Our client is a global, family-spirited industrial group serving the aviation sector. Over six decades it has grown from a small engineering business into an organization of more than 4,000 employees, built through a series of complementary businesses that together give customers a complete, end-to-end solution. The workforce is unusually diverse, spanning field technicians, factory engineers, software developers, and strategic sales professionals across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. The company is proud of its entrepreneurial, customer-focused culture and its long record of developing people into international careers. Having reached a scale where more structure is needed, the company is now investing in its people function so that culture can grow with the business. This role will lead that work across the Americas.
Position Overview
This is a rare opportunity to step into a newly created regional HR leadership role and shape the people agenda for a complex, multi-business organization at a pivotal point in its growth. First, the role has broad scope. The VP, People Americas serves as the strategic partner to several regional CEOs and business leaders across Canada, the United States, and Latin America, with influence over talent, organization design, HR operations, and HR technology. Second, the role carries real visibility and international exposure. It sits on the regional leadership team, works hand in hand with Group HR at the European headquarters, and contributes to group-wide projects beyond the Americas. Third, the impact will be lasting. The successful leader will bring alignment to HR practices that grew up separately across divisions, build a structured talent and succession process, and help modernize HR through data and AI-enabled tools. The role is based in the Chicago area, with regular travel to sites across the Americas and periodic travel to Europe.
Position Responsibilities
- Partner with regional CEOs and leadership teams as a trusted advisor on talent, organization design, and workforce planning, making sure people strategy supports each business’s priorities.
- Lead and coordinate the regional HR network through influence, building trust with local HR teams across multiple sites and divisions and aligning them around a shared roadmap.
- Consolidate, harmonize, and standardize HR processes, tools, and KPIs across divisions in the Americas, adapting group frameworks to local needs and legal requirements where a clear business case exists.
- Build a structured talent management process for the region, including talent reviews, development plans for key talent, succession planning, and internal mobility across divisions and countries.
- Define and oversee the recruitment strategy for the Americas, leading executive and strategic hiring, standardizing recruitment processes and partners, and strengthening the employer brand.
- Drive continuous improvement of regional HR operations and shared services, including training strategy, onboarding, and payroll coordination, with an eye toward scalability and service quality.
- Lead the regional HRIS and people analytics roadmap with Group HR, improving data quality, delivering consistent dashboards, and supporting the adoption of digital and AI-enabled HR solutions.
- Ensure compliance with group HR policies, governance, and ethics standards, and support the business on complex employee relations matters, including international mobility.
- Contribute to cross-regional and group-wide HR initiatives, bringing proven practices from other regions into the Americas and sharing regional successes globally.
Position Qualifications
Required:
- A proven track record of building or maturing HR functions and delivering measurable improvements in talent, process, and HR operations within complex organizations.
- 13 to 20 years of progressive HR experience, including senior HR business partner or HR leadership roles.
- Experience leading HR across multi-site, multi-entity organizations in an international or matrixed environment.
- Demonstrated success advising senior executives and leadership teams and leading through influence across teams that do not report directly to you.
- Experience driving organizational change, process standardization, and HR transformation initiatives.
- Willingness to travel at least one week per month across the Americas, plus periodic travel to Europe.
Preferred:
- Experience in industrial, manufacturing, engineering, or international B2B environments, ideally within a company headquartered in Europe.
- Experience supporting HR in Latin America, including building or coordinating HR shared services.
- Hands-on exposure to HRIS optimization, people analytics, and AI-enabled HR tools.
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Psychology, or a related field.
- Strong listening, diplomacy, and project management skills, with a collaborative style=””>