Corporate - People and Culture Senior Manager

Description

Position Overview

Windsor Hospitality is seeking a dynamic and results-driven Corporate People and Culture Senior Manager.  Based in our Santa Monica corporate office, the Senior Manager, People & Culture serves as the strategic right hand to the VP of People & Culture, providing leadership across a portfolio of 9 hotel properties. This role is responsible for field escalation support, employee relations oversight, HRIS strategy and system management, and driving operational efficiency across the People & Culture function. The Senior Manager partners directly with the VP to ideate solutions, improve processes, and execute strategic initiatives that support Windsor Hospitality’s people-first culture.

Essential Functions 

• Serve as the primary escalation point for complex employee relations matters across the hotel portfolio, including investigations, corrective actions, and GM-level coaching.
• Partner with the VP to develop and execute strategic People & Culture initiatives including process improvement, policy development, and organizational design.
• Own the HRIS platform strategy, configuration, reporting architecture, and data integrity across all properties.
• Provide direct support to field People & Culture Managers and Partners on ER best practices, compliance questions, and tactical HR challenges.
• Lead cross-functional projects as assigned by the VP, including compensation analysis, engagement survey execution, and talent review processes.
• Develop and maintain reporting dashboards for headcount, turnover, compliance, and other key people metrics for executive leadership.
• Partner with the VP on succession planning and career pathing strategy for key roles across the portfolio.
• Oversee vendor relationships related to HRIS, background checks, and other People & Culture technology platforms.
• Represent the People & Culture function in cross-departmental meetings and initiatives as a proxy for the VP when needed.
• Provide guidance and oversight to the People team on day-to-day operational execution. 

Competencies

• Strategic Thinking: Connects day-to-day HR work to broader business objectives and anticipates organizational needs.
• Employee Relations Acumen: Navigates complex, sensitive situations with sound judgment, discretion, and confidence.
• Execution Orientation: Translates strategy into action and delivers results consistently.
• Influence Without Authority: Earns trust with GMs and operators and can hold difficult conversations with senior leaders.
• Systems Thinking: Understands how HRIS, data, and process architecture connect to drive operational efficiency.

Requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field required.
• Minimum 5–7 years of progressive HR experience, including at least 2 years in a senior generalist or HR manager role.
• Multi-property or multi-site HR experience strongly preferred; hospitality industry experience a plus.
• Demonstrated expertise in employee relations, investigations, and conflict resolution.
• Strong working knowledge of California and multi-state employment law.
• Experience with HRIS platform (Paylocity a plus) (configuration, reporting, workflow design); specific platform experience will vary.
• Bilingual in Spanish highly preferred.     

Physical Requirements & Work Environment

This is a corporate role based in Santa Monica, CA. Occasional travel to hotel properties across the portfolio (up to 15–20%) is expected. Standard office environment; ability to sit for extended periods and use computer equipment.