HR Director UK and Ireland & Global Functions
2 days ago
Preston
HR Director UK and Ireland & Global Functions Become part of the team powering household names like Andrex®, Kleenex®, Cottonelle®, Scott®, Viva®, and WypAll®. AtArbex, everything you need is right here—innovation, growth, and the chance to leave a real mark. Settling for just any roleisn’tyou, and itisn’tus either. Being Unstoppable Together calls for a particular kind of person and teams who genuinely care about making a difference. Here,you’llchannel your professionalexpertise, talent, and drive into building and managing a portfolio of iconic, ground-breaking brands. In this role,you’llhelp shape the future of tissue and hygiene for billions of people worldwide. AboutThe Role As the HR Director UKI & Global Functions, you willbe responsible forshaping and delivering the UK & Ireland people strategy, acting as a core member of the leadership team to enable business performance,organisationaleffectivenessand sustainable growth. You will alsobe responsible forthepeoplestrategy across DTS (Digital & Technology Services), GBS (Global Business Services), Finance and Technical (Supply Chain and R&D). The role provides strategic direction and operational leadership across all areas of HR, ensuring that theorganisationhas the capability,cultureand leadershiprequiredto deliver its commercial priorities. The HR Director serves as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, translating business ambition into a clear and actionablepeopleagenda, while providing insight, challenge and coaching to strengthen leadership capability and decision-making. The role is accountable for building a high-performing, engaged and inclusiveorganisation, withstrongfocus on talent, performance,successionand culture. This is a pivotal moment inArbex’sevolution. Formed through the strategic partnership between Kimberly-Clark and Suzano,Arbexis building a new global tissue and hygiene company that brings together iconic brands, commercialexpertise, manufacturingscaleand deepfibreknowledge. The business is entering an intensive period of transformation as itestablishesits standalone operating model, embeds new ways of working, accelerates valuecreationand builds a distinct culture around empowerment, agility, boldthinkingand positive impact. Within this context, UKI is the largest andmoststrategically important ABU, with a circa$700millionbusiness, two manufacturing sites, a broad commercialfootprintand important global enabling functions. The HR Director will play a critical role in helping the UKI leadership team translate this business context into a clear people andorganisationagenda, ensuring the ABU has the leadership capability,organisationaldesign, talent depth and cultural conditions required to deliver both near-term performance and longer-term transformation. Operating across a complex, multi-site environment, the role ensures excellence in the end-to-end delivery of HR, including employee relations, reward,organisationaldesign, workforceplanningand leadership development. It plays a critical role in leading and embedding the newArbexculture and ways of working, industrial relations, managing risk and ensuring full compliance with employment legislation, while balancing commercial outcomes with reputational and legal considerations. The HR Director leads and delivers large-scale transformation and changeprogrammes, shapingorganisationalstructures, driving continuousimprovementand ensuring theorganisationcan adapt effectively to evolving business needs. This includes supporting the shift to a moreregionalisedoperating model, enabling manufacturing and functional teams tooperatecloser to the business, and helping leaders move with pace,accountabilityand clarity through change. In parallel, the role drives culture,engagementand inclusion, embedding a compelling employee experience and strengtheningorganisationalidentity and purpose. • Define and lead the UK&I people agenda aligned to business strategy, • Define and lead the GlobalFucntionspeople agenda aligned to business strategy, • Drive long-term workforce planning andorganisationaleffectiveness, • Shape culture, engagement, and performance outcomes at scale, • Act as a trusted advisor and coach to senior leadership teams, • Active member of UKLeadership Team, • Influence business strategy through a people lens, • Provide executive-level coaching and challenge to senior leaders, • Build high-performing leadership teams and succession pipelines, • Talent management and succession planning, • Employee relations and complex case management, • Reward, benefits, and pension governance, • Learning, development, and leadership capability, • Lead union relationships and collective bargaining negotiations, • Oversee consultation processes, restructuring, and site changes, • Ensure compliance with employment legislation (including TUPE), • Manage large-scaleorganisationalchangeprogrammes, • Lead major transformation initiatives across the UK&Iand Global Functions, • Design and implementorganisationalstructures, • Drive continuous improvement and efficiency, • Manage risk during complex business change, • Embed newArbexculture and ways of workingandbehaviours– Empowered, Agile, Bold, Nurturing, Consumer-centric and Future-minded, • Lead employee engagement and culture initiatives, • Drive inclusion, wellness, and belonging strategies, • Strengthenorganisationalpurpose and employee narrative, • Improve leadership effectiveness and people manager capability, • Ensure full compliance with UK & Ireland employment law, • Lead audit, risk management, and regulatory adherence, • Chair or oversee pension schemes and governance bodies, • Manage employment tribunal risk and external relations, • Foster a culture of accountability,collaborationand continuous improvement. To succeed in this role, you will need the following qualifications: • Proven experienceoperatingatHR Director / senior leadership levelwithin a complex, multi-siteorganisation, • Demonstrated success partnering withsenior leadership teams and boards, providing strategic challenge and coaching, • Extensive experience acrossfull HR lifecycle(talent, ER, reward, L&D,organisationaldesign), • Strong background inindustrial relations, including union engagement and collective consultation processes, • Track recordof leadinglarge-scale transformation,restructuringand changeprogrammes, • Experienceoperatingacrosscommercial and/or manufacturing environments, • Strong knowledge of UK & Ireland employment law, including consultation and TUPE, • Deep understanding of employee relations and risk management, including tribunal exposure, • Expertiseinorganisationaldesign, workforceplanningand performance management, • Ability to translate business strategy into a clear, actionable people agenda, • Strong commercial acumen and ability to link people outcomes to business performance, • Strong grounding in reward,pensionsand benefits governance, • Skilled in managing high-risk, complex ER issues with sound judgement, • Ability to balance commercial outcomes with legal and reputational risk, • Experience across UK & Ireland and/or wider EMEA markets, • Exposure to multi-national or FMCGorganisations, • Experience leading HR through M&A,JVor complex restructuring environments, • Fellow or Member of the CIPD, • Masters HRM Webelievethatouremployeesareourgreatestasset, andwe’recommittedtoprovidingthemwith theresourcestheyneedtobesuccessful.Ifyou’relookingfor arewardingcareerwith acompanythatcaresaboutitsemployees,thenARBEXisthe place foryou. We believegreat workhappens when people come together with purpose.That’swhy we offer a flexible work model that blends remote work with intentional in-person collaboration — helping you connect, grow, and innovate whilemaintainingthe balance you value. For ARBEX to grow and prosper, we must be an inclusive organization that applies the diverse experiences and passions of its team members to brands that shape the future of tissue and hygiene, which is why we seek to build a workforce that encompassesthe experiences of our consumers.When you bring your original thinking to ARBEX, you fuel the continued success of our enterprise. We are a committed equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by law. The statements above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this classification. Statements are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties,responsibilitiesand skillsrequiredfor this position. Employment is subject to verification of local policies. United Kingdom- Flexible Location - South East England Employee Regular Full time #J-18808-Ljbffr