Title: Executive Vice President of Human Resources (EVP, HR)

Location: Syracuse, NY (On-site)

Overview:

Our client, American Food & Vending, a rapidly growing, multi-state hospitality organization with approximately 2,500 employees, is seeking a strategic and experienced Executive Vice President of Human Resources to lead its enterprise people strategy.

The EVP, HR is the senior executive responsible for driving both the strategic vision and operational execution of all human resources functions, including talent acquisition, employee relations, benefits, payroll, HR operations, and workforce strategy.

The EVP, HR serves as a key member of the executive leadership team and is responsible for building a people-first, service-oriented, compliant, and high-performing organization. This leader ensures that human resources strategy aligns with business goals, supports frontline and corporate teams, strengthens leadership capability, and enhances the employee experience across a dynamic, service-driven environment. The EVP, HR will oversee an HR team of 15.

The ideal candidate brings both strategic vision and operational discipline, with the ability to lead enterprise-wide HR initiatives while staying grounded in the realities of a hospitality workforce.

Key Responsibilities

HR Strategy and Executive Leadership

• Develop and lead the enterprise HR strategy in alignment with business growth and operational priorities, serving as a strategic advisor to executive leadership while driving organizational design, workforce planning, and large-scale change initiatives across a complex, multi-site environment.

Talent Acquisition and Workforce Planning

• Lead enterprise talent acquisition and workforce planning strategy, building scalable recruiting processes to attract, hire, and retain high-quality talent while partnering with operations to meet labor demands, improve hiring outcomes, and strengthen retention in a high-volume environment.

Talent Development and Organizational Effectiveness

• Lead enterprise talent development and organizational effectiveness strategy, including leadership development, performance management, and succession planning, while strengthening frontline capability, advancing internal mobility, and driving a high-performance culture.

Employee Relations and Culture

• Lead enterprise employee relations and culture strategy, ensuring consistent, compliant practices while guiding complex workplace matters and fostering an inclusive, high-trust, and engaged organizational environment.

Compensation, Benefits, and Workers’ Compensation

• Oversee total rewards and workers’ compensation strategy, ensuring competitive, cost-effective programs while optimizing vendor partnerships, mitigating risk, and aligning compensation with business performance and workforce needs.

Payroll and HR Operations

• Provide executive oversight of payroll and HR operations, ensuring accurate, compliant, and scalable processes while leveraging systems, data, and analytics to drive efficiency and business insight.

Compliance and Risk Management

• Oversee enterprise compliance and risk management, ensuring adherence to all employment laws while strengthening governance, mitigating risk, and maintaining consistent labor, safety, and policy practices across the organization.

Partnership with Operations

• Partner closely with operations leadership to align HR strategy with business performance, delivering practical, high-impact solutions that enhance workforce productivity, engagement, and retention in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications and Capabilities

Education & Credentials

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field required
• Master’s degree strongly preferred
• SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or equivalent certification preferred

Experience

• 8-10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, including senior/executive roles
• Experience in multi-site, high-volume environments (hospitality, food service, retail, healthcare, etc.)
• Proven success scaling HR functions in growth-oriented organizations
• Experience leading through organizational change or transformation

Leadership & Functional Expertise

• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence, advise, and partner with senior leadership and ownership
• Deep expertise in employee relations, compliance, and workforce strategy
• Experience building and developing high-performing teams
• Ability to operate both strategically and tactically in a fast-paced environment

Skills & Attributes

• Resilient, confident leader comfortable navigating complexity and ambiguity
• Strong communicator with exceptional relationship-building skills
• Data-driven with a focus on measurable impact
• High integrity and sound judgment
• Forward-thinking mindset, including familiarity with AI and emerging HR technologies

Compensation & Benefits

American Food & Vending offers a competitive compensation package, including $200K+ base, plus bonus (commensurate with experience).

Benefits include:

• Weekly Pay
• 401K with company match
• Employee Assistance Program
• Eligible employees offered Medical, Prescription, Dental, and Vision Plans, FSA/HSA
• Ongoing training and development programs
• Bonus Programs for eligible positions

American Food & Vending is an Equal Opportunity Employer.