HR Manager / People Partner – Global Business Functions

HR Manager / People Partner – Global Business Functions

Working title:   HR Manager / People Partner  
Function focus:   Global Quality, Regulatory and business support functions  
Reporting to:   SVP, Global   Talent   and People Experience

About the role

We are looking for an experienced HR professional who enjoys working close to the business, understands how people decisions affect performance, and is comfortable operating in a large,   complex   and highly structured environment.

This is a global role, supporting leaders and teams across functions,   locations   and time zones, with a strong focus on Quality and Regulatory. The final job title may evolve depending on the level and experience of the successful candidate, but the purpose of the role is clear: we need someone who can combine practical HR delivery with business partnering, good judgement, strategic thinking and a genuine interest in how the business works.

This is not a purely advisory role, and it is not a role for someone who only wants to work at policy level. We need someone who can   think ahead,   plan well, challenge constructively and support leaders with practical solutions — while also being willing to roll up their sleeves and get the work done. That may mean supporting workforce planning one day, coaching a manager through a people matter the next, helping leaders build stronger team culture, and then making sure the right updates are completed accurately in Workday.

We are looking for someone who has applied HR in real working environments, not only learned it through textbooks. The right person will understand that HR strategy only works when it can be translated into clear, practical action for leaders,   managers   and employees.

A key part of this role will be helping leaders build and sustain the right culture in their teams.   That means making sure managers have the tools, guidance, coaching and support they need to lead well, communicate clearly, develop their   people   and create an environment where accountability, collaboration and trust are part of everyday work.

What you will be doing

You will act as a trusted HR partner to leaders and managers across your assigned business areas, helping them translate business priorities into practical people actions.

You will support workforce planning, organisational changes, talent discussions, performance management, employee relations, engagement actions, learning and development priorities, leadership   capability   and day-to-day HR delivery. You will also work closely with colleagues across People & Culture, Talent Acquisition, HR Operations, People   Intelligence   and other support functions to make sure we are aligned, consistent and easy for the business to work with.

Because we   operate   in a highly regulated environment, compliance, documentation, audit   readiness   and right-first-time thinking are important. Good HR work in this environment is not only about doing the right thing — it is also about being able to   evidence   that the right thing was done, in the right way.

You do not need to come from the pharmaceutical industry to be successful in this role. What matters is that you understand how to work in a structured, quality-driven business where good process, sound judgement,   documentation   and follow-through really matter.

This role will suit someone who enjoys variety, can move between strategic discussion and practical delivery, and is comfortable working in a business where priorities can change quickly but accountability, collaboration, learning,   culture   and quality always matter.

Key responsibilities

Business partnering and people strategy

- Partner with leaders and managers to understand business priorities and translate them into clear people plans.

- Support global workforce planning, role clarity, capability   planning   and organisational effectiveness.

- Provide   practical advice on people matters, balancing business needs, employee experience,   risk   and compliance.

- Help leaders   identify   people risks early and work through pragmatic, well-judged solutions.

- Support leaders in building strong,   accountable   and engaged teams.

Contribute   to people plans that support business priorities, including AOP, budgeting and workforce planning, across countries, functions and teams.

- Help leaders connect business goals with people priorities, culture,   capability   and ways of working.

Talent, capability,   learning   and performance

- Work with leaders to   identify   talent needs, succession risks, capability   gaps   and development priorities.

- Support recruitment planning by helping managers clarify the role, level,   skills   and experience needed before hiring begins.

- Partner with Talent Acquisition to ensure hiring processes are structured, fair,   compliant   and aligned to workforce plans.

- Coach managers on effective performance management, feedback, development   planning   and difficult conversations.

- Support leaders in   identifying   learning and development needs within their teams.

- Help ensure leaders have the right tools,   guidance   and support to develop their people and build capability.

- Support engagement actions and help leaders turn employee feedback into practical improvements.

- Help ensure people decisions are thoughtful,   consistent   and aligned with both business needs and our culture.

Culture,   leadership   and engagement

- Support leaders in building a strong,   positive   and accountable culture within their teams.

- Help managers understand their role in shaping culture through how they lead, communicate, make   decisions   and follow through.

- Equip leaders with practical tools, coaching and guidance to lead in line with our values and expected ways of working.

- Reinforce our One Team mindset, ensuring collaboration across teams,   functions   and locations.

- Support leaders in creating an environment where people feel informed, respected, trusted and able to contribute.

- Help leaders turn engagement feedback into clear, practical actions that improve the employee experience.

- Promote leadership behaviours that support accountability, inclusion, collaboration,   quality   and trust.

Employee relations,   compliance   and risk

- Provide hands-on support with employee relations matters, performance concerns, conduct issues and policy application.

- Ensure HR processes are followed consistently and documented appropriately.

- Support compliance with employment law, internal   policies   and highly regulated business expectations.

- Work collaboratively with Legal, Compliance, HR   Operations   and senior HR colleagues where escalation or specialist support is needed.

