Director of Culture – Senior Leadership Role in Hospitality

About the role

Highgate is seeking a Director of Culture to lead people‑first initiatives across its portfolio of 10+ hotel properties in Portugal. This senior, permanent position bridges corporate strategy and property‑level execution, ensuring culture drives operational excellence.

Key responsibilities

• Serve as the standard‑bearer for Highgate’s people culture across all Portuguese properties.
• Navigate distinct brand cultures (e.g., Westin, Kimpton) while reinforcing the Highgate people philosophy.
• Develop and sustain rituals, practices, and touchpoints that keep culture visible and alive.
• Build trusted relationships with General Managers, acting as a peer rather than a compliance function.
• Identify and elevate team energy, diagnose low engagement, and create conditions for high performance.
• Design and facilitate onboarding, recognition, and team‑development experiences.
• Partner with property leadership to align individual performance with the broader culture vision.
• Support onboarding of new hires and leaders to accelerate cultural integration.
• Collaborate with HR on policy interpretation, employee relations, and sensitive matters.
• Maintain regular communication with SVP, HR, and COO on culture health, priorities, and progress.
• Surface insights from property visits and GM conversations to inform leadership decisions.
• Track and report people indicators such as engagement, retention, and morale trends.

Required profile

• Significant experience in hospitality, preferably with HR or psychology background.
• Proven ability to operate in multi‑property, multi‑brand hotel environments.
• Track record of building and sustaining strong organizational cultures.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills with senior leaders.
• Strategic mindset combined with hands‑on execution capability.

Required skills