Director of People and Culture - Pre-Opening

About the role

As Director of People & Culture at The Park Gstaad, A Four Seasons Hotel, you will lead the hotel's People & Culture function and act as a strategic business partner to the General Manager and leadership team. As a member of the Planning Committee, you will shape the people strategy and ensure the attraction, development, engagement and retention of talent, aligned with Four Seasons values. This is a full-time, permanent position during the pre-opening phase, covering the employee lifecycle, organizational development, workforce planning, engagement, learning, culture and compliance.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and develop the People & Culture team, fostering engagement, accountability, inclusion, trust and continuous improvement
• Advise hotel leadership on employee relations, performance management, leadership effectiveness and talent development
• Run talent acquisition, onboarding, learning and development, engagement, workforce planning, recognition programs and employee relations
• Drive organizational development, succession planning, leadership development and culture-building
• Manage the People & Culture budget and monitor labour costs, benefits, recruitment expenses and departmental spending
• Ensure compliance with Swiss employment law, labour agreements, data privacy and Four Seasons standards
• Build relationships with employees, educational institutions, government authorities and recruitment partners
• Lead opening activities, workforce readiness, employer branding and organizational transformation projects

Required profile

• Minimum 5 years of progressive People & Culture or HR leadership experience in luxury hospitality or a comparable service environment
• Proven hotel opening experience, building People & Culture operations from the ground up
• Seasonal hotel operations experience, including seasonal workforce planning, recruitment and retention
• Experience overseeing staff housing operations
• Degree or diploma in Human Resources, Hospitality Management, Business Administration, Organizational Development or a related field
• Swiss employment law knowledge and experience with Mirus and Workday are an advantage
• Fluent English and German and/or French required; additional languages are an advantage
• Swiss or EU/EFTA citizenship or a valid Swiss work authorization

Required skills

• Talent acquisition, employee relations, performance management, workforce planning and employee engagement
• Budget management and people strategy
• Mirus and Workday (advantage)

What we offer

• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package
• Employee meals and uniform laundry service
• Monthly Employee Recognition Program
• Travel program with complimentary stays at Four Seasons hotels after six months of service
• Career growth through internal transfers and Task Force assignments
• Participation in the opening team of The Park Gstaad