Global Human Resources Lead - Unilever International

Unilever International (UI) is Unilever’s White Space Partner! We work across the world to fill white spaces for Unilever.

Unilever International is one of the fastest-growing global business unit, with a unique mandate to unlock white space opportunities, build future-focused capabilities, and pioneer innovation beyond traditional market models. With a turnover of €1.5 billion, and operations across 40+ countries, UI operates like a high-growth scale-up within the Unilever ecosystem — agile, entrepreneurial, and bold.

We treat the business as our own.

As intrapreneurs, we introduce Unilever’s brands into white space geographies like Malta, Korea, Pacific Islands, Mongolia, and spearhead launches of iconic household brands like Dove, Lifebuoy, Sunlight, Fair & Lovely, TRESemme into big markets like U.S, Europe, China and SEAA.

As Unilever’s growth engine, we establish global white space businesses in key channels such as Health & Beauty, DiGlobal Functionsounters, E-Commerce and alternate channels such as travel retail, marketing to institutional partners like the United Nations, and seeding Unilever brands to overseas diaspora who crave for a taste of their familiar home brands.

Game changing business.

Speed is the mantra for our resounding success. To serve the underserved, we embrace a founder’s mentality, explore unchartered territories, redesign end-to-end business models to establish successful businesses. We make a difference by working fast and smart, nurturing our tribe, winning together.

Singapore is our global headquarters, leading strategy, marketing thinking, seeding plans, and alignment with the global categories and supply chain.

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Role Description

UI has around 500 talented professionals across functions, locations, and cultures, driving double-digit growth year after year. We operate as an end-to-end business — a “small CXO” model — with our own supply chain, marketing, CD, digital, and finance teams.

• As UI HR Lead you will business partner a 1.5bn business, the CEO of Unilever International (UI) and the UI Leadership Team for their e2e UI organisation of around 500 employees across 43 different countries in 9 main hubs. You are also the HR Lead for South Korea as a country.

• You will work closely with the functional and business leaders to ensure the execution of the people strategy & organizational readiness to deliver on demanding business objectives & growth.  A big part of your role will be about balancing the complexity of multiple stakeholders, a matrix organization and a multicultural set up.  In order to be successful, this will take structure, ownership and open mind as you lead your HR community to deliver on people processes that truly address the business needs. 

• You will be a strategic HR Business Partner to all people related issues including driving a high-performance culture and ensuring that we have the best talent. You lead a team of 3 senior HRBPs as well as the Korea HR team.

• In this role you will report to the CEO of UI and have a dotted line to the HR Lead for One Unilever. 

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Human Resources Management

Leading and Developing People strategy for the business (how will we organise, develop, manage and motivate the workforce needed to deliver the business strategy).

• Development of human capital in alignment with the business strategy. Define HR priorities and agenda in line with our global People strategy and UI Growth strategy

• Work closely with the Leadership team to define and execute the key People priorities

• Strategic change initiatives to drive enhanced organisational effectiveness (including developing a culture and climate that is consistent with requirements) within the business.

• Responsible for ensuring that ER delivery is fully aligned to the strategic goals of the business.

• Builds talent capability in his/her HR team.

Leadership & Talent Transformation

• Shape the top 50 UI leadership team agenda, creating a high-performing, future-fit leadership bench

• Lead succession planning for the top leadership roles in line with global talent principles

• Build and sustain a leadership culture of entrepreneurship, inclusion, and growth mindset

Capability & Digital Transformation

• Build state-of-the-art capabilities across digital, commercial, and leadership domains leveraging the infrastructure, expertise and capabilities of Unilever’s digital, IT and learning teams to ensure the very best talent and systems are utilised for UI business and employees

Culture & Change Leadership

• Be the cultural architect of UI — embedding Unilever’s values, and behaviours whilst ensuring the identity of UI and what is critical for the success of the business

• Lead large-scale change programs including digital transformation, AI augmentation, M&A integrations, and organization redesign

Global HR Execution

• Navigate complex multi-country HR environments, leveraging local expertise and policies aligned to the global HR operating model

• Build strong networks across markets, functions, and ecosystems to source, attract, and retain world-class talent

• Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion as a strategic enabler of innovation and performance

The job holder will work closely with UI Leadership Team, UAPL Leadership Team, and a community of HR professionals including HR Teams; Functional/Divisional HRLT, IUL HRLT and Global expertise teams

Candidate Criteria

• Strong execution and proven track record in delivery including leading a Transformation at global scale

• Business savvy, experienced HR leader with proven experience as an HR Director, ideally in an end-to-end business unit or high-growth environment

• Strong business partnering and coach to senior leaders and teams

• Evidence of entrepreneurial, dynamic and 'can do' attitude and resulting impact on business growth

• Demonstrated success in leading diverse teams across multiple geographies with deep cultural sensitivity and adaptability

Why Join Us?

This is not your typical HR role. You will step into a business that moves at startup speed, powered by big ambition and deep purpose. You’ll sit at the heart of shaping one of the most future-fit, entrepreneurial cultures in Unilever — and in doing so, help shape the future of business itself.

Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.