Director, People

The Director, People serves as the senior People leader for a growing hospitality and experience company operating across four sites in the United States (2), Canada, and Iceland. This role is responsible for shaping and executing a people strategy that attracts, develops, and retains a diverse, high‑performing workforce while ensuring compliance with employment law across multiple jurisdictions. Partnering closely with site General Managers and the executive team, the Director, People champions a culture of belonging, operational excellence, and guest‑centered values that defines the organization’s unique experience.

The wage for this role is $135k-$140k CAD/annually and a full breakdown of perks and benefits will be discussed during the interview process.

What you’ll do

• Design and implement a multi‑year people strategy aligned with the company’s growth plans and experience‑first culture across all four sites.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the COO and executive leadership team on all people‑related matters including organizational design, workforce planning, and culture.
• Lead, coach, and develop the People team (Manager, People Operations; Engagement & Recruitment Specialist; Payroll & Benefits Specialist).
• Establish and track people metrics and KPIs; present quarterly workforce analytics and insights to senior leadership.

Talent Acquisition & Development

• Oversee full‑cycle recruitment strategy to attract mission‑aligned talent for seasonal, part‑time, and full‑time roles across all sites and geographies.
• Build and maintain employer brand presence in hospitality and adventure‑experience markets in the US, Canada, and Iceland.
• Champion learning and development programs including onboarding, leadership development, and cross‑site training initiatives.

Employee Relations & Culture

• Foster a high‑engagement, inclusive culture that reflects the spirit of exploration and exceptional guest service.
• Establish and maintain employee relations frameworks including performance management, progressive discipline, and conflict resolution processes.
• Conduct or oversee investigations and resolve workplace issues in a timely, fair, and legally compliant manner.
• Lead annual engagement survey process; develop and monitor site‑level action plans.

Compliance & Multi‑Jurisdictional HR

• Ensure HR policies, procedures, and practices comply with applicable employment law in all operating jurisdictions (US federal/state, Canadian federal/provincial, Icelandic labor law).
• Maintain and update the Employee Handbook and all HR policy documentation across jurisdictions on an annual basis or as legislation changes.
• Partner with legal counsel on complex employee matters and cross‑border employment questions.

Total Rewards & Operations

• Oversee compensation philosophy and annual salary review process; benchmark roles against hospitality and experience‑industry market data.
• Provide strategic oversight of benefits programs in the US and Canada, and statutory benefits compliance in Iceland.
• Review and sign off on bi‑weekly and semi‑monthly payroll across all sites.

Ideal Experience and Behaviors

• Demonstrated ability to lead people strategy in a multi‑site, operationally complex environment, ideally within hospitality, tourism, or outdoor/adventure experiences.
• Deep knowledge of US federal and state employment law; working knowledge of Canadian federal/provincial labor standards and, ideally, familiarity with Icelandic or EU labor frameworks.
• Proven track record building culture and engagement in geographically dispersed, seasonal, and hourly‑heavy workforces.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to connect people strategy to operational and financial outcomes.
• Excellent interpersonal and executive communication skills; comfortable presenting to boards, senior leaders, and frontline employees alike.
• Collaborative, empathetic leadership style with a bias for action and continuous improvement.
• Comfort operating in ambiguity and scaling people systems in a high‑growth environment.

Qualifications

• Education in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Psychology, or a related field required; Master’s degree preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive HR experience, including at least 3 years in a senior HR leadership role.
• Experience managing HR across multiple countries or jurisdictions strongly preferred.
• Experience with HRIS platforms (e.g., Rippling) required.
• Ability and willingness to travel as required to support business operations, including visits to regional sites, leadership meetings, employee relations matters, and other people‑related initiatives.

We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, and other protected characteristics. To handle this job successfully, any person hired must be able to perform each task effectively. We welcome all applicants and are happy to provide accommodation upon request.

#J-18808-Ljbffr