Director of People + Culture

At NAYA, we’re on an exciting journey - growing fast, sharing authentic, fresh, and nutritious Middle Eastern flavors, and building a team that grows right along with us.

At NAYA, our mission is to build genuine connections through the Middle Eastern flavors that nourish and inspire us

We are seeking a highly strategic, operationally strong, and people-focused Director of People + Culture to help lead our next phase of growth. This role is ideal for an experienced HR leader who is approaching Vice President-level readiness and thrives in fast-paced, high-growth environments.

You will love working at NAYA We believe great people deserve great rewards. NAYA offers a comprehensive and people-focused benefits package designed to support you at work and beyond, including:

• Competitive pay to recognize your impact
• Paid Vacation time
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance to keep you healthy and thriving
• Flexible Spending Account
• Commuter benefits to make life easier
• Employee discounts and free NAYA meals — because we believe in enjoying what we serve
• Growth opportunities at every level — we invest in developing leaders from within
• Employee Assistance, Pay on Demand, Pet Insurance, Identity Theft Protection, and much more!

At NAYA, you’ll find more than a job — you’ll find a community that values you, supports your goals, and celebrates your success.

Position Summary The Director of People + Culture is responsible for supporting and managing core Human Resources and People + Culture functions across the organization. This role will oversee compliance, employee relations, compensation support, benefits administration, payroll partnership, talent acquisition, employee engagement, onboarding, performance management, policy administration, and workforce support.

This individual will play an important role in ensuring operational consistency, supporting restaurant leaders, maintaining compliance, and helping create a positive and people‑first work environment aligned with NAYA’s mission and values.

The ideal candidate is organized, dependable, people-focused, operationally strong, and comfortable balancing multiple priorities in a fast‑paced restaurant environment.

• Serve as a primary HR support partner for Restaurant Leadership teams.
• Partner closely with Operations leaders to support restaurant staffing, employee relations, onboarding, compliance, and team member development.
• Support new restaurant openings through hiring coordination, onboarding support, workforce planning assistance, and market pay research.
• Help ensure restaurants are staffed appropriately while maintaining NAYA’s culture and operational standards.
• Provide guidance to restaurant leaders on performance management, documentation, attendance, policy interpretation, and workplace concerns.

• Support compliance with all federal, state, and local labor and employment laws.
• Ensure compliance with NYC Fair Work Week regulations and other applicable scheduling laws.
• Support HR documentation, reporting, audits, and recordkeeping processes.
• Maintain organized and accurate employee records and HR systems.
• Assist in implementing HR processes and operational standards across the organization.
• Partner with Payroll, Operations, and other departments to support accurate and compliant people practices.

• Support employee relations matters across restaurant operations and support center teams.
• Conduct workplace investigations related to policy violations, employee concerns, harassment, discrimination, attendance, and behavioral issues.
• Handle investigations in a professional, fair, unbiased, and confidential manner.
• Provide coaching and support to…