This job expired on 30th July 2025
Group Head of People & Culture | Hastings Hotels
Hastings Hotels is a long established, family owned, luxury hotel group based in Northern Ireland. We are pleased to be recruiting for the senior position Group Head of People and Culture, to support our strategic workforce planning, talent development and to lead our HR team. We are seeking an exceptional, confident, and experienced people and culture professional for the position, located in Head Office, next to the Stormont Hotel.
Reporting to our Managing Director, James McGinn, you will lead Hastings Hotels workforce management, charting the course for recruitment, talent development, and employee engagement initiatives that align with the group's long-term vision and values while motivating your team through consistent communication, inspiring the team to success, supported by our Hastings Culture
This is an exciting role for an experienced professional with excellent communication and influencing skills, with a proven track record in delivering and leading in a large organisation, to shape and influence high quality people practices. As a reward you can expect a highly, competitive salary, training, and development as well as employee discounts internally and externally.
About the role
As Group Head of People and Culture you will lead in strategic planning, comprehensive people oversight, and the management of a dynamic team of people professionals for Hastings Hotels. You will have responsibility for ensuring optimal use and potential efficiencies of all resources and systems related to the People Function. You will strive for continuous improvement and development in our employee experience, strategy and processes to maintain a future ready focus.
Key Skills:
1. Excellent communication skills at all levels with the ability to influence, negotiate and establish credibility to represent Hastings Hotels and enhance its reputation, internally and externally.
2. Ability to work proactively with fully delegated authority to use principled and seasoned judgement to deal with complex issues without referral.
3. Ability to recognise where change is needed, to embrace and create an enthusiasm for change and to work effectively with others to develop creative, innovative, and customer-focused solutions.
4. Ability to maintain a customer-focused approach, building working partnerships with others to foster effective joint working, based on collaboration and cooperation to deliver “joined up” services or programmes.
5. Proven people management skills with the ability to inspire and provide direction and support promoting a “can do” attitude and an environment of creativity and innovation.
6. Ability to delegate responsibility and provide constructive feedback and coaching to individuals in roles where there is a high degree of discretion in decision making.
Responsibilities include:
1. Strategic planning and implementation of innovative and bespoke group wide People initiatives.
2. All matters relating to: People Strategy; HR consultancy/business partnering; HR policy; employment law; staff engagement; organisation improvement and development; learning and development; employee performance management; and employee health, safety and wellbeing.
3. Management of the People & Culture budget and resources, ensuring that they are allocated effectively for the delivery of intended outcomes in a manner which demonstrates value for money and compliance with relevant policies and guidelines.
4. Communicating regularly and effectively to Board, including reflective People and Culture reporting and proactive horizon planning to support the agreed outcomes.
5. Management of the HR Team, including focus on their professional learning and development, to achieve individual and team objectives, in conjunction with the CIPD's profession map.
6. Developing innovative and robust arrangements for employee resourcing, retention, and reward; including senior recruitment, recruitment strategy and campaigns for hard to fill roles and generic recruitment.
7. Supporting the senior managers in creating and effectively executing development plans for direct reports, based on their individual strengths, development needs, and career aspirations, to retain talent within the business.
8. Management of all internal and external training programmes to ensure continuous talent development and improved skills across all levels and departments, with a customer focused objective.
Qualifications and/or Experience
· Fellow CIPD qualified (or equivalent experience) and relevant developed HR expertise.
· Experience Managing People in a large, multi-site or group environment.
· Demonstrable leadership qualities and passion to drive the People Strategy of this established hospitality group.
· Proven ability in influencing, interacting and consulting with senior managers regarding People processes, best practice and benchmarking.
· Exceptional leader with experience in leading large teams and bringing about organisational change.
· Recent experience of successfully leading the delivery of strategic objectives and business plans.
· Strong commercial and business acumen.
· Excellent computer skills and sound knowledge of all aspects of Microsoft 365 and other people management software.
· Excellent verbal communication and written communication skills.
Desirable Experience
· Educated to post-graduate level or equivalent experience in one or more of the relevant technical specialist areas, for example, human resources, organisational change, or programme management.
What we will offer you:
Highly competitive salary offer for the successful candidate
Kingsbridge Diamond Membership Club
Access to wellness care
Employee discount throughout the group.
On-going training and development courses and industry events.
To find out more about our benefits click here
You must have:
Right to work in the UK. No visas will be offered for this position.
What you will need
Required criteria
- Excellent verbal communication and written communication skills.
- Excellent computer skills and sound knowledge of all aspects of Microsoft 365 and other people management software.
- Fellow CIPD qualified (or equivalent experience) and relevant developed HR expertise
- Experience Managing People in a large, multi-site or group environment.
- Demonstrable leadership qualities and passion to drive the People and OD aspects of this established hospitality group.
- Proven ability in influencing, interacting and consulting with senior managers regarding People and OD processes, best practice and benchmarking.
- Strong commercial and business acumen.
- Exceptional leader with experience in leading large teams and bringing about organisational change.
- Recent experience of successfully leading the delivery of strategic objectives and business plans.
Desired criteria
- Educated to post-graduate level or equivalent experience in one or more of the relevant technical specialist areas, for example, human resources, organisational change, or programme management.
Professional skills you’ll need for this job opportunity
Human Resource Management
Recruiting
Succession Planning
Developing People
Building Teams
Employee Relations
Hastings Hotels
Our vision is to be recognised as a prestigious, family company, providing the finest in Irish hospitality with style and excellence.

Hastings Hotels owns and operates six hotels in Northern Ireland, with over 1,000 bedrooms, a stand-alone gastro-pub, and a luxury spa. From city centre buzz to seaside resort, each outlet has a distinctive personality and market positioning. For over 50 years this family owned business has successfully established its identity in the market because we place quality and service at the heart of everything we do. Quality in the design of our properties and their upkeep. Quality in the local sourcing of the food and drink we offer our guests... and quality in our people, people with personality, attention to detail, and a desire to develop their careers with us.

Our guests remember the small details. The open fire in the lounge. The supremely comfy beds. The fabulous breakfast... and the interactions they had with our people. It is more important that you have the correct behaviours and attitude than every last qualification... we can help you attain that. We place great attention on recruitment, induction, and integrating you into your department, your hotel, and the Group. We want you to think about how you want to develop your career with us, and we promise to do what we can to help you on that journey...
Our benefits
We offer a range of benefits including free staff meals, cash and credit card tips, employee discounts, 29 days holiday plus your birthday, and opportunities for career progression and development.
Vacation, Paid time off
Retirement plan and/or pension
Employee development programs
Employee discounts
Competitive salary
Preferential room rates
Family and friends rates
Discount on meals purchased
Discount on spa treatments or products
Free meals during shifts
Free parking or Discounted parking
Employee Assistance Scheme
Wellbeing Scheme
Employee Recognition Scheme
On the job learning
Access to Health & Wellbeing app
Long service awards
Staff celebration events
Company employee App


