People Operations Principal

Skills & Requirements

Key Responsibilities & Deliverables:

Employee Relations, Policy, & Compliance

• Own and lead employee relations, grievances, disputes that impact people relations or compliance by conducting thorough interviews, analysing data, discussing issues with relevant parties, interpreting legislation, CBAs, agreements, contracts, and/or company policies in a manner that safeguards organizational integrity and mitigates risk.
• Act as a trusted senior advisor to leaders on sensitive people matters, providing clear, pragmatic recommendations that balance legal compliance, risk mitigation, and employee experience.
• Design, review, and implement global HR policies and procedures that span multiple jurisdictions, ensuring alignment with business objectives and legal requirements.
• Continuously monitor and interpret and assess the impact of shoreside employment legislation and maritime labour requirements, to ensure readiness for regulatory changes and ensuring ongoing compliance.

People Operations & Systems

• Deliver day-to-day HR administration, including onboarding, offboarding, data management, employee changes, and maintaining accurate employment records through HR systems, while drafting employee communication such as contracts and change letters to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Provide senior oversight of people operations, ensuring accurate, compliant, and efficient delivery of onboarding, offboarding, contractual documentation, employee lifecycle changes, and HR data management across systems.
• Set standards and drive consistency for HR operational processes globally, ensuring high-quality execution, clear governance, and a strong employee experience.
• Provide operational and advisory support in collaboration with other People team members to deliver consistent, high-quality HR processes and employee experiences.
• Serve as a senior escalation point for employees and managers on HR processes, navigating benefits, organisational change, and communications.
• Manage and optimise HR data across systems to ensure data integrity, accurate reporting, compliance, and process automation.

Global People & Culture Generalist

• Act as a senior People & Culture generalist, contributing thought leadership and practical expertise across performance management, succession planning, employee engagement, workforce planning, and compensation programs.
• Contribute to improving HR processes, systems, and employee experience.
• Contribute to broader HR programs such as performance management, succession planning, employee engagement, and compensation reviews.
• Positively influence colleagues in managing change associated with new technology, new processes, changing org structures, and a changing global landscape.
• Supports upskilling of the People & Culture team by contributing to and fostering a culture of learning and collaboration.
• Play an active role in developing capability within the People & Culture team by sharing expertise, mentoring colleagues, and fostering a culture of learning, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Think sustainably and bring this mindset to the team and partners.
• Lead or support special projects or initiatives as assigned.
• Champion the HX Spirits in the way you work.

Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required. Additional business level language fluency in Czech, Norwegian, German, or French beneficial but not required.
• Significant experience in employee relations, complex case management, and people operations, including ownership of high-risk or sensitive matters. Experience in maritime, expedition or cruise industry beneficial including an understanding of maritime labour conventions, global employment legislation, and CBAs.
• Significant HR Operations experience in the UK required. While some responsibilities are global, day-to-day HR administration is primarily UK-focused.
• Strong ability to independently lead, optimise, and continuously improve HR processes, to deliver high quality HR services in a fast paced, highly dynamic/changing environment.
• Experience coaching senior leaders and developing HR talent; HR leadership experience preferred.
• Experience working in complex multi-national organisations with a global guest mix ideal.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to support audit requests, interpret data, identify trends, and maintain exceptional attention to detail.
• Professional HR certification or qualification desired, equivalent experience considered.
• Tech-forward and adaptable, with a proven ability to quickly learn new systems. Experience using AI tools to improve employee access to information is highly valued. Solution oriented, even when working on legacy platforms.
• Proficiency in MS Office applications including Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.

Key Personal Attributes:

• Safety and compliance minded for yourself and others.
• High degree of personal integrity and honesty.
• Passionate about inclusion and belonging. You take pride in bringing people and different perspectives together to promote a diverse and inclusive workforce.
• Demonstrates pride and ownership in all aspects of HR work, from high level advisory to essential day-to-day administration.
• Demonstrated polish and professionalism at all times when engaging with leaders and team members with differing points of view.
• Effective problem solving, conflict resolution, networking, continuous improvement, and technical aptitudes.
• Ability to work in an organised and logical manner with the flexibility to adapt to change when necessary.
• Strong sense of initiative and urgency, with the ability to follow-up on outstanding matters efficiently.
• Clear and effective communication with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to manage execution and competing demands.
• Ability to adapt to change in a positive, productive manner.
• Excited to work in a hybrid work environment to leverage time in person with colleagues across the business.

HX Spirit:

·Passionate Explorers: We are proud of our history and are driven to create more.

·‘Can-do’ Mindset: We jump-in and proactively contribute to the greater good.

·Humble Leadership: We have a short distance between leaders and teams.

·Genuine Interactions: We want all people to be their true selves.

·Supportive & Collaborative Teams: We are curious and generous with our knowledge. We Trust.