Director of Human Resource Operations

JOB SUMMARY

The Director of Human Resources Operations serves as a strategic partner to the Director of Human Resources, leading the execution of people strategies and ensuring operational excellence across all aspects of the HR function. This role is designed for an experienced Human Resources leader with a proven track record in complex hospitality environments, combining strong operational expertise, labor relations knowledge, and people leadership capabilities.

At Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, this role operates within a remote, high-touch, ultra-luxury resort environment where success is driven by the ability to attract, develop, engage, and retain exceptional Ladies and Gentlemen who consistently deliver highly personalized and emotionally engaging guest experiences.

The position is responsible for ensuring that Human Resources practices, policies, and standards are consistently applied across the resort’s integrated operations, including hotel operations and residential units operating under a rental program, while maintaining alignment with Costa Rican labor law, Marriott International policies, and established governance frameworks.

The Director of Human Resources Operations balances business partnership, operational discipline, and cultural stewardship, ensuring that talent acquisition, associate relations, compliance, leadership development, and workforce effectiveness contribute to both organizational performance and the delivery of the Reserve experience.

Acts as a trusted Human Resources advisor to operational leaders, providing guidance on labor relations, employee relations, workforce planning, leadership effectiveness, and Costa Rican labor legislation, ensuring business decisions appropriately balance operational needs, legal compliance, and employee experience.

The role requires the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization, navigate complexity, and successfully lead Human Resources operations within an ultra-luxury resort environment characterized by elevated service expectations, a diverse workforce, and multiple operational components.

CANDIDATE PROFILE 

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration or related field
• 4–6+ years of progressive Human Resources leadership experience, with significant exposure to hospitality, resort, luxury, or complex service environments.
• Demonstrated experience in:
• Ultra-luxury or high-end hospitality environments with a strong service culture
• Complex resort or destination operations, ideally in remote or non-urban locations
• Environments with multiple operational components, such as hotel and residential units operating under a rental program or similar mixed-use structures
• Opening or highly dynamic business environments (preferred)

Technical & Functional Expertise

• Strong knowledge of labor law, employee relations, and HR compliance frameworks (Costa Rica or LATAM experience preferred).
• Proven ability to manage HR audits, disciplinary processes, and governance structures with rigor and consistency.
• Experience overseeing performance management, talent acquisition, and employee development processes in structured environments.
• Ability to operate effectively within Marriott systems, policies, and standards, or similar global corporate frameworks.

Leadership & Behavioral Capabilities

• Demonstrates strong leadership presence and credibility, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• High level of emotional intelligence, with the ability to manage sensitive situations with discretion and sound judgment.
• Ability to balance operational discipline with a people-centered leadership approach.
• Proven capability to build trust-based, collaborative relationships across diverse and multicultural teams.

Luxury Mindset & Service Orientation

• Deep understanding of ultra-luxury service principles, including personalization, anticipation, and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to translate service philosophy into employee behaviors and leadership practices.
• Commitment to creating an environment where Ladies and Gentlemen feel valued, respected, and inspired to deliver exceptional experiences.

Languages

• Fluency in Spanish and English (mandatory).

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES

Managing Legal and Compliance Practices

• Ensures full compliance with Costa Rican labor law, Marriott International policies, regulatory requirements, and governance frameworks, maintaining audit readiness and mitigating organizational risk. 
• Oversees the consistent application of Human Resources policies, procedures, and compliance standards across all operational components of the resort, including hotel operations and residential units operating under a rental program. 
• Serves as the property subject matter expert on labor legislation, advising leaders on employment matters, disciplinary processes, workforce practices, organizational changes, and labor risk management. 
• Partners with legal counsel, Corporate Human Resources, and operational leaders on investigations, policy interpretation, employee relations matters, employment-related proceedings, and risk mitigation strategies. 
• Champions the Guarantee of Fair Treatment by ensuring employee concerns, investigations, corrective actions, and workplace practices are managed fairly, consistently, and in accordance with company policies and legal requirements. 

