Description
Colleton River Club (CRC), a premier private golf and lifestyle community in the Southeast, is seeking a Director of People & Culture to lead its human resources and payroll functions while driving a comprehensive people strategy. This executive leader will partner closely with the CEO, Board, and leadership team to align talent initiatives with business objectives, support workforce planning, and foster long-term organizational success. The ideal candidate is a collaborative relationship builder who creates an engaging workplace culture where employees feel valued, connected, and empowered. The successful candidate will be a culture champion who understands that exceptional employee experiences are the foundation of delivering exceptional member experiences and who can help strengthen the Club’s position as an employer of choice.
ABOUT COLLETON RIVER CLUB AND COMMUNITY
Colleton River Club offers an extraordinary lifestyle in a stunning Lowcountry setting, surrounded by water on three sides and bordered by a 1,100-acre nature preserve. This private enclave is designed with a strong commitment to preserving the natural beauty of the area, creating a low-density community where members enjoy both privacy and a close-knit sense of belonging.
The new Palms Café offers signature nutritional options, reflecting the Club’s commitment to wellness. The blend of cultural, culinary, and natural amenities within this waterfront community ensures a fulfilling and vibrant lifestyle for its members.
The Club features two championship golf courses, masterfully crafted by Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye, providing 36 holes of exceptional play amidst breathtaking water views. The Club's landscape, rich with freshwater ponds and access to the Atlantic Ocean, offers unparalleled fishing opportunities. Members can catch anything from bass in the ponds to sharks off the Dock. The newly constructed Sports & Wellness Complex, a Junior Olympic swimming pool, a state-of-the-art Tennis Center, three bocce courts, and eight cushioned pickleball courts cater to an active lifestyle. Members have access to two fully functioning clubhouses with a total of 5 Food and Beverage outlets, which include the Palms Café and Halfway Café located near the driving range at the Nicklaus course, along with grab-and-go options and a unique rooftop lounge at the Dye Clubhouse.
Colleton River Club celebrates the natural environment, offering members opportunities for outdoor exploration with over 15 paddle trips annually. The Club also takes in the region's historical and ecological significance. The community’s dedication to preserving its natural surroundings enhances the Club's sense of serenity and security. Colleton River Club's connection to nature and a storied past guides the future, fostering a unique community where members can grow and thrive in harmony with their surroundings.
COLLETON RIVER CLUB BY THE NUMBERS
Membership size: Approximately 625 members
Average member age: 64
Club’s approximate gross revenue: $25M
Approximate annual dues volume $15.7M
Approximate gross payroll: $13M
Employee Headcount: Approximately FT – 150; Part-time/Seasonal – 60
HR Operating Budget: $350K
Current turnover rate: approximately 15 (PY 44% which was a 50% improvement over 2024)
Number of HR including the DPC: 2
Club HRIS/ATS/Payroll System: Paylocity
Tax Status: 501c SC Not for Profit Corp
COLLETON RIVER CLUB WEBSITE: www.colletonriverclub.com
Requirements
The Director of People & Culture at Colleton River Club is a highly visible leadership role that partners directly with the CEO to shape and execute the Club’s people strategy in support of its overall business objectives. This position provides significant influence over culture, leadership development, workforce planning, succession planning, employee engagement, and organizational design across an award-winning hospitality organization.
Serving as a trusted advisor to the CEO and leadership team, the Director will oversee all Human Resources functions while helping define CRC as an employer of choice in the Lowcountry hospitality market. The successful candidate will balance strategic leadership with hands-on involvement, maintaining a strong presence throughout the Club and building relationships with employees at all levels.
Grounded in the Club’s core values of Kindness & Respect, Continuous Improvement, Community, and Sustainability, this leader will champion a culture where exceptional employee experiences drive exceptional member experiences. This is a traditional, in-person leadership role based at the Club, requiring occasional evenings, weekends, and holidays to support operations.
Human Resources Strategy, Administration and Compliance
Drives the development and implementation of HR policies and procedures, updates and revises as needed to ensure relevance and compliance.
Performs benchmarking activities and explores new strategies as appropriate. Monitors trends and performs analysis, adjusting as needed.
Consults with legal counsel as appropriate and/or as directed by the Leadership Team on Employee concerns about EEOC, harassment, and lawsuits.
Annually reviews and makes recommendations to the Leadership Team to improve Club’s policies, procedures, salary/compensation program, and practices on employment matters.
Leadership & Organizational Development
Develops leadership development programs for managers and supervisors, coaching leaders on communication, accountability, performance management, and employee engagement.
