Head of HR – Quality, Southern France (FR)

The Company

Our client is a global leader in advanced manufacturing and high-tech innovation, employing over 50,000 people across more than 30 countries. The organisation plays a critical role in shaping the future of sustainable and digital technologies, supplying solutions to a diverse array of industries from automotive to industrial and smart mobility. Operating at the forefront of technological transformation, the business is investing significantly in its people strategy, seeking to build scalable structures, drive organisational performance, and develop world-class leadership and capability. This is a HR leadership position within the global quality function, supporting the ongoing transformation of the organisation and people development.

The Role

This high-impact Head of HR role will support the Executive Vice President of Global Quality and their senior leadership team. The function spans approximately 1,500 employees worldwide, working across a highly technical and regulated environment that is central to product integrity, continuous improvement, and customer trust. This position will act as a trusted strategic advisor, responsible for shaping and driving the people agenda within the function. This includes embedding global people initiatives, advising on organisational design, building leadership capability, supporting succession planning, and improving employee engagement and performance. The successful candidate will work closely with Group HR colleagues and Centres of Expertise (Talent, Learning, Reward, etc.), ensuring alignment between functional and organisational goals.

The Individual

We are seeking a strategic yet hands-on HR professional with experience in complex, matrixed environments—ideally within industrial or engineering-led sectors. The successful candidate will bring strong business partnering expertise, particularly in supporting technically skilled or quality-driven populations, and will be confident advising senior leaders on organisational design, transformation, and engagement. With a curious and commercially-minded approach, they will navigate ambiguity with ease, build trust quickly across cultures, and play a pivotal role in aligning people strategy with business priorities. Fluency in English is essential, and while the role is based in Southern France with an element of hybrid working, some international travel will be required.