Labor Relations & Risk Management

• Serves as the property subject matter expert on Costa Rican labor legislation, advising leaders on employment practices, workforce management, labor compliance, and evolving employment-related risks. 
• Provides guidance on disciplinary processes, organizational changes, workforce planning, scheduling practices, and labor-related decisions, ensuring alignment with legal requirements, company standards, and business objectives. 
• Partners with legal counsel, Corporate Human Resources, and operational leaders on complex labor matters, investigations, policy interpretation, employee relations issues, and risk mitigation strategies. 
• Identifies labor relations trends and workplace risks, developing preventive actions that promote a positive work environment, minimize legal exposure, and support long-term workforce sustainability. 
• Serves as a trusted advisor to the Guidance Team and operational leadership, providing labor relations expertise, workforce risk assessments, and recommendations that support informed business decisions. 
• Oversees compliance associated with statutory compensation requirements and employment-related proceedings, ensuring alignment with Costa Rican labor legislation and company standards.

Fair Treatment & Employee Protection

• Champions a workplace culture grounded in fairness, respect, inclusion, accountability, and psychological safety, consistent with The Ritz-Carlton Gold Standards, Marriott International values, and applicable employment legislation. 
• Upholds the Guarantee of Fair Treatment by ensuring employee concerns, complaints, investigations, and workplace matters are addressed objectively, confidentially, and in a timely manner. 
• Ensures property policies, disciplinary processes, and corrective actions are applied fairly, consistently, and in accordance with company standards, SOPs, LSOPs, and legal requirements. 
• Provides guidance to leaders on sensitive employee matters, promoting balanced decision-making, equitable treatment, and effective resolution of workplace concerns. 
• Monitors employee relations trends and workplace concerns, partnering with leadership to proactively address risks and strengthen trust, engagement, and organizational culture. 

Managing Human Resources Communication

• Develops and executes Human Resources communication strategies that promote transparency, engagement, understanding, and alignment with organizational priorities and The Ritz-Carlton Gold Standards. 
• Ensures timely and effective communication of Human Resources policies, benefit changes, organizational initiatives, and people-related programs impacting Ladies and Gentlemen. 
• Maintains the integrity and communication of the employee handbook and other HR resources, ensuring consistency with Marriott policies, legal requirements, and operational practices. 
• Coaches leaders in the effective communication and application of Human Resources policies, performance expectations, employee relations practices, and organizational changes. 
• Ensures effective communication channels are in place across the property, leveraging employee feedback, surveys, and organizational insights to strengthen understanding, engagement, and overall organizational effectiveness.

Maintaining Employee Relations

• Establishes and maintains open, collaborative, and trust-based relationships with Ladies and Gentlemen across all levels of the organization, fostering a culture of respect, inclusion, accountability, and engagement. 
• Promotes and sustains an effective open-door philosophy, ensuring employee concerns are addressed with responsiveness, professionalism, and discretion. 
• Leads employee relations matters, workplace conflict resolution processes, investigations, and complex employee cases, ensuring fair, consistent, and timely outcomes aligned with company values and policy requirements. 
• Acts as a trusted advisor to leaders and employees on sensitive workplace matters, helping foster a positive work environment that supports collaboration, wellbeing, engagement, and high performance. 
• Monitors employee sentiment, workplace trends, and organizational climate, proactively identifying opportunities to strengthen retention, engagement, communication, and overall employee experience. 
• Leads and supports Associate Relations, recognition, Community Footprints, and other employee experience initiatives that reinforce connection, belonging, and the culture of The Ritz-Carlton Reserve. 

Managing Staffing and Employee Development

• Partners with leaders to identify current and future talent needs, ensuring workforce capabilities align with business priorities, operational requirements, and the service expectations of a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. 
• Oversees recruitment, selection, onboarding, and talent development activities, ensuring alignment with Marriott standards, organizational culture, and long-term workforce needs. 
• Leads performance management processes across the property, ensuring performance discussions, development planning, merit actions, and related documentation are completed effectively and in accordance with company standards. 
• Coaches leaders on performance improvement, career development, succession planning, and talent management strategies that strengthen leadership pipelines and organizational capability. 
• Partners with Learning & Development leadership to deliver initiatives that enhance technical capability, leadership effectiveness, service culture, and professional growth across the resort. 
• Promotes internal mobility and utilizes workforce insights, talent reviews, and performance data to strengthen retention, organizational effectiveness, and long-term talent sustainability. 