Establishes succession planning processes for key positions and partners with department leaders to identify talent gaps and workforce needs.
Creates strategies to strengthen organizational culture and employee retention and leads the annual employee engagement process and action planning efforts.
Employee Recruitment, Selection, and Onboarding
Partners with department leaders to develop recruitment and retention strategies, build strong talent pipelines, and oversee international staffing initiatives.
Establishes and maintains effective hiring processes, including interviewer training and ensuring alignment with the Club’s culture and values.
Monitors key recruitment metrics, analyzes workforce trends, and oversees employee onboarding and departmental training programs to support long-term success.
Employee Engagement & Performance Management
Maintains a welcoming presence and an open-door policy in the HR department and drives effective employee communication across all channels, especially digital platforms.
Ensures the Club’s progressive discipline process is followed, drives employee performance appraisal efforts, and facilitates the annual employee engagement survey.
Coaches managers on job-related discipline, concerns, and discharges, providing appropriate training for managers on coaching, counseling, and progressive discipline.
Drives employee engagement and appreciation efforts by creating and coordinating employee events and recognition programs.
Employee Benefits and Compensation
Manages the Club’s group insurance, including enrollments and renewals, auditing invoices for accuracy and processing for timely payment. Creatively communicate benefits information to the team regularly.
Oversees the processing of terminations, COBRA notifications, leave requests, and benefit changes.
Completes an annual review of employee wages; reviews increases and changes to pay structures to ensure wages conform to budget requirements and competitive market shifts throughout the year.
Payroll
Oversees payroll administration, including processing employee changes, reviewing hours, and ensuring accurate PTO, holiday, and time-off tracking.
Manages payroll-related adjustments such as missed punches, garnishments, bonus payments, and employee referral awards.
Administers employee benefits programs, including group insurance enrollments, renewals, and invoice audits for accuracy.
INITIAL PRIORITIES OF THE NEW DIRECTOR OF PEOPLE & CULTURE
Build trust and credibility throughout the organization.
Evaluate existing policies, processes, systems, and employee programs.
Develop a three-year People & Culture strategic plan which includes strengthening recruitment and onboarding processes, establishing leadership development and succession planning initiatives, and identifies opportunities to improve retention and employee engagement.
Build reporting metrics and dashboards that support data-driven workforce decisions.
CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS
Progressive Human Resources leadership experience within hospitality, private clubs, luxury service, or other service-driven organizations.
Comprehensive expertise across all HR functions, including employment law compliance, HR best practices, and organizational development.
Demonstrated success building, transforming, and leading high-performing HR functions while influencing senior leaders and driving organizational change.
Strong relationship-building, communication, and leadership skills, with the ability to maintain confidentiality, exercise sound judgment, and collaborate effectively across all levels of an organization.
Business-minded and technologically proficient professional with strong financial acumen and comfort leveraging HR systems and digital platforms.
EDUCATIONAL AND CERTIFICATION QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s degree in HR or business-related field preferred with formal training in HR Management.
SPHR/SHRM-SCP preferred.
EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.
SALARY AND BENEFITS
Salary is open and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The Club offers an excellent bonus and benefits package, including SHRM membership/conference attendance, cell phone allowance, and employee meals.
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO APPLY
Please upload your resume and cover letter, in that order, using the link below. You should have your documents fully prepared to be attached when prompted for them during the online application process. Please be sure your image is not present on your resume or cover letter; that should be used on your LinkedIn Profile.
Prepare a thoughtful cover letter addressed to Mr. Robert Sereci CCM, ECM, Chief Executive Officer, and clearly articulate your alignment with this role, why you want to be considered for this position at this stage of your career, and why CRC and the Bluffton, SC area will be beneficial to you, your family, your career, and the Club if selected.
You must apply for this role as soon as possible but no later than July 23, 2026. Candidate selections will occur in late July, with first Interviews expected on August 10, 2026, and second interviews a short time later. The new candidate should assume their role in early September.
IMPORTANT: Save your resume and letter in the following manner:
“Last Name, First Name - Resume” &
“Last Name, First Name - Cover Letter – Colleton River”
(These documents should be in Word or PDF format)
Note: Once you complete the application process for this search, you are not able to go back in and add additional documents.
If you have any questions, please email Alice Stevens: alice@kkandw.com
Lead Search Executive:
Jodie J. Cunningham SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Search & Consulting Executive
602-690-1074 (M)
jodie@kkandw.com
