Senior HR Director, Central Functions & Strategy

Applied Materials; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 275,000; Full time

Job summary

Applied Materials is seeking a Senior Director, HR Business Partner to lead the HR partnership for SPG’s Central Functions – Engineering, Operations, Strategy, and Corporate Quality – based in Santa Clara, CA. This role partners with senior executives to shape organization design, talent strategy, and workforce decisions that enable current and future enterprise performance.

You will manage a global team of HR Business Partners, align HR strategy with cross-functional priorities, coach

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business, Organizational Psychology, or a related field; advanced degree (MBA or MS/MA in HR/OD) preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive HR experience, including substantial experience as a strategic HR Business Partner to senior executives in a large, global, matrixed organization, with a track record of increasing scope and seniority.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing a global team of HR Business Partners and HR professionals, including managing Director-level HRBPs, with accountability for results across a large, multi-function employee population.
• Proven track record shaping organization design, workforce planning, and talent strategy across multiple functions (e.g., Engineering, Operations, Strategy, Quality) in a technology, semiconductor, or advanced manufacturing environment.
• Strong analytical capability, with experience using workforce and business data to drive executive-level decisions across a multi-function organization.
• Demonstrated ability to coach and influence senior executives, including experience delivering candid feedback that changes leader behavior at the most senior levels.
• Experience balancing enterprise-wide priorities against function-specific or regional interests, with sound judgment on when and how to escalation tension.
• Demonstrated ability to adapt style and approach across distinct functional cultures, including highly technical (Engineering), operationally driven (Operations), analytically-oriented (Strategy), and compliance-driven (Corporate Quality) environments.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Business Partnership: shape business strategy through a people and organization lens, partnering with Central Functions leadership.
• Data, Insight & Decision Support: leverage workforce data to identify risks and inform staffing decisions across Engineering, Operations, Strategy, and Corporate Quality.
• Organization Design & Talent Strategy: lead global workforce planning and succession planning to meet future business goals.
• Leadership Coaching & Influence: coach senior leaders and influence without formal authority across multiple functions.
• Execution & Team Leadership: translate HR strategy into plans with clear ownership, milestones, and measurable outcomes; lead a global team of HR professionals.

Skills

Executive presence

Strategic HR Partner

Stakeholder management

People analytics

Coaching leaders

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, Organizational Psychology

MBA or MS/MA in HR/OD preferred

Job description

Applied Materials is seeking a Senior Director, HR Business Partner to lead the HR partnership for SPG’s Central Functions – Engineering, Operations, Strategy, and Corporate Quality – based in Santa Clara, CA. This role partners with senior executives to shape organization design, talent strategy, and workforce decisions that enable current and future enterprise performance.

You will manage a global team of HR Business Partners, align HR strategy with cross-functional priorities, coach