Sr Dr, HR-Front Line Care

Baxter International Inc.; United States; On-site; USD 220,000 - 320,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental coverage

401(k) with company match

Employee stock purchase plan (ESPP)

Job summary

Baxter International Inc. is seeking a senior HR leader for Front Line Care to translate business strategy into a multi-year people plan that drives growth, quality and margin.

You will coach the President of Front Line Care and the LT on organizational design, workforce planning, talent development, leadership effectiveness and total rewards in a multi-site, regulated environment. The role collaborates with enterprise HR, shaping the enterprise people strategy while delivering practical,

Job description

This is where your work makes a difference.

At Baxter, we believe every person—regardless of who they are or where they are from—deserves a chance to live a healthy life. It was our founding belief in 1931 and continues to be our guiding principle. We are redefining healthcare delivery to make a greater impact today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Our Baxter colleagues are united by our Mission to Save and Sustain Lives. Together, our community is driven by a culture of courage, trust, and collaboration. Every individual is empowered to take ownership and make a meaningful impact. We strive for efficient and effective operations, and we hold each other accountable for delivering exceptional results.

Here, you will find more than just a job—you will find purpose and pride.

Your role at Baxter:

Develop and implement the human resources strategy for Front Line Care in support of the business unit’s growth, innovation, quality and margin objectives and the desired Baxter culture. Serve as the principal HR advisor and coach to the President of Front Line Care and the FLC leadership team on organizational design, workforce planning, talent management and development, leadership effectiveness, total rewards, employee relations and change management.

As a member of the Baxter HR Leadership Team, contribute to the shaping of enterprise people strategy, standards and HR operating model — not only its adoption within FLC. Success in this role requires strategic oversight and design capability coupled with the credibility and appetite to drive tactical execution personally and through a team, in a matrixed, highly regulated, multi-site environment.

Organizational Relationships

- Reports to: Chief Human Resources Officer, Baxter International.
- Business Partner for President, Front Line Care.
- Supports Front Line Care LT/direct reports to President
- Leads: a team of HR Business Partners and HR professionals supporting FLC commercial, R&D, operations, quality/regulatory and enabling functions.
- Peers: HR leaders for Care & Connectivity Solutions, Medical Products & Therapies, Global Operations, and the enterprise functions; leaders of the Talent, Total Rewards, Talent Acquisition, HR Operations/People Services, HR Strategy, HRIS, and People Relations Centers of Excellence.
- Key business interfaces: FLC Finance, Legal and Compliance, Communications, Quality & Regulatory, Global Operations and Supply Chain, and regional/country HR leadership.

Essential Responsibilities

Business Partnership & People Strategy

- Translate business strategy into a people strategy. Develop, gain alignment on and execute a multi-year HR plan for FLC that is explicitly tied to revenue growth, innovation pipeline, quality, service and margin commitments; monitor its effectiveness continuously and pivot as conditions change.
- Act as a full member of the business leadership team. Contribute to commercial, operational and investment decisions with an independent point of view, not only on the people implications of decisions already made.
- Develop organization strategy. Identify and research human resources issues affecting the business; contribute information, analysis and recommendations to strategic direction; establish HR objectives in line with organizational objectives.
- Represent FLC into enterprise HR. Bring business-unit requirements into the design of enterprise HR programs, and act as an owner of enterprise HR outcomes as a member of the HR Leadership Team.
- Establish effective operating processes with the leadership team — including prioritization, resource allocation, decision rights, operating rhythm and governance — and drive the organizational alignment that enables strong partnership with functions inside and outside the business unit.

Organization Design, Effectiveness & Workforce Planning

- Continually assess the effectiveness of the business model and organizational dynamics and lead efforts to realign or refocus structure, roles, spans and layers, and accountabilities as needed.
- Lead organization design work across a complex, multi-site, matrixed footprint spanning R&D, regulated manufacturing, quality, commercial and service, balancing global consistency against local and regulatory requirements.
- Own strategic workforce planning for FLC: capability gap analysis, build/buy/borrow decisions, critical role identification, location and footprint strategy, and cost-to-serve; partner with Finance on headcount planning, productivity targets and the annual operating plan.
- Design and lead restructuring and cost actions where required — including consultation processes, selection criteria, risk mitigation, and the leadership and communication plans that protect delivery and morale through change.
- Partner with the leadership team on team effectiveness — diagnosing leadership team dynamics, clarifying accountability, and facilitating interventions that improve how the top team operates.

