HR Business Partner (HRBP)

What Is Exoticca?

Exoticca is a pioneering online travel agency that has revolutionized the conception, production, and e-commerce of long-distance dream trips. At the core of Exoticca's brand equity is the commitment to "creating life milestones." We believe in delivering best-value trips, exploring unique destinations, curating extraordinary travel experiences, and demonstrating genuine care for both our customers and the planet.

We are a professional, dynamic, multicultural team in rapid international growth, seeking new partners to help us create the best and most forward-thinking travel company of our generation.

Who we are?

As HR Business Partner, you will own the People agenda for your designated business area, in this case, partnering closely with the Operations leaders and managers to understand their priorities, anticipate people needs and turn the People strategy into meaningful action.

You will work with a high degree of autonomy, combining strong knowledge of Employee Relations practices in Spain - from where more than 170 travel experts deliver the magic of our product and services- with sound talent judgement and a genuine belief in the power of human-centric companies.

This is a hands-on role. You will be close enough to the day-to-day reality to understand what is really happening in a global travel agency, while having the perspective to identify opportunities, challenge decisions and help leaders build strong, high-performing teams.

At the same time, you will be an integral part of a multidisciplinary People Team, working closely with colleagues specialising in areas such as HR Administration, Talent Acquisition, Legal, and other disciplines.

The People function works as one team of professionals with different areas of expertise: each person owns their area while learning from one another, sharing perspectives and collaborating to deliver the best possible solutions for the business and its people.

You will therefore bring the needs and perspective of your business area into the People Team, while ensuring that decisions, policies and initiatives in the Operations area are aligned with the overall People strategy, principles and ways of working. The goal is to provide alignment, clarity and value to Exoticca from a People perspective within the Operations team.

What will you do?

Be the People partner for the business

• Own the People agenda for your area, working closely with business leaders and managers.
• Build strong, credible relationships with managers and become a trusted partner in people-related decisions.
• Understand the business, its operational reality, challenges and priorities, and translate them into effective People actions.
• Proactively identify people opportunities, organisational needs and potential risks.
• Challenge and advise managers when needed, always looking for constructive and pragmatic solutions.

• Help managers strengthen their leadership and people management capabilities.
• Partner with the wider People team to ensure a consistent employee experience across the organisation.
• Bring business insights and challenges into the People Team, helping continuously evolve the People strategy.

Employee Relations & Labour Relations

• Act as a trusted advisor to managers on complex Employee Relations matters, including performance issues, disciplinary processes, grievances, conflicts, absenteeism and other sensitive employee situations.
• Provide clear, practical guidance on Spanish employment legislation and its application to real business situations.
• Lead or coordinate complex employee relations processes, ensuring consistency, fairness, appropriate documentation and sound decision-making.
• Participate in and support works council / employee representative relations, including preparation for meetings, consultations, negotiations and day-to-day interactions.
• Anticipate potential labour risks and work closely with the People Team and relevant stakeholders to manage them effectively.
• Lead the Health and Safety Committee to ensure that Exoticca remains a safe and positive place to work.
• Collaborate closely with People Legal or external legal advisors when specific legal expertise is required.
• Balance legal requirements, business needs and employee experience when making recommendations.
  

Organisation and People Projects

• Partner with the Operations leaders on the definition of team structures, role design and workforce planning.
• Support managers in building effective organisational structures and ensuring the right capabilities are in place for the future.
• Lead and/or contribute to People projects with a strong business impact.
• Work cross-functionally with People specialists to design and implement initiatives that require different areas of expertise.
• Contribute to the evolution of the People strategy and operating model.
• Share knowledge, insights and best practices across the People Team.

Talent, Career and Development

• Partner with managers to identify, develop and retain key talent within the organisation.
• Support managers in understanding their teams’ strengths, development needs and career aspirations.
• Drive and facilitate career development and career pathing, helping employees and managers have meaningful conversations about growth and future opportunities.
• Support talent reviews, succession planning and development initiatives within the business area.
• Identify critical capabilities and future talent needs together with business leaders.
• Help managers create development opportunities that are meaningful and aligned with both individual aspirations and business needs.
• Contribute to building a culture where people can grow, take ownership of their development and understand how they can progress within the organisation.
  

