People & Culture Business Partner — Technology & Marketing
Reporting to: Senior Director, Business Partnering
Department: People & Culture
Location: Boston, MA (hybrid - 3x/wk onsite requirement)
Grand Circle Corporation is the leader in international travel, adventure, and discovery for Americans aged 50+. Headquartered in Boston, MA, with over 45 offices worldwide, more than two million travelers have experienced our award‑winning brands: Grand Circle Cruise Line, Overseas Adventure Travel, and Grand Circle Travel.
As technology and digital experiences increasingly shape how we serve our travelers, our Technology and Marketing functions are critical to delivering innovation, operational excellence, and world‑class customer experiences.
We are seeking a People & Culture (P&C) Business Partner to support our Technology and Marketing teams. This role will collaborate closely with functional leaders to design and deploy human capital strategies that strengthen team performance, elevate organizational culture, and support growth. The ideal candidate is both a strategic advisor and a hands‑on practitioner—able to guide senior leaders while effectively managing day‑to‑day P&C needs across dynamic, fast‑moving teams.
This role plays a key part in fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, continuous improvement, and excellence—ensuring we attract, engage, and retain top talent while staying true to Grand Circle’s mission and values.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic P&C Partnership
- Partner with Technology and Marketing leadership to develop and execute people strategies that advance business goals and drive functional excellence.
- Advise leaders on organizational design, workforce planning, talent deployment, onboarding, and team optimization.
- Align P&C initiatives with functional priorities, ensuring a cohesive people strategy across two diverse but interconnected teams.
- Seek to understand nuances related to business priorities, team dynamics, and operational challenges while or before recommending people solutions.
- Proactively identify and communicate the people impact of business decisions, helping leaders anticipate risks, opportunities, and change-management needs.
Talent Management
- Collaborate with hiring managers and Talent Acquisition to define talent needs and support recruitment for specialized and technical roles.
- Facilitate succession planning, capability assessments, and development strategies for technical, creative, and leadership roles.
- Partner with leaders to strengthen performance management processes, including goal-setting, career pathing, and coaching.
Employee Relations & Engagement
- Serve as a trusted advisor on employee relations issues, ensuring fairness, consistency, and adherence to company policies.
- Support culture, engagement, and change‑management initiatives within Technology and Marketing.
- Coach managers on performance challenges, workplace dynamics, and communication approaches.
- Promote employee engagement across distributed, hybrid, and remote team environments.
P&C Programs & Policies
- Implement and reinforce P&C programs, policies, and practices across Technology and Marketing departments.
- Ensure compliance with employment laws, company guidelines, and industry best practices.
- Provide guidance on compensation structures for technical and creative roles, working closely with P&C leadership.
Data‑Driven Insights
- Use workforce data, KPIs, and analytics to identify trends, diagnose risks, and recommend solutions that improve performance, retention, and organizational health.
- Prepare regular reporting on P&C activities, insights, and business impact.
Training & Development
- Identify skills gaps, training needs, and professional development opportunities aligned with Technology and Marketing objectives.
- Partner with Learning & Development to design and deploy training programs that strengthen leadership capabilities, technical skills, and team collaboration.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, or related field; Master’s degree or HR certification (SHRM‑SCP, SPHR, etc.) preferred.
- 8–10+ years of progressive HR experience, including at least 4 years as an HR Business Partner supporting dynamic, technical, or creative functions.
- Experience partnering with remote and hybrid teams required.
- Experience supporting Technology, Marketing, Digital, or related functional areas strongly preferred.
- Candidates must be located in MA, NH, or RI to be able to be on-site in our Boston office 3 days per week.
Key Skills & Competencies
- Strong relationship‑building and consultation skills across all levels.
- Excellent communication, influencing, and conflict‑resolution capabilities.
- Deep knowledge of employment laws, HR best practices, and organizational design principles.
- Comfort working in fast‑paced, evolving environments with technical and creative teams.
- Proficiency in HR technologies, analytics, and data‑driven decision‑making.
- Commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace.
- Collaborative mindset with a willingness to share Business Partner best practices, practical tips, lessons learned, and recommendations that strengthen the broader BP function.
Total rewards
The base salary range for this role is $120,000 - $140,000 annually for employees based in Boston, MA. Final compensation may vary and will be determined based on factors such as relevant experience, skills, internal equity, and geographic location. In addition to base pay, this role is eligible for an annual incentive bonus and first-class benefits, which include:
To learn more, please visit our websites at www.gct.com, www.oattravel.com and www.grandcirclefoundation.org
We’re in the business of changing lives—starting with yours. If you want your workdays to be exciting, challenging, and rewarding, consider a career at Grand Circle Corporation (GCC).
GCC is the largest U.S. provider of international vacations for Americans aged 50 and older. We’re a family of three brands: Grand Circle Cruise Line, Overseas Adventure Travel, and Grand Circle Travel. Our small group sizes, unsurpassed value and excellence, and unique itineraries position us as the industry leader in travel and discovery.
GCC works hard to provide a workplace that is stimulating, fulfilling, and meaningful for our associates—an environment where personal passion and professional potential are explored equally. Our associates are curious, compassionate, and hard-working people that strive for excellence. But we also like to have fun along the way. At GCC, we constantly challenge each other to try new things and find innovative ways of doing business. We encourage risk-taking in our associates—and we understand the value of learning from our mistakes.
Global citizenship is central to our success. Through Grand Circle Foundation, we commit our time, energy, and resources to the communities in which we live and explore. There are volunteer opportunities throughout the year; in fact, more than 95% of our associates participate. Whether biking the Pan-Mass challenge to support cancer research or helping a homeless veteran move into a new apartment, our associates help change the world every day. This emphasis on maximizing each person’s potential in body, mind, and heart embodies the true spirit of GCC.
We’ve been providing impactful, intercultural experiences for our travelers for decades. If you want a career that will change lives—both for our travelers and for yourself—view our open positions and submit an application today.
To learn more about our company values and our history, visit www.gct.com/general/about-us.
