Head of People & Culture

ACCOR; Jeddah; On-site; SAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee benefit card offeringdiscount

Learning & development programs

Global growth opportunities

CSR/ESG initiatives

Job summary

Accor is seeking a Head of People & Culture - Saudi Arabia based in Jeddah to lead the Kingdom's people strategy. You will advise senior leaders and drive talent, culture, engagement, and workforce planning while promoting an inclusive, high-performing workplace.

Based in Jeddah, you will report to the Regional Director of People & Culture and the VP of Operations, guiding localization compliance and talent development across properties and the wider region.

Qualifications

• 10+ years People & Culture leadership experience across multiple properties or regions.
• Deep knowledge of Saudi Labor Law (Nitaqat, Qiwa, GOSI, Mudad).
• Strong stakeholder management and executive influencing abilities.
• Proven track record in organizational change and transformation.
• Data-driven workforce planning and labor cost optimization.
• Ability to partner with executives and maintain confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Lead the People & Culture strategy across the Kingdom with annual objectives.
• Act as trusted advisor to senior leaders and drive talent, culture and engagement initiatives.
• Drive organizational effectiveness and workforce planning to support sustainable growth.
• Collaborate with Hotel General Managers to align strategy and commitments.
• Champion the Heartist program ensuring a people-centered approach.
• Ensure localization rules per Saudi Ministry of Tourism are followed by all hotels.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Influencing skills

Data-driven

Executive presence

Cultural awareness

Discretion

Job description

Join us at Accor where life pulses with passion. Accor is a world leader in the hotel industry present in 110 countries with more than 5 800 hotels and 10 000 restaurants and bars. The group deploys an integrated hotel ecosystem that is among the most diversified in the sector, notably associating luxury and high-end brands, mid-range and economic offers, exclusive lifestyle concepts, venues for shows and entertainment, clubs, restaurants and bars, private residences, shared accommodation, Qantas Lounges, concierge services and co-working spaces. Accor has a portfolio of incomparable brands led by more than 300 000 employees around the world.

As Head of People & Culture - Saudi Arabia you will lead the development and execution of the people strategy across the Kingdom, ensuring alignment with business priorities and organizational values. Acting as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, you will drive talent, culture, employee engagement, organizational effectiveness and workforce planning initiatives that support sustainable business growth while fostering an inclusive and high-performing workplace.

Based in Accor office in Jeddah and reporting to the Regional Director of People & Culture and the Vice President of Operations.

What You Will Be Responsible For

People and Culture Regional Strategy

• Work with the hotel People & Culture and operational leaders to establish the People & Culture roadmap with annual objectives and action plans.
• Activate the People & Culture strategy with operational leaders and Hotel General Managers to ensure alignment and commitment to its delivery.
• Champion the Heartist program ensuring that the employees, guests and owners are at the center of all strategic decisions and initiatives.

Talent Acquisition

• Ensure that a strong people management culture is promoted among all leaders through the people management cycle continuous feedback conversations yearly wrap-up reviews potential assessments talent reviews career development interviews and succession planning.
• Support the leadership team in the talent management cycle, promote employee local foreigner mobility which meets the region’s growth and needs across the Kingdom and large Middle East region.
• Partner with Accor Academy Talent Experience teams and hotel leaders on workforce planning attraction and retention.
• Build succession pipelines and promote internal mobility across brands, hotels and geographies.
• Establish strong relationships with universities, hotel schools and other educational institutions to create a pipeline of entry-level talent into our hotels and offices.

Capability Talent & Employee Experience

• Partner with hotels People & Culture leaders to maintain all the localization rules set by the Ministry of Tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and ensure full compliance by all hotels.
• Maintain a best-practice recruitment approach, including Accor’s recruitment management system, to attract the best applicants.
• Anticipate recruitment needs and maintain a leadership pipeline of potential candidates and talents to match hotel needs.
• Ensure the Hotel selection process is compliant with the Company policy assessment interview guides validation steps in selection process etc.
• Heartists engagement and workplace culture improvement programs not limited to the annual engagement survey for the company.

Employment Law and Labor Relations

• Act as an advisor for hotels for any employment law and labor relations as per the country labor laws.
• Ensure proper follow-up and due diligence on all employee complaints and liaise with hotels People & Culture leaders and General Managers.
• Lead complex employee relations ER industrial relations IR and workplace investigations, ensuring fair, consistent and timely handling of sensitive matters.
• Monitor legislative changes and provide guidance to People & Culture business leaders.

Additional Information

What is in it for you

• Employee benefit card offering discounted rates at Accor hotels worldwide.
• Develop your talent through Accor’s learning programs.
• Opportunity to grow within your property and across the world.
• Ability to contribute to the community and make a difference through our Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) activities.

Our culture of inclusion welcomes everyone regardless of race, gender and background.

We are much more than a world leader. We are 240 000 hoteliers with the same shared passion for welcoming. We take care of millions of guests in our 4 100 addresses and on our digital platforms. As an operator and franchisor, HotelServices owner and investor, HotelInvest we invest all our energy into making a Feel Welcomea resonate as the finest hotel promise. From luxury to economy and in every corner of the globe AccorHotels 20 brands meet all the needs of business and leisure travelers seeking comfort, attention and high-quality services.

Our Brands include

• Raffles
• Fairmont
• Sofitel
• M Gallery
• Grand Mercure
• Pullman
• Swissôtel
• Novotel
• Suite Novotel
• Mercure
• Thalassa Sea & Spa
• Adagio
• ibis
• ibis Styles
• ibis Budget
• HotelF1

What We re Looking For

• Local Saudi Talents, currently holding a senior HR role.
• 10+ years People & Culture leadership experience, ideally across multiple properties or regions.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Deep knowledge of Saudi Labor Law, including Nitaqat, Qiwa, GOSI, and Mudad.
• Proven ability to partner with executives and influence business decisions.
• Experience leading organizational change and transformation.
• Data-driven approach to workforce planning and labor cost optimization.
• Strong business acumen, executive presence, and cultural awareness.
• Resilient, adaptable, and able to handle confidential matters with discretion.