Talent Management, Development & Succession

- Own the talent agenda for the business unit: talent reviews, calibration, succession planning for critical and executive roles, and accelerated development plans for high-potential talent.
- Build technical and leadership capability in scarce, competitive skill areas relevant to FLC — including software and connected-device engineering, data and AI, systems and hardware engineering, regulatory and quality, and clinical and commercial excellence.
- Partner with Talent Acquisition and Executive Search on executive staffing, pipeline strategy, employer brand in key geographies, and the quality and speed of senior hiring decisions.
- Drive performance management across the business unit: goal setting, ongoing feedback, year-end review, differentiation of performance, and management of underperformance.
- Champion career pathing, internal mobility and retention for critical talent, using data to anticipate flight risk rather than react to it.

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Executive Coaching & Leadership Development

- Proactively coach senior leaders — including the FLC President and their direct reports — on leadership effectiveness, executive presence, decision making, team building and personal development, offering candid counsel and constructive challenge.
- Assess leadership capability against current and future business requirements and act decisively where capability, capacity or behavior does not meet the standard.
- Onboard and integrate senior hires and newly promoted leaders to accelerate their time to contribution.

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Culture, Engagement & Change

- Shape and reinforce the desired culture across the business unit, translating Baxter’s mission and values — courage, trust, collaboration, ownership and accountability for results — into observable leadership behaviors and management practice.
- Lead the engagement agenda: survey design input, interpretation of results, action planning with leaders, and follow-through that is measured rather than assumed.
- Serve as change leader for major business transitions — operating model shifts, systems implementations, site changes, portfolio moves and integration activity — including stakeholder analysis, communication planning and leader enablement, in partnership with Communications.
- Advance diversity, equity and inclusion within the business unit through representation goals, inclusive hiring and development practice, and accountability in talent processes.

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Total Rewards, Recognition & Performance

- Drive an effective reward and recognition strategy that reinforces the culture and behaviors the business needs, in partnership with the Total Rewards COE.
- Partner on compensation planning and governance: annual merit and bonus cycles, long-term incentive allocation, executive compensation recommendations, sales incentive plan design input, job architecture and leveling, and market competitiveness in key talent markets.
- Ensure pay decisions are defensible — internally equitable, externally competitive, and consistent with Baxter policy and applicable pay transparency and pay equity regulation.

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Employee Relations, Labor & Compliance

- Provide coaching and consultation on employee relations matters, including complex and escalated cases, investigations, performance and conduct issues, and separations; partner with Legal, Compliance and the ER COE on risk assessment and resolution.
- Oversee labor and works council relationships relevant to the business unit’s footprint, including consultation and information obligations in applicable international jurisdictions.
- Ensure HR practices meet the requirements of a regulated medical device environment, including training, qualification and documentation expectations under the quality management system, and cooperation with internal and external audits.
- Ensure compliance with applicable employment law and Baxter policy across all countries in scope, and elevate systemic risk appropriately.

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Portfolio Actions and Integration

- Act as HR lead for inorganic activity affecting the business unit — acquisitions, divestitures, partnerships and integrations — covering due diligence, organization and leadership design, retention strategy, harmonization of rewards and policy, culture integration and Day 1 readiness.
- Own the people workstream of post-close integration plans, including synergy commitments, and track realization against them.

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HR Team Leadership & Functional Excellence

- Lead, develop and inspire the FLC HR team, setting direction and standards, building business acumen and consulting capability, managing performance and building bench strength within the HR function.
- Ensure effective delivery through the HR operating model, holding a clear interface with COEs, HR Operations and regional HR so the business receives coordinated rather than fragmented support.
- Model hands-on execution. Operate fluidly between strategic design and personal delivery of the work, particularly where the organization is lean or the issue is high‑stakes.

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Data, Analytics & Measurement

- Develop and implement measurement systems to determine the impact of HR programs, and report on them to business and HR leadership.
- Use workforce data and analytics — turnover and regretted attrition, internal fill rate, time to fill, span and layer, engagement, diversity representation, cost per head and productivity — to diagnose issues and make evidence‑based recommendations.
- Set and track people KPIs as part of the business unit’s operating review, holding the same rigor as commercial and financial metrics.

US Benefits at Baxter (except for Puerto Rico)

• medical and dental coverage that start on day one
• insurance coverage for basic life
• accident
• short-term and long-term disability
• business travel accident insurance
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), with the ability to purchase company stock at a discount
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), with options for employee contributions and company matching
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• educational assistance programs
• time-off benefits such as paid holidays
• paid time off ranging from 20 to 35 days based on length of service
• family and medical leaves of absence
• paid parental leave
• commuting benefits
• Employee Discount Program
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• childcare benefits

Join us and enjoy the competitive compensation and benefits we offer to our employees.For additional information regarding Baxter US Benefits, please speak with your recruiter or visit our Benefits site: Benefits | Baxter

Equal Employment Opportunity

Baxter is an equal opportunity employer. Baxter evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, disability/handicap status or any other legally protected characteristic.

Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal

Reasonable Accommodations

Baxter is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities globally. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or interview process, please click on the link here and let us know the nature of your request along with your contact information.