Field HR Business Partner - Multi-Unit Restaurant Operations

Position Overview

A growing multi-unit restaurant organization is seeking an experienced Field HR Business Partner to support approximately 100 locations across the Seattle market and British Columbia.

This is an operations-first, field-based role. The HR Business Partner will spend significant time visiting restaurants, partnering with District Managers and General Managers, and addressing employee relations, leadership development, compliance, retention, and workforce planning.

The market is stable and high-performing. The focus is on sustaining strong operations, strengthening leadership capability, and building consistent people practices across a large hourly workforce.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary HR partner to multi-unit restaurant operations.
• Build strong relationships with District Managers, General Managers, and senior leaders.
• Lead employee relations matters, investigations, conflict resolution, documentation, and performance management.
• Coach leaders on accountability, engagement, succession planning, and leadership development.
• Support retention, workforce planning, culture, and organizational initiatives.
• Ensure consistent application of policies, employment practices, and labor compliance.
• Maintain a visible field presence through regular restaurant visits.
• Respond to urgent employee or operational matters outside standard business hours when necessary.
• Travel to British Columbia quarterly or as business needs require.

Qualifications

• 5 years of progressive Human Resources experience.
• Experience as an HR Business Partner, Regional HR Manager, or Field HR leader.
• Multi-unit restaurant, QSR, franchise, retail, hospitality, or service-industry experience strongly preferred.
• Strong background in employee relations, workplace investigations, performance management, and leadership coaching.
• Knowledge of employment law, wage and hour requirements, policy interpretation, and HR best practices.
• Experience supporting a large hourly workforce across multiple locations.
• Ability to influence operational leaders without direct authority.
• Strong communication, organization, judgment, and relationship-building skills.
• Comfortable with frequent field travel and occasional off-hours crisis response.

Work Environment

This is not a remote position. The role will be heavily field-based, especially during onboarding. Up to two or three work-from-home days may be available depending on administrative workload and business needs.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This position offers the opportunity to join a successful, established organization where HR is viewed as a true operational partner. The selected candidate will have meaningful influence on leadership development, employee engagement, retention, and the continued success of a large multi-location market.

The Restaurant Zone is a leading hospitality recruitment agency specializing in connecting top-tier talent with restaurants, hotels, and hospitality groups across the United States. We partner with growing brands and established operators to deliver high-quality candidates for management, executive, and specialized roles. Our team combines industry expertise, a vast candidate network, and a results-driven approach to help businesses build strong, reliable teams. At The Restaurant Zone, we focus on speed, quality, and long-term fit—ensuring both clients and candidates succeed.