SENIOR DIRECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCES

Lindblad-Expeditions; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Travel benefits

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) plan with employer match

Long-Term Disability

Life & AD&D Insurance

Flexible Spending Account

Pre-Tax Commuter Benefit

Paid holidays

Parental Leave

Sick/personal days

Pet Insurance

Job summary

Lindblad Expeditions is hiring a Senior Director of Human Resources to serve as the company’s top HR leader and strategic partner to the Executive Leadership Team. The role oversees HR across shoreside and shipboard operations, guiding organizational design, leadership development, succession planning and culture to enable scalable growth.

The position follows a hybrid work model with 3 days in the Seattle office and 2 days remote per week, and requires travel around 10%.

Qualifications

• BA/BS degree in HR, business or related field.
• 15+ years progressive HR leadership experience.
• Executive business partner with ELT experience.
• Strong organizational design and change-management background.
• Executive coaching and leadership development expertise.
• Experience in employee relations and investigations.
• Budgeting and workforce planning experience.
• Proven success leading high-performing HR teams.
• Periodic travel required (~10%).

Responsibilities

• Serve as senior HR leader and strategic partner to ELT.
• Align people strategy with business objectives and plan.
• Lead organizational design, succession planning, culture, and change management.
• Oversee compensation strategy, benefits, and talent initiatives.
• Manage HR operations including HRIS, SOX, compliance.
• Provide leadership coaching and develop high-performing teams.

Skills

Executive partnership

Change management

Leadership development

Employee relations

Budgeting

Workforce planning

Executive coaching

Team leadership

Travel flexibility

Education

BA/BS in HR or related field

Job description

WHO WE ARE

Lindblad Expeditions is a true pioneer in Expedition Travel. From taking the first citizen explorers to Antarctica in 1966, opening the Galapagos and Easter Island to tourism in 1967, leading the first tourist expedition through the Northwest Passage in 1984, and launching our innovative partnership with National Geographic in 2004, we're now taking almost 30,000 guests a year to some of the world’s most remote and pristine locations on our fleet of 20 ships, and are committed to ensuring our guests experience the “Exhilaration of Discovery”.

Job Summary

The Senior Director of Human Resources serves as the company's senior HR leader and strategic business partner to the Executive Leadership Team. Reporting to the SVP of Operations & Planning, this role is responsible for aligning people strategy with business objectives while leading all aspects of the HR function across Lindblad Expeditions' shoreside and shipboard operations. This leader will partner closely with executive leadership to guide organizational design, leadership development, succession planning, culture, change management, employee relations, compensation strategy, and talent initiatives that support continued business growth. The ideal candidate combines strategic thinking with a hands‑on leadership style and thrives in an environment focused on building the foundational people processes and infrastructure needed to support scalable growth, while coaching and developing leaders to build high‑performing teams and a strong organizational culture.

Hybrid Schedule: This position follows a hybrid work model with 3 days per week in office at the listed location and 2 days per week working remotely.

Essential Duties

• Executive Partnership & Business Strategy: strategic advisor to ELT; align people strategy to business objectives; organizational design; workforce planning; challenge and influence leaders.
• Leadership & Organizational Development: executive coaching, succession planning, talent reviews, leadership development, performance management.
• Change Management: lead enterprise change initiatives, communications, adoption, organizational effectiveness.
• Employee Relations & Risk: oversee investigations, partner with Legal, coach leaders, mitigate employment risk.
• HR Operations: compensation, benefits, talent acquisition, compliance, HRIS, policies, SOX, maritime compliance.
• Financial Leadership: Crew wage and expense budgets, workforce planning, organizational cost optimization, KPI reporting.

• Lead compensation and bonus structure strategy for all employees balancing pay competitiveness, internal equity and alignment with business performance.
• Own the design and ongoing optimization of employee benefit programs, balancing cost management with competitive offerings that support recruiting, retention and engagement.
• Develop and foster continued collaborative work with all land-based companies.

Required Qualifications

• BA/BS degree in Human Resources, Business or related field
• 15+ years progressive HR leadership.
• Executive business partner experience with ELT.
• Organizational design and change management.
• Executive coaching and leadership development.
• Employee relations/investigations.
• Budgeting and workforce planning.
• Experience leading high-performing HR teams.
• Periodic Travel required (approximate 10%)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting hospitality, travel, cruise, leisure, or other service-intensive organizations.
• Experience working within both entrepreneurial and larger, more complex organizations.
• Experience supporting rapid organizational growth or business transformation.
• Demonstrated career progression with increasing scope and executive responsibility.
• Experience partnering directly with CEOs, Presidents, or Executive Leadership Teams.
• Experience supporting multi-location and/or geographically dispersed workforces.
• Maritime or cruise industry experience preferred.

$180,000 - $195,000 a year

Bonus eligibility: 20%

Equity: 15%

OUR BENEFITS

• Travel benefits for employees and their family
• Voyage of Discovery trips for employees to travel as guests
• Health insurance including Medical, Dental, Vision
• 401(k) plan with employer match
• Long-Term Disability, Life & AD&D Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to be used for out-of-pocket medical and dependent care
• Pre-Tax Commuter Benefit
• 7-8 Paid Holidays
• 1 Floating Holiday Options
• Up to 15 days of vacation (pro-rated per anniversary year)
• Parental Leave
• Sick/personal days per city & state ordinance
• Pet Insurance discount

Communication Skills

Using the English language, this person must have the ability to read, write, and comprehend policies, legal guidelines, correspondence, and memos. Must also possess the ability to effectively communicate--both in writing and orally--with a professional demeanor.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk and hear. The employee will also be required to write and type. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms.

COMPENSATION STATEMENT

Lindblad Expeditions determines the pay for positions using local, national, and industry-specific survey data. We evaluate external equity and the cost of labor/prevailing wage index in the relative marketplace for jobs directly comparable to jobs within our company. Our posted salary range is based on national data and may be refined for a candidate's region/town/cost of living.

For new hires, we strive to make competitive offers allowing the new employee room for future growth. Salaries will be based on the applicant’s location, level of experience, education, and specialized knowledge and skills. An employee/candidate with a stronger skill set will receive higher pay.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER STATEMENT

At Lindblad Expeditions, we simply could not do our work without the diverse kaleidoscope of humanity that creates and delivers our remarkable offerings across the planet. As a Company that respects and celebrates the inherent diversity in the places we explore, we recognize the need to mirror that same diversity and all the interconnected perspectives within our organization. We are committed to building a community of different genders, races, ages, sexual orientations, chosen identities, and countries of origin where every person brings their whole self to work and whose skills, talents, and abilities are valued. We believe we can explore further and in a more meaningful way by actively creating a more diverse and inclusive organization where everyone feels they belong.

Lindblad Expeditions is an equal opportunity employer. Individuals seeking employment at Lindblad Expeditions are considered without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetics, marital status, pregnancy, unemployment status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or veteran status.