director, talent attraction and experience

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Director, People Attraction and Experience

DEPARTMENT: Human Resources

REPORTS TO: Chief People Officer

WORK ARRANGEMENT: On-Site in Calabasas, CA.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 10/22/2025

SUMMARY: The Director of People Attraction and Experience leads AmaWaterways' efforts to attract exceptional talent and ensure every candidate and new hire experiences the warmth, care, and excellence that define our brand. This role blends strategic recruiting, employer branding, and onboarding design to create a seamless and inspiring people journey from first contact through day one. The position partners closely with senior leadership to shape a talent strategy that fuels company growth, reflects our values, and strengthens our reputation as an employer of choice.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design and execute a holistic people attraction and experience strategy that integrates talent acquisition, employer branding, and onboarding.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of recruiters and onboarding specialists.
• Build strong partnerships with leaders across departments to understand workforce needs and deliver tailored hiring solutions.
• Oversee full-cycle recruitment for all corporate, shipboard, and international roles.
• Partner with Marketing and Communications to create campaigns that promote AmaWaterways as a world-class employer.
• Enhance the candidate journey from application to onboarding, ensuring a consistent and inclusive experience that reflects our brand.
• Implement metrics and reporting to evaluate recruitment effectiveness, candidate satisfaction, and time-to-fill goals.
• Develop and manage relationships with external recruiting partners, agencies, and universities.
• Drive continuous improvement in recruiting tools, technology, and processes for scalability and efficiency.
• Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within all attraction and hiring practices.
• Collaborate with HR leadership to align workforce planning, internal mobility, and talent pipeline development.
• Perform other duties and strategic projects as assigned by management.
• Performs other related duties as assigned by management.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Directly supervises recruiters, onboarding coordinators, and/or talent acquisition specialists.
• Indirectly supports hiring operations and onboarding across all departments and regions.
• Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and
• applicable laws, including interviewing, hiring, training, coaching, performance management, and professional development.
• Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education: Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree in HR, Business, or related field preferred.
• Experience: Minimum 8–10 years of progressive experience in recruiting, onboarding, or talent programs, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Proven experience designing people attraction or employer brand strategies in hospitality, travel, or luxury service industries strongly preferred.
• Expertise in candidate experience design, DE&I hiring, and recruitment marketing.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and influencing skills.
• Strong analytical mindset and ability to use data to inform decision-making.
• Proficient in Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), HRIS, and Microsoft Office Suite.

COMPETENCIES:

• Leadership – Inspires and motivates others; fosters collaboration; builds high-performing teams.
• Strategic Thinking – Aligns attraction and onboarding strategies with business goals; anticipates talent trends.
• Ethics & Diversity – Promotes inclusion, fairness, and a respectful workplace.
• Candidate Experience – Delivers a consistent, thoughtful, and brand-aligned experience for every applicant and new hire.
• Analytical Skills – Uses data to measure success and drive continuous improvement.
• Communication – Communicates clearly and persuasively in all settings.
• Change Management – Leads transformation in hiring and onboarding practices with agility.
• Business Acumen – Understands how talent and culture drive organizational success.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Frequently required to sit, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers.
• Occasionally required to stand or walk.
• Work is typically performed in a professional office environment with moderate noise levels.
• The employee may occasionally lift or move up to 10 pounds.
• While performing the duties of this job, the noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include: No special vision requirements.

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or physical requirements. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.