Director of Human Resources

Application Deadline: 30 June 2026

Department: Human Resources & Training

Location: China - Suzhou

Description

The HR Director supports the General Manager in all decision relating to strategic, organisational, and operational people matters for a luxury hotel property. The role helps to drive organisational performance on the objectives of Quality (through effective recruitment, development, and engagement of capable and motivated team members), Performance (through robust performance management, reward and recognition), and Compliance (through compliant and efficient HR Operations, policies & procedures).

Key Responsibilities

• As a Business Partner to the hotels General Director and trusted advisor to the management team, support the delivery of the ambitious business objectives of the hotel by locally delivering the strategic HR agenda focused on attracting, developing, engaging, and retaining talent, ensuring effective performance management, supporting organizational design and workforce planning, and ensuring efficient and compliant HR operations.
• Support and coach the leadership team in any organizational and people topics, to help them achieve their guest service and business objectives.
• Maintain and develop a strong employer brand in the local market and beyond, implement effective and innovative search and selection for senior as well as volume recruitment through a variety of sources, as well as an effective onboarding process.
• Drive strong colleague engagement through employee communication and creative activities and events, and ensure proactive follow up on engagement survey results and ongoing feedback, handle staff grievance issues proactively
• Understand the competitive positioning of the hotel as an employer in the market and create appropriate compensation & benefits structures based on market and internal benchmarking
• Plan and implement an annual budget and manning guide, following up closely on personnel costs, and preparing local management reporting as well as corporate reports
• Ensures that corporate and local policies & procedures are communicated and implemented.
• Ensure an efficient and compliant HR administration according to Kempinski standards and local requirements, including supervision of internal and external payroll services.
• Ensure compliance with local labour and immigration law and handle any legal issues including staff disciplinary actions.
• Effectively lead the HR team including recruiting, HR administration, and staff accommodation functions.
• Implement global performance management and talent management and succession planning processes, and follow up on the development and mobility of internal talent, including effective management of promotions, transfers, cross-trainings and task force assignments
• Project manage the roll-out of new global initiatives at the hotel and contribute to the design and implementation of new tools, e.g. HR information systems.

Additional responsibilities and tasks can be added at any time according to the needs of the business.



Job Requirements

• Leadership skills, as a functional leader for HR and as member of the ExCom group engaging with all Directors and staff and having a strong impact on organisational culture
• Strong planning and organisational skills
• Effective communication and listening as well as counselling skills
• Ability to engage, influence, and build relationships with a variety of internal and external stakeholders
• Role model for integrity ensuring fair and transparent processes at all times and inspiring trust
• Where there is a multicultural team: working effectively in a diverse cultural environment (ideally having lived on different continents)
• Ability to deal with ambiguity and diplomacy
• Problem-solving and analytical decision making ability and results focus
• Passion for hotel operations and identification with the brand’s core values as a luxury services provider
  

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