People & Culture Manager (F/M/X)

We are looking for a People & Culture Manager to lead the People & Culture function and shape a best-in-class employee experience for our onboard crew and operational teams.  

Reporting to the General Manager, the People & Culture Manager will drive strategic HR initiatives to foster a high-performance, inclusive and compliant workplace. The role is central in managing end-to-end HR strategy,the employee lifecycle, crew workforce planning, and labour relations — all with an unwavering commitment to our luxury standards and guest service excellence.  

Strategic Leadership & HR Operations  ​

• Define and deliver the HR strategy in alignment with the General Manager and the corporate guidelines of Orient Express.  ​

• Lead the full spectrum of HR functions: talent acquisition, onboarding, performance management, learning & development, compensation & benefits, payroll, and personnel administration.  ​

• Translate business priorities into effective people strategies and operational HR solutions.  ​

• Ensure a culture of continuous improvement and alignment with the brand’s identity and luxury positioning.  ​

• Update, review and ensure compliance with LQA/Forbes. ​

Workforce Planning   ​

• Co-lead with Finance the planning and monitoring of employment costs, ensuring alignment with operational budgets and staffing forecasts.  ​

• Manage the People & Culture department budget, balancing service excellence with cost-effectiveness.  ​

• Monitor key crew-related KPIs, including resources, absenteeism, shift coverage, and compliance with rest periods and working time regulations.  ​

• Work closely with the Operations team to ensure service continuity, responsiveness to unexpected changes, and agility during peak periods.  ​

• Contribute to the development of scalable workforce planning processes and tools to support future network expansion and evolving regulatory frameworks.   ​

Industrial & Union Relations  ​

• Maintain structured, constructive relationships with trade unions and employee representatives representing the company in all collective and individual labour matters.  ​

• Manage individual and collective disputes, disciplinary processes, and grievance cases with discretion and compliance.  ​

People Engagement & Workplace Culture  ​

• Promote a culture of well-being, engagement, and excellence across all departments.  ​

• Oversee the onboarding journey to ensure every new team member feels welcomed, trained, and aligned with brand values.  ​

• Support managers in developing positive team dynamics, implementing action plans to improve collaboration and service culture.  ​

• Deploy initiatives that bring to life the Orient Express values and elevate the candidate and employee experience.  ​

• Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field.  

• Minimum 5 years of experience in a senior HR role.

• Experience within luxury hospitality is mandatory. 

• Deep knowledge and hands-on experience in industrial and union relations, including collective bargaining and employment law.  

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; fluent in Italian and English (written and spoken).  

• Entrepreneurial spirit with strong organizational and project management abilities.  

• Hands-on and strategic, able to operate effectively across both day-to-day execution and long-term planning.  

• Proficiency with HR systems and tools (HRIS, ATS, scheduling software, payroll platforms, etc.).  

• Gross annual salary range:50.000 - 60.000 € + bonus

• Staff cantine

• ALL - Heartist® Program: Employee benefit card offering discounted rates at all ACCOR locations and partner venues worldwide. 

• Learning & development: Opportunity to develop your talent and grow within your property and across the world  

• Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: We are an inclusive company and our ambition is to attract, recruit and promote diverse talent.