About the Role
We are seeking an exceptional Group Head of Talent & Organisation Development to shape and lead our strategic talent agenda, partnering directly with the CHRO and Executive Leadership Team. This high-impact role will interface with the new Board and manage the governance around our ‘Great place to work’ agenda. As a member of the HR Leadership Team, you will be the thought leader on talent and OD, building strong partnerships across the business to deliver solutions with tangible business outcomes.
Responsibilities
- Provide strategic leadership on Talent and Organisation Development, partnering with the CHRO, Executive Leadership Team and Board to shape the talent agenda and build the organisational capability required to deliver the business strategy.
- Bring our Great Place to Work ambition to life, shaping and delivering programmes across culture, leadership, learning, and employee listening that drive engagement, capability, and measurable business outcomes.
- Lead the global Talent and Performance framework, including talent management, succession planning, performance, leadership development, and workforce capability, ensuring a consistent and scalable approach across the organisation.
- Shape the future talent pipeline, overseeing corporate talent acquisition, executive talent strategies, graduate and early-career programmes, and the development of a compelling Employee Value Proposition.
- Drive organisational development and effectiveness, partnering with business leaders to support transformation, strengthen leadership capability and ensure the organisation is equipped to meet future challenges.
- Champion Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, leading initiatives that foster an inclusive culture and support the attraction, development, and retention of diverse talent.
- Lead the Talent Centre of Expertise, developing a high-performing team and collaborating across the HR community to embed best-in-class talent practices and deliver the end-to-end talent agenda.
Requirements
- Strategic and commercially minded talent leader with a proven track record of delivering impactful talent and organisational development strategies in large, complex, and matrixed environments.
- Significant experience leading enterprise-wide talent agendas within multinational organisations.
- Strong organisational development and change management capability, with experience diagnosing capability gaps and implementing effective solutions.
- The personality and presentational ability to interpret the Boards input on a wide range of topics and be the face of the management team in the areas of their expertise.
- Collaboration and relationship building skills to lead through influence and credibility.
- Outstanding stakeholder management skills, with the credibility to influence executives, HR leaders, and PLC Board-level audiences.
- Experience leading and developing teams of talent professionals within global and matrix structures.
- A pragmatic and outcome-focused leadership style, with a passion for developing people and building high-performing organisations.
Skills
- Talent management
- Leadership development
- Learning
- Engagement
- DE&I
- Organisational development
- Change management
- Talent acquisition
- Executive talent strategies
- Graduate and early-career programmes
- Employee Value Proposition
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- Team leadership
About the Company
- We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products.
- We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change.
- We employ more than 60,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more.
- Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time.
- Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us!
- As the journey continues of bringing together the strengths of both organisations, during your candidate experience you may engage with our colleagues from International Paper!
- You could visit an International Paper or DS Smith site or office.
