Director of HR

Job description

Let’s Go Lisbon! Opening in 2026, The Standard, Lisbon marks our long-awaited arrival in one of Europe’s most vibrant cities. Set at Palácio Santa Clara, overlooking Alfama and the river, the hotel blends historic roots with bold, contemporary design by architect Samuel Torres de Carvalho. Anchored in food, music, art and culture, the property features 165 guestrooms, 24 apartments, dynamic day-to-night venues, a lobby lounge, bar, all-day dining restaurant, terraces, gardens, pool deck, café, spa, gym, event spaces, and a destination rooftop. As we enter our pre-opening phase, we’re seeking a HR Director who embodies our Anything but Standard ethos. Your Role You’ll partner with the General Manager, senior leadership and Corporate HR to oversee all HR functions for the new Lisbon property. As part of the pre-opening team, you’ll lead key HR projects including recruitment planning, budget management, and implementation of HR systems and procedures to ensure a successful launch. Once operational, you will oversee HR for more than 180 employees, supported by an HR Coordinator and the HR Director, Lifestyle EAME. You’ll provide generalist HR and L&D support, coaching department managers and ensuring effective people management across the hotel. You’ll lead full end-to-end recruitment, develop attraction strategies, interview senior candidates, manage contracting and onboarding, and deliver pre-opening orientation for all new hires. You will also manage monthly payroll, oversee ER matters, ensure legal compliance, and contribute to wider HR projects across the brand. About You You bring at least 3+ years’ experience as an HR Director/Manager in a lifestyle or 4–5-star hotel in Portugal, with strong project management abilities and ideally pre-opening experience. You have solid knowledge of Portuguese employment law, CBAs, payroll, taxation, social security and benefits, along with experience building staffing and payroll budgets. You offer broad HR and L&D expertise, high integrity, strong administrative and IT skills, and hold HR qualifications at bachelor’s level. Fluency in Portuguese and English is essential, as is eligibility to work in the EU. Flexibility during the pre-opening phase is required. We value personality and diversity, if this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.

Requirements