People & Culture Manager (F/M/X)

Artisan of travel since 1883, Orient Express sublimates the art of travel with its luxury trains, hotels, and sailing yachts. The brand has just launched its first hotel, Orient Express La Minerva, in Rome – and followed by Orient Express Venezia  in 2026. The experience continues with the recent launch of La Dolce Vita Orient Express train, followed by Orient Express Corinthian in 2026, the first of two Orient Express Sailing Yachts, and finally, the return of L’Orient Express train to railways. Since 2022, Orient Express is part of Accor Group’s leading collection of luxury brands with a century-old legacy in the hotels and fine- dining sectors. In 2024, Accor and LVMH entered into a strategic partnership to accelerate the development of Orient Express. Follow the journey at @orientexpress on Instagram or visit the website at www.orient-express.com. 

About Orient Express La Minerva

Considered as the beloved capital of the Orient Express legend, Rome is the first Orient Express hotel, La Minerva, in 2025. Orient Express has entrusted the interior architecture and artistic direction of the hotel Hugo Toro. The former Palazzo Fonseca is a sumptuous 17th-century palace with a huge, majestic façade. A place of memory still adorned with its Roman columns, sculptures by Rinaldo Rinaldi, a disciple of Canova, and the fascinating goddess Minerva. At the end of 2024, a new décor and interior inspired by the Roman domus and the riches of the "Eternal City" will be revealed with a new touch of contemporary elegance.

We are looking for a People & Culture Manager to lead the People & Culture function and shape a best-in-class employee experience for our onboard crew and operational teams.  

Reporting to the General Manager, the People & Culture Manager will drive strategic HR initiatives to foster a high-performance, inclusive and compliant workplace. The role is central in managing end-to-end HR strategy,the employee lifecycle, crew workforce planning, and labour relations — all with an unwavering commitment to our luxury standards and guest service excellence.  

Strategic Leadership & HR Operations  ​

• Define and deliver the HR strategy in alignment with the General Manager and the corporate guidelines of Orient Express.  ​

• Lead the full spectrum of HR functions: talent acquisition, onboarding, performance management, learning & development, compensation & benefits, payroll, and personnel administration.  ​

• Translate business priorities into effective people strategies and operational HR solutions.  ​

• Ensure a culture of continuous improvement and alignment with the brand’s identity and luxury positioning.  ​

• Update, review and ensure compliance with LQA/Forbes. ​

Workforce Planning  ​

• Co-lead with Finance the planning and monitoring of employment costs, ensuring alignment with operational budgets and staffing forecasts.  ​

• Manage the People & Culture department budget, balancing service excellence with cost-effectiveness.  ​

• Monitor key crew-related KPIs, including resources, absenteeism, shift coverage, and compliance with rest periods and working time regulations.  ​

• Work closely with the Operations team to ensure service continuity, responsiveness to unexpected changes, and agility during peak periods.  ​

• Contribute to the development of scalable workforce planning processes and tools to support future network expansion and evolving regulatory frameworks.   ​

Industrial & Union Relations  ​

• Maintain structured, constructive relationships with trade unions and employee representatives representing the company in all collective and individual labour matters.  ​

• Manage individual and collective disputes, disciplinary processes, and grievance cases with discretion and compliance.  ​

People Engagement & Workplace Culture  ​

• Promote a culture of well-being, engagement, and excellence across all departments.  ​

• Oversee the onboarding journey to ensure every new team member feels welcomed, trained, and aligned with brand values.  ​

• Support managers in developing positive team dynamics, implementing action plans to improve collaboration and service culture.  ​

• Deploy initiatives that bring to life the Orient Express values and elevate the candidate and employee experience.  ​

• Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field.  

• Minimum 5 years of experience in a senior HR role.

• Experience within luxury hospitality is mandatory. 

• Deep knowledge and hands-on experience in industrial and union relations, including collective bargaining and employment law.  

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; fluent in Italian and English (written and spoken).  

• Entrepreneurial spirit with strong organizational and project management abilities.  

• Hands-on and strategic, able to operate effectively across both day-to-day execution and long-term planning.  

• Proficiency with HR systems and tools (HRIS, ATS, scheduling software, payroll platforms, etc.).  

• Gross annual salary range:50.000 - 60.000 € + bonus

• Staff cantine

• ALL - Heartist® Program: Employee benefit card offering discounted rates at all ACCOR locations and partner venues worldwide. 

• Learning & development: Opportunity to develop your talent and grow within your property and across the world!  

• Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: We are an inclusive company and our ambition is to attract, recruit and promote diverse talent.