HR Director

Standard Hotels; Camden Town; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading luxury hospitality brand in Camden Town is seeking an experienced HR Director to oversee people-related activities for over 320 employees. This role involves leading talent attraction, managing payroll budgets, and aligning HR strategy with business performance. Ideal candidates should have over 3 years of HR leadership experience in hospitality and possess a CIPD Level 7 qualification. Competitive salary offered.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Bonus

Benefits

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience as a HR Director or Senior HR Manager in hospitality.
• Proven ability to design staffing and payroll budgets.
• Experience creating HR metric reports for corporate offices.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all people-related activity for over 320 employees.
• Lead talent attraction and employee engagement initiatives.
• Manage the alignment between financial performance and staffing strategy.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Leadership in HR

Solutions-focused mindset

Understanding UK employment law

Experience in talent acquisition

Education

CIPD Level 7 or equivalent

Tools

Fourth HR/Payroll

PeopleSoft

Taleo

Job description

Overview

As our HR Director, you will work in close partnership with the General Manager, the Senior Executive Team, and our HR Director, Lifestyle, EAME to oversee all people-related activity across the hotel. With a team of three HR professionals, you will lead the people agenda for a vibrant and diverse workforce of over 320 employees, ensuring that every individual's contribution helps drive business success and guest excellence. You\'ll take full ownership of the hotel\'s people and culture strategy, leading across all key areas of HR including Talent Attraction, Learning & Development, Employee Engagement, Employee Relations, and Strategic Workforce Planning. You\'ll translate culture into commercial results and align the people strategy with business performance. Your remit extends beyond HR operations to encompass financial and strategic planning, including the design and management of annual staffing and payroll budgets, workforce forecasting, and labour cost analysis. You will partner with the Director of Finance to align financial performance with staffing strategy. You will review monthly payroll and productivity metrics, track headcount and wage costs against business levels, and make recommendations to optimise workforce efficiency without compromising guest experience or brand culture. You will manage our compensation and benefits framework, oversee performance-based pay initiatives, and contribute to monthly ownership and corporate reporting by producing HR data and insights that inform business decisions. Beyond the numbers, you will lead initiatives that strengthen our organisational culture, focusing on engagement, recognition, and career growth. You will act as a trusted advisor and coach to the leadership team, ensuring all people leaders are confident, consistent, and empowered in managing their teams. You will champion diversity and inclusion, encourage open communication, and model the authenticity and creativity that define The Standard brand. Your leadership will ensure that HR at The Standard, London is a strategic, data-driven partner that directly influences profitability, performance, and the long-term success of our people and our brand. You will need to be highly social, upbeat and friendly; confident and can handle pressure well; thrive in a high-volume, high-energy environment and can manage both employees and senior managers with ease.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all people-related activity across the hotel and lead the people agenda for 320+ employees.
• Lead Talent Attraction, Learning & Development, Employee Engagement, Employee Relations, and Strategic Workforce Planning.
• Align the people strategy with business performance and translate culture into commercial results.
• Design and manage annual staffing and payroll budgets, workforce forecasting, and labour cost analysis.
• Partner with the Director of Finance to ensure alignment between financial performance and staffing strategy.
• Review monthly payroll and productivity metrics, track headcount and wage costs, and optimise workforce efficiency while protecting guest experience and brand culture.
• Manage compensation and benefits framework and oversee performance-based pay initiatives.
• Contribute to ownership and corporate reporting by producing HR data and insights.
• Lead initiatives that strengthen organisational culture, focusing on engagement, recognition, and career growth.
• Act as a trusted advisor and coach to the leadership team; empower people leaders in managing their teams.
• Champion diversity and inclusion and model authenticity and creativity consistent with The Standard brand.
• Influence profitability, performance, and long-term success by being a strategic, data-driven HR partner.

Qualifications

• At least 3+ years of experience as a HR Director, Head of HR, or Senior HR Manager within a lifestyle, boutique, or luxury hospitality environment.
• A thorough understanding of UK employment law and HR best practices.
• Proven experience across multiple HR disciplines including talent acquisition, employee relations, engagement, payroll, and L&D.
• Experience developing HR, staffing, productivity and payroll budgets and plans with a creative approach to engaging people initiatives.
• Experience producing a range of monthly business and HR metric reports for corporate office and private ownership.
• Proactive, solutions-focused mindset with exceptional communication and coaching skills.
• CIPD Level 7 or equivalent qualification.
• Integrity, professionalism, and positivity in all employee interactions.
• Experience using HR systems such as Fourth HR/Payroll, PeopleSoft, Peoplebank ATS, Taleo, Mapal One LMS is a plus.

HR Director | Full Time | Kings Cross | Competitive Salary DoE Bonus & Benefits