Performance, Compensation and People Processes

• Partner with managers throughout the performance management cycle, from goal setting and feedback to performance reviews and development conversations.
• Support managers in making fair and consistent decisions around performance, talent and development.
• Lead the People partnership around salary reviews, promotions and other compensation-related processes, ensuring consistency with the organisation’s frameworks and philosophy.
• Help managers understand and apply compensation and career frameworks effectively.
• Provide insight and challenge to ensure that talent, performance and reward decisions are aligned and well-founded.
• Support the implementation of company-wide People processes within the business area, ensuring they are understood, adopted and effectively applied.
• Use people data and insights to identify trends, support decisions and anticipate future needs.

People Policies and Continuous Improvement

• Contribute to the creation, review, update and continuous improvement of People policies, processes and guidelines, working collaboratively with the wider People Team.
• Bring practical insights from the business to help ensure that policies and processes are clear, relevant, consistent and fit for purpose.
• Work with the relevant People specialists to assess the impact of new policies and initiatives across different areas of the employee lifecycle.
• Help translate People strategy and policies into practical solutions that work for managers and employees.
• Ensure that policies and processes are applied consistently while allowing for appropriate business judgement and context.
• Continuously identify opportunities to simplify, improve and strengthen the way people are managed.

Requirements

What we are looking for

We are looking for someone who combines strong People expertise with business understanding, sound judgement and excellent interpersonal skills.

Experience & knowledge

• Degree in Law, Labour Relations, Human Resources, or a related field.
• Solid experience in an HR Business Partner, People Partner, Employee Relations or similar role, ideally in a fast-paced, international and/or operational environment.
• Strong knowledge of Spanish employment and labour legislation and its practical application.
• Experience supporting managers across the employee lifecycle, including talent, performance, career development and compensation processes.
• Proven experience managing complex Employee Relations cases.
• Experience working with works councils / employee representatives is highly valued.
• Experience advising managers and business leaders on people-related decisions.
• Comfortable working with ambiguity, complexity and changing priorities.
• Professional working proficiency in English is essential.

How you work

You are someone who:

• Influences without authority. You know how to build credibility, convince, challenge and guide managers so that they see you as a valuable partner and want to involve you in their decisions.
• Understands the business. You are curious about how the business works and care about the impact People decisions have on customers, teams and results.
• Has strong judgement. You can balance People principles, legal requirements, business needs and employee experience to reach sound decisions.
• Is pragmatic. You know that good People practices need to work in the real world. You can translate frameworks and policies into practical solutions.
• Is hands-on. You enjoy getting involved, taking ownership and seeing things through. You are equally comfortable discussing talent strategy with a leader or helping a manager navigate a complex people situation.
• Builds bridges. You naturally connect people, perspectives and interests. You can represent the People function while genuinely understanding and respecting the business perspective.
• Communicates with clarity and conviction. You can explain complex topics simply, make a compelling case and adapt your message to different audiences.
• Is resilient. You can navigate pressure, disagreement and changing priorities while maintaining perspective and constructive energy.
• Is autonomous, but never an island. You are comfortable making decisions and moving things forward independently, while knowing when to seek input, involve the right specialist or bring a topic to the wider People Team.
• Collaborates generously. You enjoy learning from colleagues with different expertise and sharing your own knowledge. You understand that the best People solutions are often created by bringing different perspectives together.
• Has emotional intelligence. You understand that good People decisions require both sound judgement and an understanding of people’s different perspectives and motivations.
• Has a good sense of humour. You take your work seriously, but you don’t believe everything needs to be serious. You know how to bring perspective and positive energy, especially when things get complicated.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation package in line with job responsibilities and experience.
• Additionally, we propose the use of flexible compensation management for diet, transportation, private health insurance with Cobee.
• On-site work model: offices in Barcelona City.
• Permanent contract from the start.
• Travel packages at reduced prices!
• Referral bonus, if you bring people as talented as you.
• Unlimited coffee, team lunches, English lessons, bi-anual company parties.
• And last but not least, becoming part of a fun and motivated multicultural team at an agile and rapid growing organization!

Join Exoticca and play a pivotal role in creating life milestones through unforgettable travel experiences! This is your opportunity to shape the future of a dynamic and innovative travel brand on a global scale.

Exoticca is an equal opportunity employer. Diversity and inclusiveness are our core. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under European, country, or local law.