Culture & Development Lead

People, Culture & Development Lead

The People, Culture & Development Lead is responsible for shaping and driving a positive workplace culture, ensuring the hotel attracts, develops, and retains top talent. This role oversees recruitment, onboarding, and continuous training and development, while supporting performance management and employee care initiatives. The position plays a key role in driving engagement, compliance, and alignment with the hotel’s core values and brand standards.

• Champion Marriott’s culture and values across all departments, creating an inclusive and motivating environment.
• Develop and implement initiatives to enhance employee engagement and satisfaction.
• Work with the General Manager on recognition programs and team-building activities to strengthen morale and promote teamwork.
• Act as the on-property contact for leadership and team members on cultural and people-related matters.
• Ensure regular interaction with the Empower tool to drive two-way communication and engagement.

• Lead end-to-end recruitment processes, ensuring timely and effective hiring aligned with business needs.
• Build strong relationships with local talent networks and hospitality schools to attract high-quality candidates.
• Oversee onboarding programs to ensure new hires integrate seamlessly into the Marriott culture and operational standards.

• Manage training and development programs using Marriott’s DLZ platform and other tools.
• Identify skill gaps and create tailored learning plans to support career progression.
• Facilitate leadership development initiatives and succession planning.
• Monitor training compliance and maintain accurate records.
• Ensure all statutory training is up to date and that all employees remain compliant (e.g., food hygiene, liquor licensing, FLS, COSHH, manual handling, maintenance / housekeeping training)
  in accordance with Marriott standards.
• Support and coordinate cross-training initiatives to build a multi‑skilled, cross‑departmental team.

• Support managers with performance management processes, including goal setting, reviews, and coaching.
• Provide guidance on employee relations, conflict resolution, and disciplinary procedures in line with company policies.
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation and Marriott HR standards.
• Promote well‑being initiatives and provide resources for employee support.
• Chair the hotel’s employee committee, driving the social, community & charity calendar of events and collecting representatives’ departmental questions, ensuring all are answered promptly.
• Support the GM with the twice‑yearly ‘Empowered’ engagement surveys by encouraging participation and supporting action planning.
• Use people metrics and data to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities, creating action plans and measuring impact.
• Broaden the performance management remit to include coaching and developing people managers, enabling them to confidently address people issues and develop their teams.

• Maintain accurate HR documentation and reporting.
• Ensure confidentiality and integrity in handling sensitive information.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of HR processes and systems.

• Drive a positive and productive workplace culture.
• Achieve recruitment and retention targets.
• Ensure compliance with Marriott HR standards and legal requirements.
• Deliver effective training and development programs that enhance performance and engagement.

• Experience in an HR role, ideally within hospitality.
• Strong knowledge of recruitment, training, and performance management practices.
• Familiarity with Marriott systems, DLZ, Serve 360 & Take Care platform/initiatives preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to influence, coach, and build trust across all levels.
• High integrity, confidentiality, and commitment to employee well‑being.
• CIPD qualification desirable—ideally up to Level 7.
• Must demonstrate ongoing self‑development and commitment to staying current with HR and employment legislation.