Director, Human Resources

Bachem Holding AG; California (MO); On-site; USD 131,000 - 181,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual performance bonus

Medical/Dental/Vision coverage

401(k) with employer contribution

Paid vacation and personal/sick days

Job summary

Bachem is seeking a strategic Director of Human Resources to partner with senior leaders and drive people strategies across California. You will align HR initiatives with business goals and serve as a trusted advisor to managers.

In this hands-on role, you will lead workforce planning, talent management, performance, and investigations, ensuring compliance and a high‑engagement culture while guiding leadership development and organizational change.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources or business administration.
• 10+ years of progressive HR experience with significant focus on employee relations.
• 5+ years of leadership/people management experience.
• Experience in multi-state or global organizations preferred.
• Experience in pharma/chemical/life sciences industry or other regulated manufacturing industry preferred.
• Deep expertise in California employment law and employee relations best practices.
• Strong investigative, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong experience in organizational development and change management
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to handle highly sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Strong judgment and decision-making capabilities.
• Data-driven mindset with ability to analyze trends and metrics.
• Certifications (SHRM-SCP, SPHR or equivalent; CA-specific preferred).

Responsibilities

• Strategic Workforce Planning: partner with leaders to understand workforce needs and develop talent strategies.
• Talent Management: identify gaps, support performance management, succession planning, and career paths.
• Performance Management: drive high-performance culture, set goals, coach on performance issues.
• Organizational Effectiveness: lead design initiatives, manage change, and promote engagement.
• Team Member Engagement and Culture: analyze engagement data and implement action plans.
• Leadership Coaching: advise managers, develop leadership capabilities across the organization.
• Compensation and Rewards Support: advise on merit, bonus, and promotion decisions.
• Team Member Relations Strategy & Leadership: develop California-compliant ER strategy; oversee investigations and conflict resolution.
• Policy Development & Compliance: update HR policies to ensure legal compliance and alignment with values.

Skills

Employee relations

Leadership

California employment law

Investigative skills

Change management

Data analysis

Interpersonal skills

Discretion / confidentiality

Judgment / decision-making

Metrics & analytics

HR certifications (SHRM-SCP/SPHR)

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR or business administration

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

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Bachem is a leading, innovation-driven company specializing in the development and manufacture of peptides and oligonucleotides. With over 50 years of experience and expertise Bachem provides products for research, clinical development and commercial application to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide and offers a comprehensive range of services. Bachem operates internationally with headquarters in Switzerland and locations in Europe, the US and Asia. The company is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. For further information, see www.bachem.com .

A brief overview

The Director of Human Resources is both a strategic and hands‑on leader responsible for fostering a positive, engaged, and legally compliant workplace. In this role, this individual works closely with leaders to align people strategies with organizational goals and serves as a trusted advisor to managers and senior leaders. This individual coordinates and collaborates with the Global HRBP community to deliver high‑quality and timely HR Business Partnering activities. Additionally, this individual leads enterprise‑wide team member relations programs, resolves complex workplace issues, and partners with leadership to drive engagement, performance, and organizational effectiveness.

What you will do

Strategic Workforce Planning

• Partner with business leaders to understand workforce needs; develop talent strategies that support business objectives; analyze workforce trends, turnover, and staffing requirements, and support organizational growth, restructuring, and succession planning.

Talent Management

• Work closely with leaders to Identify talent gaps and workforce capabilities; support performance management processes; assist in succession planning and leadership development; and create career development paths for and communicate opportunities to team members.

Performance Management

• Partner with leaders to drive a high-performance culture; support goal setting and performance review processes; provide guidance to managers and team members on handling workplace conflicts and performance issues; coach leaders on effective communication, performance management, and disciplinary actions; and monitor performance trends and recommend interventions.

Organizational Effectiveness

• Lead or support organizational design initiatives; facilitate change management during business transformations; assess team effectiveness and recommend improvements; and promote team member engagement and productivity.

Team Member Engagement and Culture

• Analyze engagement survey results; develop action plans to improve team member morale and retention; and partner with leaders to strengthen workplace culture.

Leadership Coaching

• Serve as a trusted advisor to managers and executives; coach leaders on people leadership best practices; help leaders navigate complex people-related decisions; and develop leadership capabilities across the organization.

Compensation and Rewards Support

• Advise managers on compensation decisions; support merit, bonus, and promotion processes; and ensure pay decisions align with company policies.

Team Member Relations Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and implement a comprehensive California-compliant team member relations strategy aligned with organizational goals and culture; serve as the organization’s subject matter expert in team member relations, workplace investigations, and conflict resolution, and advise senior leadership on ER trends, risks, and best practices.
• Lead and oversee complex and sensitive investigations (e.g., harassment, discrimination, retaliation, policy violations), ensure investigations are conducted promptly, thoroughly, and objectively, provide recommendations for corrective action ensuring consistency in outcomes; partner with legal counsel on complex employment matters; manage responses to external claims, audits, and agency inquiries (e.g., EEOC), and support litigation defense.

Policy Development & Compliance

• Develop, review, and update HR policies and procedures to ensure legal compliance and alignment with company values. Monitor changes in employment laws and regulations; ensure organizational adherence.
• Lead, mentor, and develop HR professionals and staff; establish KPIs and performance metrics for team member relations activities, and drive continuous improvement in ER processes and systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, or related field (Master’s strongly preferred).
• 10+ years of progressive HR experience, with significant focus on employee relations.
• 5+ years of leadership/people management experience.
• Experience in complex, multi-state or global organizations preferred.
• Experience in pharma/chemical/life sciences industry or other regulated manufacturing industry preferred
• Deep expertise in California employment law and employee relations best practices.
• Strong investigative, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong experience in organizational development and change management
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to handle highly sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Strong judgment and decision-making capabilities.
• Data-driven mindset with ability to analyze trends and metrics.

Certifications (Preferred)

• SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or equivalent certification. CA specific certification preferred.

Base Annual Salary Range:$131,324 - $180,571

Placement of new hires in this wage range is based on several factors including education, skill sets, experience, and training.

Total Rewards

We offer all Team Members a total rewards package including competitive pay, annual performance bonus, a generous benefit package with comprehensive Medical/Dental/Vision coverage, 401(k) plan with employer contribution, and paid vacation, personal and sick days.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Bachem takes responsibility for future generations by a careful handling of resources and avoiding environmental risks. We continually improve our ecological performance and develop and implement new approaches for enhancing employees’ environmental awareness. EcoVadis has awarded Bachem Gold Medal status in their assessment of Bachem.

Bachem Americas is an Equal Opportunity Employer

As an equal opportunity employer, we celebrate the diversity of our team and are committed to building an inclusive workplace where individuals are hired and advanced based on merit, skills, and qualifications. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or other legally protected status.

At Bachem, you’ll find a diverse, multicultural team. The (a)in the job title stands for all. We welcome applications from all candidates. What matters are your skills and motivation—regardless of age, gender, background, religion, or sexual orientation.

Please note: unsolicited resumes from recruitment agencies will not be considered.