HR Director DACH (m/w/d)

The HR Director, DACH is a strategic member of the regional leadership team, shaping the people agenda across Germany, Austria and Switzerland, two Business Units (Prestige & Consumer) and approximately 500 employees. Partnering closely with business leaders, the role translates business priorities into people strategies that strengthen organisational effectiveness, leadership, talent, culture and workforce agility.

Leading a HR team of five, the HR Director operates from boardroom to shop floor, driving transformation and building an engaged, agile and high-performing organisation. The role also leads employee and labour relations across DACH, maintaining constructive relationships with employee representatives and ensuring a pragmatic, compliant approach that safeguards Coty’s licence to operate.

YOUR MAIN FOCUS: Partnering with the business Partner and co-create with business leaders, functional teams, Centres of Excellence and employee representatives to deliver practical people solutions. Build trusted relationships through a visible, business-close leadership style and a strong understanding of the organisation and its people.

Bring agility, pace and pragmatism to a fast-moving, matrixed environment. Simplify complex topics and communicate them effectively across audiences, from works councils to the executive leadership team. Leading transformation and change Lead the people agenda for major transformation, reorganisation and change programmes across DACH.

Own the people workstream end-to-end, from organisation design and workforce planning through consultation, transition and cultural change. Engage leaders and employees through change, embedding new ways of working and building the capabilities needed for the future. Translate operating model, footprint and productivity priorities into clear people plans with measurable outcomes.

Driving the DACH people agenda Shape and deliver the DACH people strategy, using data and insight to inform workforce, cost, productivity and people-risk decisions. Drive the talent, DE&I, engagement, culture and leadership agenda to build an agile, high-performing organisation. Ensure effective and compliant HR operations across Germany, Austria and Switzerland in partnership with HR Services, Centres of Excellence and Reward.

Maintain strong governance across areas including data privacy and health & safety. Lead, coach and develop a high-performing HR team of five. Leading employee & labour relations Act as the senior HR authority for employee and labour relations across DACH, leading complex and sensitive matters. Build constructive relationships and lead negotiations with works councils, trade unions and social partners across Germany, Austria and Switzerland, including works agreements, reconciliation of interests and social plans where required.

Ensure compliance with German, Austrian and Swiss labour law, co-determination and collective bargaining frameworks, while anticipating legislative change. Advise and coach leaders through disciplinary, grievance, restructuring, transfer and exit processes, balancing business priorities, legal risk and Coty’s values. Oversee labour litigation and external counsel, proactively managing labour-relations and reputational risk.

Scope & Dimensions DACH responsibility: Germany, Austria and Switzerland, spanning three distinct legal and labour-law environments. Scale: Approximately 500 employees , with leadership of a five-person HR team . Business context: A fast-paced, matrixed consumer beauty business operating in an environment of ongoing transformation.

Key stakeholders: Regional and functional leadership teams, Centres of Excellence, HR Services, Reward, employees and employee representative bodies across DACH. People agenda: Organisation and workforce transformation, HR business partnering, talent, leadership, culture, employee engagement, HR operations, governance, compliance and employee relations.

YOU ARE A COTY FIT You are an experienced HR leader who combines strategic thinking with a hands-on, business-close approach. Comfortable operating in a fast-paced and evolving environment, you build strong relationships, lead through change and bring the commercial judgement needed to balance business priorities with people and labour considerations.

You are fluent in German (native or full professional proficiency) and fluent in English . You have a proven track record in business transformation and change , including restructuring, reorganisation, integration and cultural change. You are a strong collaborator and influencer , able to co-create solutions, work at pace and build trusted relationships at all levels of the organisation.

You bring a visible, business-close leadership style and are equally comfortable operating strategically and getting hands-on when needed. You have experience leading and developing HR teams , particularly within a lean, agile structure. You have strong commercial acumen , understand the drivers of business performance and bring both an internal and external market perspective to decision-making.

You bring deep employee and labour relations expertise across DACH , including hands-on experience with German co-determination, works councils and collective bargaining. Experience of Austrian and Swiss labour law and employee representation would be an advantage. YOU BRING 15+ years of HR experience, including at least five years in a leadership role within the DACH region.

Experience gained in B2C, beauty, consumer products, retail or another fast-paced, consumer-facing environment. Exposure to an international and matrixed organisation would be an advantage. A degree in HR, Law, Business, Psychology or a related field, with a postgraduate qualification considered an advantage. OUR BENEFITS Work smart – up to 50% remote working, trust-based working hours and flexible working arrangements Team – A positive working atmosphere and culture, characterised by diversity, collaboration and fun International environment – Working in an international workplace and corporate environment with flat hierarchies and exciting projects Working environment – Modern workplace design and a new office!

Parking & transport links – Free company car parks, a central location and good links to public transpor HOW TO APPLY Have we sparked your interest? If so, we look forward to receiving your full application, stating your earliest possible start date and your salary expectations. Your direct point of contact for this role is Christopher Johnson.

ABOUT US

Coty is one of the world’s largest cosmetics companies and boasts a renowned portfolio of brands in fragrance, make-up, and skincare and body care. Coty is the world’s leading supplier of perfumes and ranks third in the make-up sector, distributing products in over 150 countries worldwide. Coty and its brands are also committed to a range of social initiatives and strive to minimise their environmental impact.

For further information about Coty Inc., please visit our website at www.coty.com/ . At Coty, we value diversity. We are committed to equal employment opportunities, regardless of skin colour, ethnicity, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status or disability. At Coty, we value diversity.

We are committed to equal employment opportunities, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status or disability.