HR Lead - Europe & Middle East

Zoetis; Dublin; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Zoetis is seeking an agile HR leader to serve as HR Lead, Europe & Middle East (EME) and HR Business Partner to the Commercial Regional President, EME. You will set and execute the regional HR and people agenda across commercial markets, balancing global consistency with local relevance, while strengthening talent pipelines and colleague experience across diverse labor laws.

The role collaborates with global HR leaders and Finance, Legal, Tech & Digital to drive enterprise HR strategies with

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; relevant Master's a plus.
• 12+ years of progressive HR leadership across multiple countries in the region.
• Proven HR leadership and team development experience.
• Strong knowledge of core HR disciplines (HR programs and administration, compensation, benefits)

Responsibilities

• Shape and execute people strategy, workforce plans, org design and change across markets.
• Lead talent acquisition, succession planning and development initiatives.
• Oversee HR operations, payroll, benefits, governance and data quality.
• Partner with global HR teams to localize initiatives with cultural relevance.
• Drive engagement, performance, and change adoption across markets.

Skills

Leadership

HR strategy

Change management

Org design

Employee relations

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree a plus

Tools

HRIS

MS Office

Job description

Location: Dublin, Ireland or Leatherhead, UK

Role Description

Zoetis is seeking an agile, experienced HR leader to serve as HR Lead, Europe & Middle East (EME) and HR Business Partner to the Commercial Regional President, EME . You will set and execute the regional HR and people agenda across commercial markets, balancing global consistency with local relevance, while strengthening talent pipelines, colleague experience, and HR operational excellence across diverse labor laws, cultures, and business models.

This role offers a unique and high impact opportunity to work in a dynamic business environment as trusted thought partner to senior leaders while driving world-class HR execution and transforming our HR operating model into the next chapter. The role collaborates closely with global and functional HR leaders (e.g. Global Manufacturing & Supply [GMS]), Finance, Legal, Tech & Digital) and brings enterprise-wide people strategies to life with local relevance and strong change adoption.

The HR Lead for EME will be member of the International HR and EME Commercial Leadership team. They will report to the HR Lead for International Commercial Operations and will be a leader and a role model of outstanding leadership behaviors and Zoetis values.

Responsibilities

Strategic HR, Business partnership & org effectiveness

• Shape and execute people strategy, workforce plans, org design, and change to deliver business and HR priorities.
• Translate business requirements and challenges into clear, executable HR initiatives.
• Lead org design and change across markets/functions; partner with leaders to implement scalable structures and agile ways of working.
• Ensure HR programs actively promote an equitable, inclusive workplace; champion culture, well-being, and colleague experience.
• Partner with global and international HR teams to localize and implement strategic initiatives with consistency and cultural relevance.

Talent Acquisition, Succession and Development

• Build and execute workforce and succession plans; lead succession and talent review cycles.
• Oversee full-cycle recruitment in partnership with the global Talent Acquisition COE.
• Implement talent management programs and strengthen leadership capability using enterprise tools to ensure strong pipelines.
• Guide workforce planning, succession management, and talent reviews for the region.

HR Operations & Service Delivery Model Transformation

• Oversee HR Operations in markets, incl. payroll, benefit administration, record keeping, time and continuously optimizing processes, systems, efficiency and data accuracy.
• In partnership with the Head of Colleague Experience for EME and others, serve as a key leader in the transformation of the HR function that will bring new roles and new ways of working that standardize and redesign HR Operations, payroll/benefits governance, and colleague data quality. Shifting from a generalist model to a new operating model will also require capability building and upskilling for the HR team.
• In partnership with our Global People Analytics team, leverage analytics to develop and support evidence-based decisions (workforce planning, engagement, retention, culture & inclusion outcomes); monitor HR metrics and provide insights to leadership.
• Monitor compliance with labor laws, industry standards, and company policies across markets; serve as escalation point for complex topics.
• Oversee benefit administration and partner with Global Benefit COE and local HR Business Partners that benefit programs are competitive and support talent retention and employee wellbeing.
• Oversee complex employee relations and consultation.

Leadership, Change & Engagement

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing, agile HRBP community across the region.
• Provide strategic input and leadership for organization change and HR transformation, including direction, resourcing, and communications.
• Act as a change champion by applying a structured approach that enables successful transitions and adoption.
• Engage and collaborate with the global HR team, including Colleague Experience, Operations, and Centers of Excellence teams
• Align performance management and reward strategies to build a culture of high performance and innovation.
• Drive employee engagement initiatives that elevate and sustain colleague engagement.

Additional Responsibilities

• Collaborate and negotiate effectively with works councils and unions.
• Support Business Development on transactions, due diligence, and integration as needed.
• Lead and support broader programs and projects as necessary

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required; relevant Master's a plus
• 12+ years of progressive HR leadership across a number of countries in the region and demonstrated ability supporting Senior Business Partners in global, matrixed organizations
• Proven experience of HR team management alongside growing and developing team members
• Strong knowledge of core HR disciplines (HR programs and administration, compensation, benefits,