- Promote a culture where quality, accountability and speaking up are part of how teams   operate   every day.

- Bring good judgement, discretion and care to sensitive people matters.

HR operations,   systems   and Workday

- Use Workday and other HR systems accurately to support people processes, reporting and data quality.

- Ensure people data, organisational changes,   requisitions   and HR actions are handled in   a timely   and controlled way.

- Support process improvement by   identifying   where HR ways of working can be clearer,   simpler   or more effective.

- Be comfortable completing administrative and operational HR tasks when needed.

- Follow through on actions and ensure the basics are done well.

Global collaboration and One Team ways of working

- Work as part of the wider People & Culture team, not as a separate HR island.

- Build strong working relationships across functions,   countries   and teams.

- Collaborate closely with HR Operations, Talent Acquisition, People   Intelligence   and other HR colleagues to deliver joined-up support.

- Support consistent HR delivery across regions while understanding local business needs and context.

- Role   model   our One Team mindset — regardless of where someone sits in the organisation, we succeed by working together.

- Communicate clearly, follow through on   commitments   and help create trust with the business.

What we are looking for

We are looking for someone with solid, hands-on HR experience in a real working environment. Ideally, you will bring around 5+ years of relevant HR experience in a business-facing HR role, but the most important thing is that you have worked with real people, real   managers   and   real business   situations  -   not just theory.

Experience in pharmaceutical, biotech or healthcare would be helpful, but it is not essential. We are very open to candidates who have built their HR experience in other complex, structured or quality-focused environments, such as manufacturing, aviation, finance, food production, engineering, energy, technology, professional services or other industries where process, compliance, risk management and accountability matter.

What matters most is that you can apply HR judgement in practice, work in a structured and thoughtful way, and support leaders with practical solutions. You should be comfortable in an environment where documentation, consistency, quality,   collaboration   and follow-through are important.

You should be able to take a business issue, understand the people implications, think through the risks and options, and help leaders move forward in a practical and balanced way.

You should also care about culture and leadership. We are looking for someone who understands that HR is not only about policies and processes — it is also about helping leaders create the conditions for people to do their best work.

This role would suit someone who is ready to make an impact in a global business, enjoys working with different stakeholder groups, and can balance strategic thinking with hands-on delivery.

Experience and skills

The successful candidate will ideally bring:

- Around 5+ years of hands-on HR experience in a business-facing HR role.

- Experience supporting managers and leaders with a broad range of HR topics.

- Strong understanding of core HR practices, including employee relations, performance management, workforce planning, recruitment support, engagement, learning and development, and organisational change.

- Experience helping leaders build capability, improve team   culture   and strengthen management effectiveness.

- Experience working in a complex, structured, fast-paced or quality-focused environment.

- Experience in a regulated industry would be an   advantage, but   is not essential.

- Experience in an international,   matrixed   or multi-site organisation would be helpful.

- Good working knowledge of HR systems, preferably Workday.

- Strong judgement,   discretion   and ability to handle sensitive matters appropriately.

- Ability to balance strategic thinking with practical delivery.

- Strong planning,   prioritisation   and follow-through.

- Confidence working with stakeholders across   different functions ,   levels   and locations.

- Clear communication style and the ability to build trust quickly.

- A collaborative mindset and willingness to work across teams to get the right outcome.

- Comfortable working with ambiguity and helping create structure where it is needed.

Education and professional background

We would expect the successful candidate to have relevant education or professional experience in Human Resources, Business, Psychology, Organisational Development, Employment   Law   or a related field.

We are looking for   candidate s   can   demonstrate   strong practical HR experience, sound   judgement   and the ability to work effectively with leaders and managers.

We   are   interested in how someone applies their knowledge in   a real business   environment than in textbook theory alone. The right person will be able to combine HR knowledge, business   understanding   and practical common sense.

What will help you succeed here

You will do well in this role if you are:

- Practical, calm and   solutions-focused .

- Comfortable operating in a business where process,   quality   and documentation matter.

- Able to think strategically but happy to get involved in the details.

- Confident enough to challenge, but constructive in how you do it.

- Curious about the business and how people decisions affect performance.

- Interested in culture, leadership and how managers create   strong team   environments.

- Able to turn culture,   engagement   and leadership expectations into practical actions for managers.

- Strong at building relationships across teams,   functions   and locations.

- Organised, reliable and able to follow through.

- A team player who believes HR works best when we   operate   as One Team.

- Energised by a role where no two days are   exactly the same .

- Comfortable working in a global environment where collaboration, clarity and trust are essential.

Why this role matters

Our people decisions directly support the quality,   reliability   and performance of the business. In a complex and highly regulated environment, the way we hire, develop, support, lead and manage people matters — for our teams, our leaders, our compliance obligations and   ultimately for   the patients who rely on our medicines.

This role is   a great opportunity   for an HR professional who wants to be close to the business, build strong partnerships, help develop leaders, influence   culture   and make a practical difference every day.