Director of People and Culture

Director of People & Culture

Location: Ireland & UK (Multi-site) Contract: Full-time | Permanent

Salary: DOE

Lead the people strategy behind exceptional hospitality.

We are a proudly independent Irish hotel and hospitality group with a reputation for genuine service, warm hospitality and memorable guest experiences. Our success is built on our people, and as we continue to grow, we are seeking an experienced and inspiring Director of People & Culture to join our senior management team.

This is an exciting opportunity for a strategic HR leader who is equally comfortable influencing at group level and working alongside hotel and property teams. You will shape the future of our organisation by creating an exceptional employee experience, developing outstanding leaders and fostering a culture where people feel valued, supported and inspired to deliver their very best.

If you are passionate about hospitality, believe that engaged colleagues create exceptional guest experiences, and thrive in a fast-paced, people-focused environment, we'd love to hear from you.

The Opportunity

Reporting directly to the COO, you will lead the Group's People & Culture function across our portfolio of hotels and hospitality businesses. As a trusted adviser to the Senior Team & General Managers, you will develop and deliver a progressive people strategy that supports our commercial and strategic ambitions while strengthening our culture and values.

You will play a pivotal role in attracting and retaining exceptional talent, developing future leaders, embedding high-performance practices and ensuring we remain an employer of choice within the Irish hospitality sector.

Key Responsibilities

You'll lead and inspire our people agenda by:

Developing and delivering a Group-wide People & Culture strategy aligned to the companies, mission, vision, values and business objectives.

Integrate strategic HR initiatives at the highest level of business planning and management and evolve HR structures to meet future business objectives.

Partnering with the Senior Team and hotel General Managers to build organisational capability and leadership excellence through strategic workforce succession planning.

Creating initiatives that enhance employee engagement, wellbeing, inclusion and retention.

Develop and lead a Talent Acquisition & Retention Strategy which includes a strong focus on best in practice people policies, employer branding and workforce planning across the Group.

Create a culture of learning and development, develop leadership skills training and foster career progression programmes that enable our people to thrive and the organisation to build resource and people capability from within.

Providing expert guidance on employee relations, employment legislation and organisational change.

Driving a high-performance culture through effective performance management and coaching using SMART goal setting as a key tool in the performance management process.

Using people insights and workforce data to inform strategic decision-making.

Ensuring HR policies, systems and practices are compliant, consistent and fit for purpose.

Leading and developing the People & Culture/Human Resources team while championing our values across every property.

About You

We're looking for a confident, authentic leader who combines commercial awareness with genuine passion for people and the following skills and attributes:

Significant senior HR leadership experience, ideally within hospitality, hotels, leisure or another customer-focused environment.

Experience operating as part of a senior management team and influencing senior stakeholders at strategic and business level of the company.

A proven ability to develop and deliver strategic people initiatives that drive business performance.

Strong knowledge of Irish & UK employment legislation and HR best practice.

Demonstrated success in organisational development, employee engagement, talent management and change leadership.

Outstanding communication, coaching and relationship-building skills.

The confidence to make sound decisions while remaining approachable and collaborative.

A recognised qualification in Human Resource Management, Business or a related discipline

Above all, you'll be someone who:

Leads with integrity and authenticity.

Acts as an ambassador for the company’s mission, vision and values.

Manages and leads with a positive and can-do mindset.

Builds trusted relationships at every level of the organisation.

Sees people as our greatest competitive advantage.

Enjoys being visible, accessible and connected to operational teams.

Balances strategic thinking with a practical approach.

Is resilient, adaptable and energised by a dynamic hospitality environment.

Why Join Us?

This is more than a senior HR role - it's an opportunity to help shape the future of a growing independent hospitality group where people truly matter.

In return, you'll find:

A seat on the groups management team, with the opportunity to influence the strategic direction of the business.

The chance to build and evolve a people-first culture across a portfolio of distinctive hotels and hospitality businesses.

A collaborative, values-led environment where your ideas and expertise will make a lasting impact.

A competitive salary and executive benefits package.

Opportunities for continued professional development and leadership growth.

Our Commitment

We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome, respected and able to succeed. We value diversity of thought, background and experience and encourage applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

If you're ready to lead with purpose, inspire people and help shape the future of Irish hospitality, we'd love to hear from you.

Benefits:

Bike to work scheme

Company events

Company pension

Employee discount

Work Location: In person