The Company

Gioia Group S.p.A. is the basket company of food retail founded by the Ferrieri family. The Group, established in 2009, develops and manages various organised catering concepts, with a presence in Italy and abroad. Today the portfolio includes CioccolatItaliani, Bun Burgers, Futura (a Milan-based project dedicated to contemporary Roman pizza) and JB Burger, born from the partnership between Joe Bastianich and Bun Burgers.

The Group is focused on the diversification and growth of catering concepts linked to comfort food, with a vision oriented towards innovative, inclusive and sustainable experiences.

The Group operates through brands with different identities and business models and a network of outlets in Italy and abroad. The growth and evolution of the portfolio, including through M&A operations, partnerships and the development of new initiatives, require an HR function that is strongly business-oriented, capable of ensuring robust processes, supporting management and guiding organisational evolution.

The Organisation

Reporting directly to the General Manager, the role is based at the Gioia Group Headquarters and works closely with management and the various company functions.

The organisation has a matrix nature (Operations across brands and cross-functional Staff): the role therefore requires the ability to operate effectively across functions, aligning priorities and fostering shared decisions. It has direct responsibility for HR operations at head office and for coordinating the main processes, with the aim of ensuring continuity, order and timeliness in people management, including in the field.

The role interfaces daily with management, head office employees, company functions and external partners.

The Role

• The Group HR Director is responsible for overseeing Human Resources at Gioia Group. Directly manages the main HR processes, ensures the proper functioning of administration and of relations with employees and social partners, coordinates external partners and guides management in organisational decisions and people management.

• Is the internal reference point for the evolution of HR processes and best practices, with an operational presence.

• Plays a central role in overseeing HR compliance and in leading and implementing improvements.

• Integrates new entities (M&A, start-ups, joint ventures) into the organisation, ensuring consistency and continuity of HR processes.

Duties and responsibilities

• Direct and update HR policies and ensure their practical application, compliance with regulations and alignment of processes with the Group's organisational needs.

• Operationally manage Compensation & Benefits and welfare, collecting data, verifying the conditions applied and supporting management in decisions.

• Supervise employment contracts and coordinate Personnel Administration activities, liaising with external consultants, the employment lawyer and other reference professionals.

• Coordinate and supervise external payroll.

• Oversee performance management, training and talent development processes, promoting the adoption of HR practices and tools consistent with the Group's evolution.

• Follow and encourage internal communication on policies, processes, initiatives and organisational topics, facilitating alignment between management, functions and the various parts of the Group.

• Directly manage employee relations with head office employees, dealing daily with requests, issues and organisational matters, and taking part in negotiating tables and union relations when necessary.

• Prepare and monitor the Headcount budget and the HR budget, producing periodic reporting and flagging deviations and critical issues.

• Guide other company functions in managing people, organisational needs and day-to-day HR matters, operating effectively in a matrix context.

• Maintain relationships with employment consultants, payroll providers and other HR suppliers, monitoring their quality, timing and costs. Also manage, with the support of the competent functions, contracts and operational relationships with foreign consultants and intermediaries.

• Oversee HR and organisational compliance with respect to applicable regulations, with particular attention to privacy, transparency, NIS2, Legislative Decree 231/2001 and other regulatory areas affecting the organisation and people management, coordinating the internal and external stakeholders involved.

• Support M&A operations and the organisational integration of acquired entities, as well as the launch and development of new companies, start-ups and joint ventures, contributing to the definition of processes, roles, policies and HR models consistent with the Group.

• Identify, design and implement new HR best practices, including starting from processes not yet structured, with the aim of progressively increasing internal autonomy, data quality and process efficiency.

• Develop and implement HR tools and systems supporting people management and reporting, including the introduction of an HR management module not currently in place.

Requirements for the ideal candidate and Success Criteria

• Solid operational experience as an HR Manager or HR Business Partner gained in structured Retail companies, preferably Food, or in multi-site commercial environments.

• Strong business and results orientation.

• Excellent relationship and influencing skills.

• Organisational skills, autonomy and effective management of priorities.

• Analytical and problem-solving skills, with a pragmatic approach.

• Aptitude for teamwork and cross-functional collaboration.

• Proactivity, autonomy and a hands-on approach.

• Experience or a genuine aptitude for working in matrix organisations, with the ability to manage line managers and functional heads effectively and to handle the inevitable tensions between different priorities.

• Experience, or a strong willingness to develop it, in managing foreign consultants and intermediaries and their contracts.

• Solid awareness of HR and organisational compliance topics, with the ability to oversee the main obligations and coordinate external specialists when necessary.

• Ability to build and implement HR processes and best practices in evolving contexts, with a design-oriented and practical approach.

Challenges

• Improve, standardise and make the main HR processes efficient.

• Support and develop a sense of belonging to the Group.

• Operate effectively in a matrix structure, fostering collaboration and clarity of responsibility between lines and vertical functions.

• Support the Group through its next phases of growth, including the integration of M&A operations and new start-ups or joint ventures.

• Progressively strengthen the internal autonomy of HR processes, introducing tools, systems and best practices that are not yet fully structured.

• Ensure reliable oversight of HR and organisational compliance in a complex and evolving regulatory context.

Education and Experience

• Degree, preferably in economics, law, HR or similar.

• Significant and established experience in HR roles with a strong operational component, such as HR Business Partner or HR Manager.

• Experience in directly managing the main HR processes and coordinating external consultants and suppliers.

• Particularly valued:

  • Background in Retail Food

  • Expertise in managing Headcount, budgets and HR reporting

  • Experience coordinating external HR partners and suppliers, including international ones

  • Experience in matrix organisational contexts and/or in phases of strong transformation, growth, M&A or development of new entities.

  • Familiarity with the main HR and organisational compliance topics and ability to liaise with legal advisers and external specialists.

  • Experience in setting up or implementing HR processes, systems and tools, including in contexts where some best practices need to be built or strengthened.

Language Skills

Good knowledge of Italian and English.

Work Location

Milan Famagosta

Terms of Employment

Appointment as Quadro under the CCNL Commercio national collective agreement, on a permanent contract, with annual gross salary between 65,000 and 85,000 €.

Possibility of partial smart working (2 days per week).