quark expeditions

Quark Expeditions is the leading polar expedition travel company headquartered in Toronto, Canada. We operate cruises to Antarctica and Arctic regions (Greenland, North Canada, Svalbard) on board of 3 modern polar expedition ships – Ultramarine, Ocean Explorer, and World Voyager. Since 1991, Quark has been establishing a tradition of firsts in polar travel: as the first to transit the Northeast Passage with adventure travellers; the first to take travellers to the far side of Antarctica; and the first to circumnavigate the Antarctic continent with guests. Quark Expeditions is part of Travelopia, the world's leading experiential travel business, owned by KKR.

We are looking to hire a VP People to join our team! Reporting to the President, you'll lead Quark's people, culture and organisational transformation agenda, shaping the future of a global expedition business that operates across shore-based and onboard teams as a key member of both the Quark Executive Team and the Travelopia People Leadership Team. This is a unique opportunity to influence how Quark attracts, develops and empowers its people, enhancing the employee and expedition team experience through talent, technology and innovation.

What we'll offer:

• Competitive base salary ($170,000 to $220,000 CAD) and bonus scheme (20% to 40%)
• Comprehensive health benefits
• Retirement savings plan with company contributions
• Generous paid time off allowance and birthday day off
• Flexible hybrid working schedules (2 days per week in our Toronto office)
• Parental leave and family-supportive policies
• Charity or volunteering time off
• Group-wide travel discounts

What you'll do:

• Shape and deliver Quark's people strategy, organisational effectiveness initiatives and transformation priorities, partnering with leaders to build the capability and talent strategies that support long-term growth
• Guide organisation design, succession planning and leadership development, evolving performance and development frameworks that help individuals and teams thrive
• Promote an inclusive, high-performing culture that reflects Quark's values, supporting leaders in building engaged, collaborative and successful teams
• Strengthen connections between ship and shore teams, championing employee engagement, inclusion and leadership effectiveness across the organisation
• Attract, develop and retain exceptional talent across both office-based and expedition teams, creating scalable learning, onboarding and development experiences that support career growth
• Lead the people aspects of AI adoption and workforce transformation, encouraging a culture of curiosity, learning and responsible experimentation with emerging technologies
• Partner with leaders to identify opportunities where AI-enabled ways of working can enhance productivity, efficiency and employee experience
• Contribute as a member of the Quark Executive Team, bringing a people perspective to broader business decisions and priorities
• Partner with Group HR, Payroll and Shared Services to deliver efficient, scalable and compliant people operations, while serving as a trusted advisor to the President and senior leaders

What you'll bring:

• Proven experience leading People functions within complex, international and fast-moving organisations
• A track record of supporting organisational transformation, leadership development and culture evolution
• Proven experience overseeing both operational, frontline teams and corporate functions
• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to influence and collaborate effectively with senior stakeholders
• Commercial awareness and the ability to connect people initiatives with meaningful business outcomes
• A passion for innovation, organisational effectiveness and AI-enabled workforce transformation
• The ability to balance strategic thinking with practical execution and delivery
• A collaborative leadership style and a genuine passion for helping people, teams and organisations succeed

We recognise that no candidate brings every experience listed above. If you're excited about this opportunity and believe you can make an impact, we'd love to hear from you!

We believe people perform best when they can be their true selves and diverse teams drive better results. We're committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment where everyone can succeed.

Travelopia ensures an inclusive workplace for all. If you need accessibility support during the recruitment process, please inform us here: Talent@Travelopia.com

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