms.

Policy & Handbook Management — Maintain and update employee handbooks and policies for each property and jurisdiction; ensure acknowledgments are collected and policies are enforced consistently.

Talent Acquisition — Lead recruiting strategy for hourly and salaried roles across all properties, including staffing for new openings and seasonal ramp‑ups; partner with hiring managers to fill positions efficiently.

Onboarding & Orientation — Oversee new‑hire paperwork and orientation programs that introduce new team members to Renwick standards and culture.

Training & Development — Build and deliver manager training on interviewing, documentation, coaching, and difficult conversations; coordinate mandated trainings such as harassment prevention and food handler certification.

Leadership Growth & Retention — Create career paths and internal promotion pipelines; identify high performers and partner with leadership on succession planning to reduce turnover.

Performance Management — Implement and oversee review cycles, goal‑setting, and feedback processes across properties; support managers in addressing underperformance early and fairly.

Payroll & Compensation — Partner with finance on weekly payroll accuracy, pay changes, tip distribution oversight, and compensation benchmarking to keep pay competitive across markets.

Benefits & Leave Administration — Manage benefits enrollment and questions; administer FMLA, NY Paid Family Leave, D.C. Paid Family Leave, disability, and workers’ compensation claims; handle ADA and religious accommodation requests through the interactive process.

Health & Safety — Partner with property leadership on workplace safety programs, incident reporting, and injury follow‑up; support compliance with OSHA requirements.

HR Systems & Records — Leverage our payroll provider’s HR platform and support resources to maintain accurate personnel files, HRIS data, and reporting; collaborate with fellow HR leaders to share best practices and ensure consistency across properties; store confidential records securely and retain them per legal requirements.

Reporting & Analytics — Track and report turnover, headcount, labor trends, engagement results, and employee relations activity to Renwick Hospitality leadership.

Openings & Expansion — Lead HR readiness for new properties and outlets, including staffing plans, mass hiring events, and opening‑team training.

Leadership Growth — Take on additional responsibilities as assigned by Renwick Hospitality leadership.

Qualifications

Proven experience as an HR leader in multi‑unit or multi‑property hospitality, ideally within hotel and restaurant environments.

Demonstrated experience handling corrective action, investigations, and terminations with sound judgment and discretion.

Strong working knowledge of New York and Washington, D.C. employment law; union experience a plus.

Ability to build trust with hourly team members and senior leadership alike.

Experience supporting new openings and high‑volume hiring.

Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple properties and priorities at once.

Open availability and willingness to travel between New York and Washington, D.C. as needed.

PHR, SPHR, SHRM‑CP, or SHRM‑SCP certification preferred.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Paid time off

401(k) and commuter benefits

Wellness programs

Dining discounts

Employer‑covered healthcare contributions (up to 70% for individuals, 50% for family; 25% dental & vision)

Required Skills

Leadership, discretion, fairness, empathy, accountability, organization, patience, communication, conflict resolution, investigation, documentation, coaching, employment law knowledge, multitasking, team building, and a commitment to excellence.

Compensation Details
Compensation: Salary ($[MIN] – $[MAX])

Benefits & Perks: Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance, Paid Time Off, 401k, Commuter Benefits, Potential Bonuses, Dining Discounts, Wellness Program, 70% employer covered health care, 50% for family member. 25% coverage of dental & vision. 401k plans, and more.

Required Skills
Culture & Engagement

Employee Relations

Corrective Action & Discipline

Investigations

Terminations & Separations

Compliance

Labor Relations

Policy & Handbook Management

Talent Acquisition

Onboarding & Orientation

Training & Development

Performance Management

Payroll & Compensation

Benefits & Leave Administration

Health & Safety

HR Systems & Records

Reporting & Analytics

Leadership Growth