Driving HR Operations

• Serves as a strategic Human Resources business partner to operational leaders, providing workforce insights, labor relations expertise, organizational effectiveness recommendations, and talent strategies that support business objectives. 
• Partners closely with the Director of Human Resources and operational leadership teams to support the execution of people strategies, organizational initiatives, and business priorities. 
• Ensures the consistent application of Human Resources practices across all operational components of the resort, including hotel operations and residential units operating under a rental program, while maintaining alignment with governance structures, employment relationships, service standards, and compliance requirements. 
• Aligns workforce planning, staffing strategies, and Human Resources execution with operational requirements, business demand patterns, occupancy trends, and service delivery objectives. 
• Provides coaching and guidance to leaders on organizational effectiveness, leadership capability, team dynamics, employee engagement, change management, compliance, and business performance. 
• Oversees and develops the Human Resources Operations team, ensuring accountability, collaboration, engagement, operational excellence, and adherence to company standards and policies. 
• Provides strategic oversight of employee transportation programs and workforce mobility initiatives, ensuring operational reliability, employee wellbeing, and alignment with the unique requirements of a remote resort environment. 
• Identifies workforce, operational, and organizational trends, translating employee feedback, engagement data, quality assessments, compliance findings, and business indicators into action plans that strengthen employee experience, service delivery, retention, and organizational performance. 
• Leads Human Resources projects, organizational initiatives, compliance action plans, and employee experience programs, ensuring effective execution, stakeholder alignment, and achievement of desired outcomes. 
• Ensures leaders consistently model and reinforce behaviors aligned with The Ritz-Carlton Gold Standards, Reserve culture, and the values that define both the employee and guest experience.

Ultra-Luxury Culture & Service Excellence 

• Embeds The Ritz-Carlton Gold Standards throughout the employee lifecycle, ensuring they are consistently understood, lived, and reflected in leadership behaviors across the organization. 
• Acts as a guardian of the Reserve experience, translating the philosophy of ultra-luxury hospitality into leadership practices, talent decisions, workplace culture, and operational execution. 
• Partners with leaders to cultivate a culture of anticipation, personalization, discretion, emotional intelligence, and attention to detail, reinforcing the standards that distinguish a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. 
• Ensures Human Resources strategies, programs, recognition initiatives, and employee experience practices support the delivery of intuitive, emotionally engaging, and highly personalized guest experiences. 
• Coaches leaders to model behaviors that foster trust, accountability, service excellence, and genuine connection, creating an environment where Ladies and Gentlemen feel valued, respected, and inspired to perform at their best. 
• Promotes a culture of continuous learning and improvement, encouraging leaders and Ladies and Gentlemen to consistently elevate service, refine experiences, and exceed expectations.

At Marriott International, we are dedicated to being an equal opportunity employer, welcoming all and providing access to opportunity. We actively foster an environment where the unique backgrounds of our associates are valued and celebrated. Our greatest strength lies in the rich blend of culture, talent, and experiences of our associates. We are committed to non-discrimination on any protected basis, including disability, veteran status, or other basis protected by applicable law.

At more than 100 award-winning properties worldwide, The Ritz-Carlton Ladies and Gentlemen create experiences so exceptional that long after a guest stays with us, the experience stays with them. Attracting the world’s top hospitality professionals who curate lifelong memories, we believe that everyone succeeds when they are empowered to be creative, thoughtful and compassionate.

Every day, we set the standard for rare and special luxury service the world over and pride ourselves on delivering excellence in the care and comfort of our guests.

Your role will be to ensure that the “Gold Standards” of The Ritz-Carlton are delivered graciously and thoughtfully every day. The Gold Standards are the foundation of The Ritz-Carlton and are what guides us each day to be better than the next. It is this foundation and our belief that our culture drives success by which The Ritz Carlton has earned the reputation as a global brand leader in luxury hospitality. As part of our team, you will learn and exemplify the Gold Standards, such as our Employee Promise, Credo and our Service Values. And our promise to you is that we offer the chance to be proud of the work you do and who you work with.

In joining The Ritz-Carlton, you join a portfolio of brands with Marriott International. Be where you can do your best work, begin your purpose, belong to an amazing global team, and become the best version of you.