Director of Human Resources
Callaway Resort & Gardens
People & HR
Pine Mountain, GA, USA
JOB OVERVIEW
The Director of Human Resources establishes strong HR foundations while simultaneously serving as a trusted advisor to leadership for Callaway Resort & Gardens. They are a proactive and strategic partner who understands how human resources drives operational success, host engagement and guest satisfaction. To achieve success in this role, one must drive results while adhering to our Leading with Love qualities, by being patient, kind, humble, respectful, trusting, unselfish, truthful, forgiving, dedicated and accountable.
This role will be highly rewarding for an energetic and engaging leader with the ability to inspire confidence and trust while managing ambiguity, operational complexity, and a continuously evolving business environment. The Director of Human Resources will bring resilience, resourcefulness and a whole lot of heart to the role. They must be able to attract and retain top talent in a competitive labor market while fostering an environment where hosts and leaders will benefit from intentional coaching, development, and culture-building efforts. Balancing big-picture strategy with hands-on HR care, the Director will also be a culture-builder, shaping an environment where Heartspitality® thrives.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES
- Lead all HR functions for the property, including recruiting, onboarding, performance management, employee relations, training, benefits and compensation administration, and compliance.
- Serve as a strategic advisor and partner to the Vice President/General Manager and executive team, aligning HR initiatives with business goals.
- Collaborate with stakeholders to create solutions that meet the needs of the organization, including organizational structure, HR business processes, and ensure the services provided meet the needs of the organization, hosts and the operating teams
- Drive a property-wide talent acquisition strategy, ensuring a pipeline of qualified candidates to support high service standards.
- Champion company culture and employee engagement initiatives that reflect the brand’s values and mission.
- Lead the host relations activities, including ensuring leaders at all levels understand and implement company policies related to performance, discipline, and related topics; conduct internal investigations and recommend actions to be taken by leadership.
- Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local employment laws, including recordkeeping, EEO, ADA, FMLA, OSHA, and wage/hour regulations.
- Lead annual processes including strategic planning, budgets, performance reviews, compensation planning, and workforce planning.
- Partner with Herschend HR to deploy standardized programming at the property.
- Analyze a variety of HR metrics to identify opportunities for improvement. Recommend and partner with operators to implement tactics to achieve improved results
- Oversee employee communication, recognition programs, community partnerships, and internal event planning.
- Build strong relationships and act as in-house support with leadership throughout the company and work as a proponent of Lead with Love Ensure all leaders within the company are trained with relevant coaching and employee relation skills and best practices for holding hosts accountable for job expectations.
- Keep property leaders current on HR-related projects, priorities, training opportunities, and goals
- Lead HR team, including hiring, training, assigning and managing the team. Ensure that HR assistance is available to hosts for general inquiries, HR-related forms and processes, and resolving questions about company programs and policies.
- Always maintain confidentiality to ensure that there is no release of information pertaining to records and plans of any other matter without approval
- Stay attuned to trends, laws, and updates to ensure company policies stay compliant and up to date.
Management reserves the right to change and/or add to these duties at any time.
Qualifications
Education & Experience:
- Minimum of 7-10 years of progressive HR experience, including 3+ years in a leadership role, ideally within the hospitality, theme park, or entertainment industries. Experience with large seasonal staff preferred.
- Bachelor’s degree in human resources, organizational development business administration, hospitality management, or equivalent experience preferred.
- PHR/SPHR or SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP certification preferred.
- Deep knowledge of HR best practices, federal and Georgia state employment laws, and regulatory compliance. Ability to comprehend, interpret, and apply the appropriate sections of applicable laws, guidelines, regulations, ordinances, and policies
- Proficient experience with Microsoft Office projects (Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc). Knowledge of HRIS systems; experience with UKG, Workday, or similar platforms preferred
- Experience managing complex employee relations and change management processes. Thorough understanding of negotiation techniques and dispute resolution.
Physical Requirements:
- Must be able to tolerate various temperatures while working indoors and outdoors.
- Must be able to meet the physical demands of the job.
- Must have manual dexterity necessary to complete essential functions of the job.
- Must be able to frequently sit, stand, and walk for long/short periods.
- Must be able to work outdoors regularly.
- Must be able to move up to 40 lbs.
The physical demands described above are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Skills & Qualifications:
- Understanding of hotel and recreational operations and the impact HR decisions have on service delivery, guest satisfaction, and financial performance.
- Proven ability to build relationships across all levels of an organization and influence without authority.
- Exceptional interpersonal, leadership, and communication skills with the ability to connect at all levels of the organization, from line-level hosts to executives.
- Highly organized, strong organizational and project management skills with attention to detail and the ability to prioritize and complete work assignments on a timely basis
- Must have or have the ability to obtain a GA driver’s license and state required auto insurance and an acceptable driving record required
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced, customer-facing environment.
- Culturally savvy and inclusive with demonstrated success in fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment.
- Ability to work flexible hours including evenings, weekends or holidays.
- Must successfully pass a criminal background check.
- Must be able to comprehend instructions and retain information.
- Must be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide with accuracy.
- Must be able to communicate effectively using standard English grammar and punctuation.
ABOUT CALLAWAY RESORT & GARDENS
Callaway Resort & Gardens offers four seasons of adventure, relaxation, and fun in Mother Nature’s breathtaking landscape. Whether you prefer a beautiful guest room or suite at our lakeside Lodge or a Cottage amongst the pines with a cozy fireplace, Callaway Resort & Gardens is the ultimate place for adults, families or groups to stay for the perfect Georgia getaway, located just an hour’s drive from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Our Georgia woodland gardens brim as much with history as they do with flora and fauna, inviting you to explore, learn, and take in both a rich past and the wonders of nature at your own pace.
While each Herschend brand offers something unique, all are united by a shared purpose: Bringing Families Closer Together by Creating Memories Worth Repeating®. Our passionate hosts make this purpose possible through everyday acts of love and service—what we call Heartspitality®—the intersection of heart and hospitality.
As an equal-opportunity employer, we strive to provide environments where every host, guest, and partner feel welcome, valued, and loved. We firmly believe that words and actions matter, which is why all individuals are to be treated equally and with respect.