HR Business Partner Commercial & R&D North America

Nouryon; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Nouryon is seeking an HR Business Partner for Commercial North America to serve as the day-to-day HR partner for US Commercial teams, IBP, Customer Services & Logistics, and R&D at local sites. You will translate priority people plans into practical HR solutions and work with Global HR counterparts.

Ideal candidates have strong US employment law knowledge, 6–8 years of HR experience including HRBP roles, and a track record in supporting cross-functional leaders. Travel up to 20% is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, Law, Business Admin or related field; master's or HR certification preferred
• 6–8 years HR experience, with 3+ years as HRBP or generalist
• Strong knowledge of US employment law with employee relations experience
• Experience supporting sales, supply chain, or R&D functions is a plus
• Data-driven decision making and AI awareness
• Willingness to travel up to 20% across US sites

Responsibilities

• Act as trusted HR advisor to US Commercial leaders, IBP, Customer Services & Logistics and R&D in the US, translating plans into people priorities and measurable outcomes
• Implement the global Commercial and R&D people strategy in North America, adapting programs to US practice
• Coach managers on performance management and talent cycles
• Support workforce planning and recruitment for US sites with diverse pipeline
• Support succession planning, leadership development and career paths
• Assist annual compensation review and offers in line with US market practice
• Handle employee relations topics per US laws; manage investigations
• Escalate complex cases to VP HR and Legal
• Ensure compliance with US employment laws and local requirements; align with global standards
• Drive engagement and an inclusive, high-performance culture across US sites
• Use HR data analytics to identify trends and drive continuous improvement

Skills

HRBP experience

US employment law

Data-driven decisions

Change management

Communication & influence

HR analytics awareness

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR, Law, Business Admin, or related

Master's degree or HR certification (SHRM-CP/SCP, PHR/SPHR)

Tools

SuccessFactors

Job description

HR Business Partner Commercial North America

At Nouryon, our global team takes positive action every day, to reach higher collectively and individually. We create innovative and sustainable solutions for our customers to answer society’s needs – today and in the future. We are looking for team members who bring ideas forward, champion others and work together to do better. Does that sound like you?

In your future role as a HR Business Partner Commercial North America, you will be the day-to-day HR partner to the leaders and employees of the US based Commercial teams, US based Integrated Business Planning (IBP), Customer Services & Logistics team and support the R&D functions at our local sites in the US. You translate the global Commercial and R&D people priorities into practical, compliant and business-relevant HR solutions for the North American population, and you bring local insight back into the global HR agenda. You will work closely with the Global HR Business Partners, the HR Centers of Expertise (CoEs), the HR teams in Europe and Asia and the HR Operations team, and you are the subject matter expert on HR in the US for the functions you support.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as trusted HR advisor to the leaders of US Commercial teams, US based IBP, Customer Services & Logistics and R&D in the US, translating business plans into people priorities, actions and measurable outcomes.
• Implement the global Commercial and R&D people strategy in North America, adapting global programs to US practice and ensuring alignment with the Global HR Business Partners and function heads in other regions.
• Coach and advise managers on performance management, feedback, development conversations and team effectiveness, and drive consistent execution of the annual performance and talent cycles.
• In collaboration with Talent Acquisition, support workforce planning and recruitment for the US sites, ensuring a diverse pipeline and a strong candidate and onboarding experience.
• Together with the Talent Management function, support succession planning, talent reviews, leadership development and career paths for employees in the supported functions.
• Support the annual compensation review, incentive programs, job grading and offers in line with US market practice, pay transparency requirements and global guidelines.
• Handle employee relations topics in the US, including performance management, conduct, investigations, accommodations, leaves and terminations, in line with US federal and state employment law.
• Escalate and align complex cases with the VP HR and Legal.
• Ensure compliance with US employment laws and regulations (such as FLSA, FMLA, ADA, EEO and applicable state and local requirements) and keep local HR policies and practices current and consistent with global standards.
• Drive employee engagement, retention and an inclusive, high-performance culture across the US sites, acting on engagement survey results with local leadership.
• Use HR data and analytics (headcount, attrition, hiring, engagement, pay equity) to identify trends, advise leaders and drive continuous improvement together with HR Operations and HRIT.

We Believe You Bring

• Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Law, Business Administration, or a related field is required. A Master's degree or an HR certification (e.g., SHRM-CP/SCP, PHR/SPHR) is preferred.
• Minimum 6-8 years of progressive HR experience, of which at least 3 years in an HR Business Partner or comparable generalist role, ideally in a multinational, commercial or science-based organization.
• Solid working knowledge of US federal and state employment law and HR practices (e.g., FLSA classification, FMLA, ADA, EEO, pay transparency), with practical experience in employee relations and investigations.
• Experience supporting functional leaders in areas such as sales & marketing, supply chain, customer service, planning or R&D is an advantage.
• Applied data driven decision making and experience with data analytics and AI.
• Experience supporting organizational change, reorganizations or restructuring in the US.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust, influence leaders and give clear, practical advice.
• Working knowledge of HR systems and the ability to use data to support decisions.
• Available for regular travel up to 20% to other Nouryon sites in USA, e.g. Bridgewater (NJ), Radnor (PA) and other locations in Houston area.
• Experience with HR systems as e.g. SuccessFactors.
• This position is a stepping stone to a Global HR Business Partner role, so international experience is strongly preferred.

Nice to Have

• Business Acumen & Commercial Understanding
• Relationship Building & Collaboration across Geographies
• Employee Relations & Compliance Judgment (US)
• Coaching & Influencing Without Authority
• Change Management & Organizational Effectiveness
• Emotional & Cultural Intelligence
• Adaptability & Agility in Dynamic Environments
• Results-Oriented, Data-Driven Decision Making

AboutNouryon

If you're looking for your next career move, apply today and join Nouryon's worldwide team in providing essential solutions that our customers use to manufacture everyday products such as personal care, cleaning, paints and coatings, agriculture and food, pharmaceuticals, and building products. Our employees are driven by the wish to make an impact and actively drive positive change. If that describes you, we will gladly make way for your ambitions. From day one we support you with your personal growth, through challenging positions and comprehensive learning and development opportunities, in a dynamic, international, diverse, and proactive working environment.

Nouryon is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.