Sr. Director, HR Business Partner

Overview

The organization is in active transformation — processes are being built, systems are being evaluated, and data is still maturing. You will walk into ambiguity and be expected to create order, build credibility fast, and deliver results across a complex, globally distributed commercial organization.

You will serve as the primary HR partner to the CRO and CMO, advising on everything from talent assessment and org design to performance coaching and critical hiring decisions. The commercial organization spans the US, Europe, Middle East, China, and Japan — meaning you will regularly navigate different employment frameworks, cultural norms, and local HR partners across time zones. One day you may be calibrating a talent review of the entire sales leadership team;

the next you are in the room advising the CRO on exactly who is a keeper, who is coachable, and who needs to move on. You will do all of this while simultaneously managing the spreadsheet.

• You are building, not maintaining. Policies, programs, and processes are being defined — often by you.
• Limited process maturity, evolving data, and ongoing transformation activity are the baseline.
• HR has a seat at the table — and is expected to challenge.
• Talent quality and performance accountability are the primary agenda for the next 1224 months.
• Speed and judgment matter more than perfection. Know when to move fast and when to slow down.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the CRO and CMO on all people matters — org design, talent, team dynamics, and culture.
• Act as thought partner on the talent and organizational structure needed to support business transformation and execute the business plan.
• Partner with the Chief People Officer and serve as an active, contributing member of the HR Leadership Team (HRLT) — breaking down silos, sharing best practices, and building a more unified, strategically aligned people function.
• Bring the commercial perspective into HRLT discussions, connecting what is happening in sales and marketing to enterprise-wide HR priorities and decisions.
• Anticipate future workforce needs, assess emerging trends, and proactively develop programs to support strategic objectives.

• Conduct rigorous, objective talent assessment across the commercial organization — building a clear and honest picture of who the top performers are, who is coachable, and who is a systemic under performer. Help leaders act on those distinctions.
• Identify and develop high-potential talent; build succession pipelines for key commercial leadership roles.
• Lead leadership assessment initiatives in partnership with the CPO, using structured frameworks to evaluate readiness and development needs at the director level and above.
• Build and sustain a high-performance culture — one where expectations are explicit, accountability is consistent, and the performance bar is raised continuously across the organization.
• Coach senior leaders through difficult performance conversations with candor and rigor. Manage PIPs, address underperformance early, and support termination decisions when results and impact are below requirements.
• Support organizational transformation by helping shape high-performing teams through restructuring, and culture change.
• Drive job architecture and leveling alignment within the commercial functions as part of the broader transformation.

• Act as a true talent advisor on commercial hiring — partnering with TA on candidate assessment, interview calibration, and offer decisions for critical roles.
• Drive talent mapping for key commercial positions, helping build pipeline before roles open.
• Own interview calibration across the sales and marketing hiring process — ensuring interviewers evaluate against a consistent, objective bar.
• Proactively flag hiring risks, including when the organization is about to make a mistake. Bring candid, evidence-based perspective to hiring decisions and help raise the overall quality of commercial hires.

• Use engagement surveys and pulse tools to…