Head of People

UTOPIA; Bellprat; Remote; EUR 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Utopia is seeking a Head of People to own the HR and recruitment function, shaping talent strategy across architecture, design, construction, and hospitality projects.

You will lead a global team, ensuring compliant, high-impact people practices, from workforce planning to retention, across Western Europe and Latin America. Fluency in English is essential, with Russian as a plus; remote collaboration across many countries is expected.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent professional experience in HR or related field.
• Senior HR experience with leading people functions and strategic programmes.
• Strong knowledge of employment law and HR policies in relevant jurisdictions.
• Experience leading HR teams with coaching and performance focus.
• Experience in talent acquisition, succession planning and leadership development.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills at executive and operational levels.
• Data literacy with experience using people metrics to drive decisions.
• Hands-on, proactive, and decisive with strong problem-solving and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive people strategy aligned to business objectives and long-term workforce needs.
• Lead, coach and develop the HR and recruitment team to deliver professional HR services.
• Partner with senior leaders to advise on organisational design and role clarity.
• Oversee talent acquisition strategy and workforce planning.
• Design and maintain performance management and succession frameworks.
• Lead initiatives to improve engagement, inclusion and culture using data.
• Ensure HR policies and practices comply with employment law and best practice.
• Establish and monitor people metrics and dashboards to measure impact.
• Advise on reward and recognition approaches to support motivation and retention.
• Manage HR budgets and external vendor relationships.

Skills

Fluent English

Russian fluency

Stakeholder management

People analytics

Change management

Project management

Leadership and coaching

Talent acquisition

Succession planning

Leadership development

HR policy knowledge

Employment law

Communication skills

Education

Degree in HR/Business/Psychology

Job description

We’re looking for a Head of People to take ownership of how Utopia attracts, hires, and grows its talent, and to build the team that makes it happen. You’ll establish and lead our HR and Recruitment function, and you’ll be accountable for the full employee journey, from workforce planning and hiring through onboarding, development, performance, and retention. That means bringing in the right people at the right time across architecture, design, construction, and hospitality, building a culture that reflects Utopia’s standards, and keeping our people practices sound and compliant in every market we operate in. The role is fully remote, covering teams and projects in Western Europe, and Latin America.

• Degree in human resources, business, psychology or related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• Substantial senior HR experience with a track record of leading people functions and delivering strategic programmes.
• Strong knowledge of employment law, HR policies and best practice in a relevant jurisdiction.
• Experience of leading and developing HR teams with a focus on coaching and performance.
• Demonstrable experience in talent acquisition, succession planning and leadership development.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills at executive and operational levels.
• Data literate with experience using people metrics to drive decisions and improvements.
• Strong change management and project management capability.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to present to senior audiences.
• A hands‑on, proactive, and decisive approach: structured, results‑oriented, with strong problem‑solving skills and attention to detail
• Fluent English
• Plus to have:
• Russian fluency
• Construction, Real estate or hospitality rectruitment/HR background

Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive people strategy aligned to business objectives and long term workforce needs.
• Lead, coach and develop the HR and recruitment team to deliver professional, consistent HR services across the organisation.
• Partner with senior leaders to advise on organisational design, structure and role clarity to support strategic priorities.
• Oversee talent acquisition strategy and workforce planning to ensure the right skills and capacity are in place.
• Design and maintain performance management and succession planning frameworks to build leadership pipelines.
• Lead initiatives to improve engagement, inclusion and organisational culture, using data to inform interventions.
• Ensure HR policies and practices are compliant with employment law and reflect best practice.
• Establish and monitor people metrics and dashboards to measure impact and inform strategic decisions.
• Advise on reward and recognition approaches to support motivation and retention strategies.
• Manage HR budgets and external vendor relationships where applicable.

• High-end international projects. Work on premium developments abroad, a valuable addition to any professional portfolio.
• Upscale clientele. Regular collaboration with high-profile clients brings exposure to demanding standards and valuable professional connections.
• Project security. The investor is developing each property for their own use as a hospitality venture, which means strong commitment and a guarantee that projects will be carried through to full completion.
• All the tools you need. A laptop, home office supplies and infrastructure, and access to our project and documentation tools from day one.
• Properties across three continents. You’ll deliver projects in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.
• A team that spans 20+ countries. Developers, architects, engineers, and legal specialists from every corner of the world, held to the same standards and the same bar for quality.

By submitting this application, I agree that my personal data will be collected, processed, and retained by the company solely for the purposes of managing and assessing my candidacy.