At The Johnstown Estate, we believe exceptional guest experiences begin with exceptional people.
Known for our warm, authentic welcome and commitment to polished service, guest comfort and excellence, our culture is built around four core values: Passion, Customer Focus, Teamwork and Integrity.
We are now looking for an experienced and inspirational Director of People & Culture to join our senior leadership team and lead the next chapter of our people strategy.
This is a high-impact role for a commercially minded HR leader who understands that great culture and great business performance go hand in hand. You will shape and deliver a progressive People & Culture strategy that strengthens leadership capability, attracts and retains outstanding talent, supports colleague wellbeing and engagement, and enables us to deliver consistently exceptional service.
You'll be equally comfortable setting the strategic direction and being visible and hands-on across the estate - building trusted relationships with colleagues and leaders while ensuring the highest standards of HR governance and compliance.
Reporting directly to the General Manager, you will be a key strategic partner to the Senior Leadership Team and management across the estate.
You will lead and develop the People & Culture function, ensuring our people agenda is closely aligned to our commercial and operational objectives.
Your remit will include:
-
Own and deliver a forward-thinking People & Culture strategy aligned with business objectives.
-
Act as a trusted advisor to the General Manager, Senior Leadership Team and management on all people matters.
-
Provide strategic insight into organisational planning, change initiatives and future workforce requirements.
-
Champion our values of Passion, Customer Focus, Teamwork and Integrity throughout the colleague experience.
-
Lead, develop and inspire the People & Culture team.
-
Build leadership capability through development programmes, coaching and succession planning.
-
Develop talent pipelines and organisational capability frameworks aligned to current and future business needs.
-
Oversee the effective delivery of HR operations, systems and platforms, including Alkimii, MAPAL and learning management systems.
-
Drive continuous improvement across HR processes, policies, training and colleague initiatives.
-
Lead our recruitment strategy, ensuring a consistent and compelling candidate experience.
-
Develop and oversee performance management frameworks that promote accountability, development and retention.
-
Build strong succession plans and talent pipelines for critical, specialist and leadership roles.
-
Champion colleague engagement, recognition, learning, wellbeing, diversity, equity and inclusion.
-
Help strengthen our employer brand and our position as an employer of choice.
-
Own the employee relations strategy, ensuring fair, consistent and legally compliant practices.
-
Lead complex and high-risk employee relations matters, including investigations, disciplinary and grievance processes.
-
Ensure all People & Culture activity is compliant with Irish employment legislation and aligned with best practice.
-
Manage relationships with external HR advisors, statutory bodies and other relevant partners.
-
Oversee reward and benefits strategy, including benchmarking and market alignment.
-
Partner with Finance to ensure payroll accuracy and legislative compliance.
-
Optimise HR systems, data and reporting to support workforce planning and informed decision-making.
-
Provide regular people insights, trends and risk reporting to the General Manager and Executive Leadership Team.
-
Identify and embrace emerging technologies, including AI and new HR systems, where they can improve efficiency, colleague experience and organisational capability.
In this role, you will make a tangible contribution to both our people and our business.
Success will include:
-
Strong colleague engagement, retention and internal career progression.
-
Positive results across Great Place to Work and employer brand measures.
-
High standards of compliance across employment legislation and mandatory training.
-
Strong leadership capability and succession pipelines across the estate.
-
Effective management of the People & Culture budget.
-
A measurable contribution to business performance through improved retention, productivity and leadership capability.
-
A progressive approach to technology, AI and HR innovation.
-
A strong, inclusive culture that reflects our values and supports our luxury service standards.
We are looking for an established senior HR professional who combines strategic thinking with strong operational judgement and a genuine passion for people.
-
Significant senior People & Culture leadership experience within hospitality or another large, service-led organisation.
-
Proven experience leading HR operations for a workforce of 300+ colleagues.
-
Expert knowledge of Irish employment legislation and HR best practice.
-
Strong commercial acumen and the confidence to influence at Executive level.
-
CIPD Level 7 qualification or equivalent.
-
Experience within a 4 or 5 hotel, luxury hospitality or premium service environment.
-
Experience in change management and/or organisational development.
-
Credible and visible - a leader colleagues trust and want to engage with.
-
Values-driven - someone who leads with integrity and sets the standard for others.
-
Strategic and commercial - able to connect people priorities with operational and financial performance.
-
Practical and solutions-focused - comfortable moving between strategy and day-to-day operational challenges.
-
Resilient and calm - able to thrive in a fast-paced hospitality environment.
-
Discreet and professional - trusted to manage sensitive and complex matters with the highest level of integrity.
-
Passionate about hospitality and people - motivated by creating an environment where colleagues can perform, develop and thrive.
This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the colleague experience and future success of one of Ireland's leading hospitality destinations.
As Director of People & Culture, you will have the influence and autonomy to shape our people agenda, develop our leaders, strengthen our culture and help create an environment where both colleagues and guests receive an exceptional experience.
If you are an experienced People & Culture leader looking for a senior role where people strategy, culture and commercial performance genuinely matter, we would love to hear from you.
