Director of Culture & Employee Experience
Key Responsibilities
Culture & Organizational Effectiveness
- Serve as the steward of the company's culture, values, and employer brand across all 20
properties.
- Design and lead culture initiatives, recognition programs, and employee engagement
strategies aligned with organizational goals.
- Partner with property leadership to assess cultural health through surveys, listening
sessions, and qualitative feedback — then act on findings.
- Develop and deliver culture onboarding content for all new hires across the portfolio.
- Track and report on engagement metrics and culture indicators to the VP of HR.
Employee Relations Support
- Serve as an escalation point for complex employee relations matters, supporting the HR
Director/Business Partner across all 20 properties.
- Conduct and document investigations related to employee complaints, policy violations,
and workplace conflicts.
- Advise managers and supervisors on performance management, corrective action, and
documentation best practices.
- Ensure consistent application of HR policies across US and Canadian properties, with
awareness of jurisdictional differences.
Employee Relations Support
- Serve as an escalation point for complex employee relations matters, supporting the HR
Director/Business Partner across all 20 properties.
- Conduct and document investigations related to employee complaints, policy violations,
and workplace conflicts.
- Advise managers and supervisors on performance management, corrective action, and
documentation best practices.
- Ensure consistent application of HR policies across US and Canadian properties, with
awareness of jurisdictional differences.
- Monitor ER trends and proactively recommend policy or training interventions.
Property Transitions & Portfolio Onboarding
- Own the HR onboarding playbook for all newly acquired or managed properties joining
the portfolio.
- Lead cross-functional transition teams to ensure Day 1 readiness: benefits enrollment,
policy rollout, culture orientation, and HRIS setup.
- Conduct discovery sessions with incoming property leadership to understand existing
culture and workforce dynamics.
- Partner with Payroll and Benefits teams to ensure continuity of compensation and
benefits during transitions.
- Create transition timelines, communication plans, and accountability frameworks for
each property onboarding.
- Serve as the primary HR contact for incoming property employees during the transition
period.
Hotel Operations Partnership
Partnering with Hotel Operations
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with General Managers and department
heads across all properties, serving as a trusted HR advisor embedded in the
operational rhythm of each hotel.
- Understand the unique operational demands of hotel environments — including 24/7
scheduling, high-volume hourly staffing, seasonal fluctuations, and brand standards —
and translate those realities into practical HR solutions.
- Partner with operations leaders to develop and reinforce a guest-first service culture that begins with how team members are hired, onboarded, recognized, and developed.
- Support General Managers in navigating people challenges at the property level,
including front-of-house and heart-of-house team dynamics, turnover reduction
strategies, and management development.
- Collaborate with brand partners and flag leadership (Marriott, Hilton, IHG, etc.) to align
HR practices with brand culture expectations and service delivery standards.
- Act as a culture bridge between corporate HR and on-property teams, ensuring that
initiatives designed at the management company level are implemented in a way that
resonates with hourly and salaried hotel staff alike.
- Monitor key hotel-specific workforce metrics — including turnover rates, time-to-fill,
internal promotion rates, and exit interview themes — and use data to inform culture and
engagement strategy at both the property and portfolio level.
Qualifications
Required
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration,
Organizational Development, or a related field.
- Experience: 7+ years of progressive HR experience, with at least 3 years in a role with
employee relations and/or organizational culture responsibilities.
- Industry: Hospitality, property management, or multi-site operations experience strongly
preferred.
- ER expertise: Demonstrated experience managing complex employee relations matters
including investigations, corrective action, and terminations.
- Change management: Proven ability to manage organizational change, including M&A
transitions or new site onboarding.
- Multi-jurisdiction: Familiarity with US and Canadian employment law requirements.
Preferred
- SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification.
- Experience building culture and engagement programs from the ground up.
- Bilingual in English and French (an asset for Canadian properties).
- Proficiency with HRIS platforms and experience with benefits administration systems.
Core Competencies
- Culture champion: Understands that culture is built through consistent daily actions,
not annual initiatives. Can articulate, model, and reinforce values in every interaction.
- Trusted advisor: Builds credibility quickly with both frontline employees and senior
leaders. Gives honest, balanced counsel without agenda.
- Change navigator: Comfortable operating in ambiguity during transitions. Brings
structure and calm to complex, fast-moving situations.
- Collaborative partner: Works effectively across payroll, benefits, and property
leadership to deliver integrated outcomes.
- Accountability-driven: Sets clear expectations, follows through, and holds others to the
same standard — with empathy.
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/poster) notice from the Department of Labor.
