Director of People & Development - US

 

 

 

WHY WORK AT JOE & THE JUICE

JOE & THE JUICE is a people centric food and beverage company built around culture, not just juice, sandwiches, coffee, and much more. When joining us, you step into a high energy community where the music is loud, the bar is your stage, and your personality matters as much as your skills.

We believe in four simple virtues that shape everything we do:

• Positive Attitude
• Inclusion
• Social Ties
• Growth

For us, this means that when you choose a cup half-full mindset and welcome people form every background, build real friendships across the bar by creating great guest experiences, and use every shift as a chance to learn something new, you become more than just a juicer; like us, you continue to search and mind purpose and meaning in what you do.

From your first day, you’ll be part of an international network of juicers who support each other, celebrate wins together, and push each other to grow. You will learn by doing, move through a clear Moneyball career path, and be part of a company where most leaders have earned their stripes behind the bar (fun fact: over 75% of our employees started as Juicers!).  

If you love fast paced service, music, people, and the idea of turning a job into a lifestyle, JOE can become a place to build skills, friendships, and a career that can take you across cities, countries, and roles.

 

JOB SUMMARY

The Director of People leads the US People function, partnering closely with leadership to support the business through our people. This role oversees all aspects of the employee lifecycle across a multi-unit, high-growth environment, ensuring scalable, compliant, and high-impact people practices that support both field and corporate teams. Leading a team that supports over 80 locations and rapid growth across the US.

RESPONSIBILITIES

People Strategy & Leadership

• Serve as a strategic partner to US leadership, aligning people initiatives with business goals and growth plans
• Lead and develop the US People team, including HR, Talent Acquisition & People Operations
• Drive organizational design, workforce planning, and leadership development across markets
• Build and evolve a high-performing, people-centric culture aligned with company values
• Operations Partnership
• Partner closely with Operations leadership to support store performance, staffing, and leadership pipelines
• Develop and implement scalable people programs for a multi-location, hourly workforce
• Support District Managers and Store Managers with coaching, performance management, and team development
• Ensure consistency in execution across regions while adapting to local market needs

Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

• Oversee hiring strategy across all US markets, supporting rapid expansion and new store openings
• Build and manage recruiting infrastructure, including systems, process, candidate experience and employer branding
•  Develop pipelines for key roles, including Store Managers and field leadership
• Partner with leadership to forecast hiring needs and ensure store readiness

Compensation & Benefits

• Lead compensation strategy, including market benchmarking, pay structure design, and annual review & goal setting cycles
• Drive initiatives such as levelling and pay equity & alignment
• Oversee & manage benefits strategy and vendor partnerships to support a competitive and scalable offering
• People Operations & Compliance
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws across multiple jurisdictions
• Oversee HR systems, data integrity, and reporting
• Standardize policies, processes, and employee lifecycle workflows
• Lead audits, investigations, and risk mitigation efforts
• Manage immigration processes & I-9 compliance

Employee Experience & Engagement

• Drive engagement strategy, including surveys, feedback loops, and action planning
• Lead internal communications related to People initiatives, policies, and culture
• Build programs that enhance retention, development, and overall employee experience

 

REQUIREMENTS

 

• 8–12+ years of progressive HR/People experience, including at least 3–5 years in a senior leadership role
• Experience supporting a multi-unit, hourly workforce (retail, hospitality, or similar) required
• Experience partnering closely with Operational leadership to drive business performance
• Experience scaling People functions in a high-growth, fast-paced environment
• Demonstrated success building and leading high-performing people teams
• Knowledge of multi-state employment law and HR compliance (CA experience preferred)
• Strong experience in Employee Relations, including investigations and risk mitigation
• Expertise in compensation & Benefits including market benchmarking, pay structures, and leveling frameworks
• Experience leading high-volume recruiting and workforce planning across multiple markets
• Familiarity with HR systems (e.g., ADP WorkforceNow, Greenhouse, HRIS integrations) and data-driven decision making
• Comfortable operating as both a strategic leader and hands-on operator
• Experience driving change management and implementing new programs across distributed teams
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging across frontline teams and executives
• Action-oriented with a strong sense of urgency and follow-through
• Comfortable with ambiguity and able to build structure where it doesn’t exist
• Collaborative, low-ego, and solutions-focused
• Passion for building a strong, inclusive, and high-performing culture
• Compensation- Starting at $250,000

 

Joe & the Juice is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We’re committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We welcome all qualified applicants — no matter your race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, or background.

NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

https://tinyurl.com/joejuicenotice]

 

 

 

 

 

ABOUT JOE & THE JUICE

Joe & the Juice is a healthy fast casual concept founded in Copenhagen in 2002; since then, we have grown to more than 450 locations across 20 countries and employing more than 4,500 people worldwide. From day one, our ambition has been to prove that there should be no trade off between taste and health. 

We serve high quality, freshly prepared juices, shakes, coffee, and sandwiches in relaxed, contemporary concept cafés that combine convenience with distinct urban atmospheres. Joe & the Juice goes beyond products and towards the full experience around the bar, creating a consistent universe for guests and Juicers in all our locations.  

We invest heavily in internal development through our Moneyball career system and a culture where most leaders, including C-suite, VPs, and directors, have started behind the bar. We continue to evolve our people-centric and sustainability agenda that is part of our Nordic heritage and our commitment to a better future.