Job Description

The Senior Director of Human Resources - Western Region, plays a pivotal role in shaping and executing the people agenda across Europe and the United States.


As a strategic business partner to the regional leadership team, this role combines forward-thinking HR strategy with hands-on operational execution to enable business growth, organizational agility, and employee engagement.


This position manages the HR function for the region, driving excellence across all core people processes, embedding a consistent operating model, and ensuring the successful deployment of Microsoft Dynamics 365 HR.


The Senior Director of Human Resources - Western Region brings a balance of strategic insight, business acumen, and operational rigor--enabling leaders to make informed decisions, building strong local HR capabilities, and fostering a high-performance, compliant, and inclusive workplace culture.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Business Partnering

Act as the trusted advisor to regional leadership, enabling business decisions through data-driven people insights. Translate strategic priorities into actionable HR plans at country and regional levels. Support change and transformation initiatives including M&A, restructuring, and capability-building.

HR Operations and Process Excellence

Drive standardization and continuous improvement of core HR processes in line with the new HRIS implementation (recruiting, onboarding, performance management, compensation review, talent development). Define and implement clear RACI matrices across HR roles (global, regional, country, third parties). Monitor key HR KPIs and ensure process adherence and compliance.

HR Systems & Digital Enablement

Lead the deployment and adoption of Microsoft Dynamics 365 HR across the Western Region. Serve as the main business process owner for system modules impacting the region (e.g., org management, people data, absence management). Build local HRIS capabilities and ensure quality and consistency of people data.

Talent, Performance & Engagement

Roll out talent reviews, succession planning, and employee engagement initiatives. Coach HR teams and business leaders on performance enablement and people development. Ensure consistency of the employee experience across the region despite legal and cultural diversity. Foster employee engagement, and provide training and development opportunities for employees

Compliance & External Interfaces

Ensure compliance with local employment laws, regulations, and group policies. Manage interfaces with external HR providers (payroll, legal, labor relations, etc.) and optimize contractual setups.

Required Skills and Abilities:

Pragmatic, execution-focused, and able to thrive in lean environments. Strong balance of strategic thinking and operational hands-on delivery. Comfortable working with ambiguity, in fast-changing environments and with distributed teams. Demonstrated ability to drive change, improve processes, and elevate HR as a value-adding business partner.

Education and Experience:

Bachelor's degree required. A master's degree in HR or Business would be a strong plus. 10+ years of HR experience in multinational, matrixed environments, with at least 5 years in an HR Business Partner or HR Director capacity. Strong understanding of European and US employment law. Experience in CRO/pharma or life sciences industry Experience with HRIS implementations and HR process redesign (Microsoft Dynamics 365 preferred). * Strong communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills.