Senior HR Business Partner

About Us: At Booking.com, data drives our decisions. Technology is at our core. And innovation is everywhere. But our company is more than datasets, lines of code or A/B tests. We’re the thrill of the first night in a new place. The excitement of the next morning. The friends you encounter. The journeys you take. The sights you see. And the memories you make. Through our products, partners and people, we make it easier for everyone to experience the world.

Role Description:

Business HR (Senior HR Business Partner) is the primary People voice and trusted partner to VP/ELT-level business leaders for one or more business areas. The core objective is to own the relationship with the business: framing the real problem to be solved, applying sound judgement on trade-offs, and orchestrating the right expertise. This role advises and partners on strategic HR and business topics — workforce strategy, organisation design, talent management and leadership development — actively shaping direction, problem statements and priorities that impact the company.

Key Job Responsibilities and Duties: 

• Key strategic partner to the business / ELT member of a department within Booking.com, acting as the primary People voice to that part of the business.

• Owns the relationship with the business: frames the actual problem to be solved, tests assumptions, and manages expectations on what the People function can realistically deliver.

• Partners with VPs and ELT to drive the People Agenda for respective departments, ensuring alignment with Regional HRDs where required.

• Responsible for end-to-end delivery and successful adoption of critical People initiatives within the assigned organisation (e.g. engagement conversations, performance optimisation, talent attraction/retention programmes) — orchestrating the right expertise.

• Responsible for working within organisational design principles and leading change initiatives related to structure design and development, and reorganisations.

• Ensures the organisation has the capabilities needed to deliver business targets, including active involvement in strategic workforce planning.

• Creates tailored solutions for people-related business challenges in partnership with relevant COEs and Operations, applying the engagement model appropriate to the risk and complexity of the topic 

• Acts as the voice of the business within the People Department; identifies, predicts, and articulates key people-related business challenges.

• Acts as an escalation point for other Business HR and other People department members, and escalates cleanly as an operating-model issue when ownership or guardrails are unclear.

• Works in partnership with a peer group and Centres of Expertise (COEs) to ensure COE-designed products/tools/services deliver against business strategy and the People Roadmap — consulting COEs for specialist judgement, and convening a joint “OneTeam” response (Business HR + COE and/or Operations) for high-stakes or cross-domain topics.

• Contributes to the optimisation of existing HR policies, procedures and processes and translates HR strategy to the business unit

• Represents the People Department to business leaders, ensuring the business experiences one consistent People voice and quality of service.

• Shifts the balance of the role from operational delivery to strategic partnership: advises, coaches and influences senior leaders, focusing on building leaders’ own capability.

• Holds the line under pressure: does not soften difficult messages, back down when challenged by a senior leader, or avoid a hard conversation simply because the stakeholder is senior.

• Supports Works Council (WoCo) consultations and preparation where applicable, and partners with People Managers Advisory (PMA) on complex or sensitive case escalations.

Qualifications & Skills:

• Demonstrable contribution to the quality and effectiveness of line management (leadership development)
• Where applicable, some operational ER/WoCo experience in the Netherlands is essential depending on location, working in close partnership with People Managers Advisory on complex cases.
• Excellent communication
• Strong stakeholder mgmt skills backed up by experience of managing multiple stakeholder groups independently
• Critical thinking skills demonstrated by experience in formulating business cases (including problem statement, risk assessment, key dependencies etc.) and articulating proposed solutions 
• Demonstrated ability to operate as a strategic peer to senior leaders: comfortable challenging ELT-level stakeholders, holding a position under pressure, and coaching leaders to build their own capability
• Judgement in applying differentiated engagement models (working solo vs. consulting a COE vs. convening a #OneTeam response) based on risk, complexity and stakeholder needs.

Benefits & Perks - Global Impact, Personal Relevance:

Booking.com’s Total Rewards Philosophy is not only about compensation but also about benefits. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, as well unique-to-Booking.com benefits which include:

• Annual paid time off and generous paid leave scheme including: parent, grandparent, bereavement, and care leave

• Hybrid working including flexible working arrangements, and up to 20 days per year working from abroad (home country)

• Industry leading product discounts - up to 1400 per year - for yourself, including automatic Genius Level 3 status and Booking.com wallet credit 

Inclusion at Booking.com: 

Inclusion has been a core part of our company culture since day one. This ongoing journey starts with our very own employees, who represent over 140 nationalities and a wide range of ethnic and social backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations. 

Take it from our Chief People Officer, Paulo Pisano: “At Booking.com, the diversity of our people doesn’t just build an outstanding workplace, it also creates a better and more inclusive travel experience for everyone. Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. It’s a place where you can make your mark and have a real impact in travel and tech.” 

We ensure that colleagues with disabilities are provided the adjustments and tools they need to participate in the job application and interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

Application Process: 

• Let’s go places together: How we Hire

• This role does not come with relocation assistance.

Booking.com is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We strive to move well beyond traditional equal opportunity and work to create an environment that allows everyone to thrive.

Pre-Employment Screening

If your application is successful, your personal data may be used for a pre-employment screening check by a third party as permitted by applicable law. Depending on the vacancy and applicable law, a pre-employment screening may include employment history, education and other information (such as media information) that may be necessary for determining your qualifications and suitability for the position.