Regional Head of HR – North Africa

Regional Head of HR – North Africa Pharmaceutical Industry | Regional Leadership | Human Resources Strategy & Transformation About the Role We are partnering with a leading pharmaceutical company to recruit a Regional Head of HR – North Africa, a strategic and influential leadership position responsible for driving the Human Resources agenda across the region. This role will serve as a key business partner to regional leadership and local management teams, ensuring that HR strategies, organizational capabilities, and talent development initiatives support the company's business objectives, operational performance, and long-term growth. Combining strategic vision with strong operational execution, the successful candidate will lead regional HR priorities, foster a high-performance culture, strengthen leadership capabilities, and ensure consistent HR standards while adapting to the specific legal, cultural, and business environments of the markets under their responsibility. The ideal candidate is an experienced HR leader with a strong track record in regional or multi-country HR management, organizational transformation, talent development, and employee relations, preferably within the pharmaceutical industry or another highly regulated international environment. Key Responsibilities 1. Regional HR Strategy & Business Partnership • Define and implement the regional HR strategy in alignment with global HR policies, regional business priorities, and the company's long-term growth objectives. • Act as a strategic business partner to the regional leadership team, providing expert advice on organizational effectiveness, workforce capabilities, leadership, and people-related risks. • Translate business objectives into actionable HR plans, ensuring alignment between people strategy, operational performance, and commercial priorities. • Support regional and country management teams in organizational design, workforce planning, and the development of high-performing teams. • Anticipate HR challenges associated with business growth, market expansion, restructuring, and organizational change. • Contribute to regional leadership discussions, business reviews, and strategic planning processes. • Ensure consistent HR governance and standards across the region while taking local market requirements into account. 2. Organizational Development & Transformation • Lead organizational development initiatives to improve efficiency, accountability, collaboration, and overall business effectiveness. • Drive organizational design and workforce optimization initiatives in response to evolving business needs. • Support restructuring, integration, transformation, and change management projects across the region. • Establish effective organizational structures, clarify roles and responsibilities, and strengthen decision-making processes. • Facilitate change initiatives by engaging leaders, communicating effectively, and supporting employees throughout transitions. • Identify opportunities to improve HR operating models, processes, and service delivery. • Promote a culture of continuous improvement, employee engagement, and operational excellence. 3. Talent Acquisition, Management & Succession Planning • Define regional talent acquisition strategies in partnership with country teams and business leaders to attract high-calibre talent. • Ensure effective recruitment and workforce planning for critical, senior, technical, commercial, medical, regulatory, and leadership positions as relevant to the business. • Develop robust talent management and succession planning frameworks for key positions across the region. • Identify high-potential employees and establish development plans to strengthen the internal talent pipeline. • Partner with leaders to address capability gaps and ensure the organization has the talent required to deliver its strategic objectives. • Promote internal mobility, career development, and retention of critical talent. • Strengthen employer branding and the company's positioning as an employer of choice in its relevant markets. 4. Leadership Development & Performance Management • Design and implement regional leadership development initiatives aligned with business needs and global talent priorities. • Support managers in developing leadership, coaching, and people management capabilities. • Oversee performance management processes, ensuring meaningful objectives, fair evaluations, and accountability for results. • Establish frameworks to identify and develop future leaders and strengthen management succession. • Promote a performance-driven culture that recognizes achievement, encourages continuous learning, and reinforces organizational values. • Partner with regional and global HR teams to implement leadership assessments, talent reviews, and development programs. 5. Compensation, Benefits & Rewards • Oversee regional compensation and benefits strategies, ensuring internal equity, external competitiveness, and alignment with global compensation principles. • Coordinate annual salary review, bonus, and performance-related compensation processes. • Monitor market benchmarks and evolving compensation practices across relevant North African markets. • Advise leadership on compensation decisions, retention risks, and reward strategies for critical talent. • Ensure compliance with applicable local requirements relating to remuneration, benefits, payroll governance, and statutory employment obligations. • Work with finance and global HR teams to support effective personnel cost planning and workforce budgeting. 6. Employee Relations, Labour Law & HR Compliance • Provide leadership on employee relations, workplace matters, disciplinary procedures, conflict resolution, and sensitive HR issues. • Ensure that HR practices comply with applicable labour legislation, employment regulations, and local statutory requirements in each country under the role's remit. • Support country management teams in managing complex employee relations cases, grievances, investigations, and employment-related risks. • Maintain effective relationships with relevant internal stakeholders and external employment advisers where appropriate. • Promote ethical conduct, fair employment practices, confidentiality, and consistent application of company policies. • Ensure appropriate HR documentation, internal controls, and audit readiness. • Collaborate with Legal, Compliance, Quality, and other relevant functions on employment matters and policies, particularly where pharmaceutical-sector requirements intersect with people management. 7. Learning, Capability Building & Employee Engagement • Assess regional capability gaps and develop targeted learning and development priorities. • Build a culture of continuous learning and professional development across the organization. • Oversee employee engagement initiatives, organizational feedback mechanisms, and action plans to improve employee experience. • Promote diversity, inclusion, collaboration, and a strong sense of organizational purpose. • Support the implementation of global learning initiatives while ensuring relevance to local business and market needs. • Monitor engagement, retention, and development indicators to identify opportunities for improvement. 8. HR Operations, Systems & Analytics • Ensure efficient and consistent HR processes across the countries within the assigned scope. • Drive the adoption and effective use of HR systems, digital tools, and standardized workflows. • Establish regional HR dashboards and reporting mechanisms to provide leadership with actionable people insights. • Monitor key HR indicators, including headcount, turnover, recruitment effectiveness, absenteeism, retention, succession coverage, employee engagement, and personnel costs. • Use data and analytics to identify trends, anticipate workforce challenges, and support informed management decisions. • Ensure data quality, confidentiality, and appropriate handling of employee information. • Identify opportunities to streamline HR processes, improve service quality, and strengthen operational efficiency. 9. Regional & Global Stakeholder Management • Build strong working relationships with country general managers, regional functional leaders, global HR teams, and corporate stakeholders. • Act as the principal regional HR point of contact for relevant business leaders and global HR partners. • Facilitate knowledge sharing and best-practice adoption across local HR teams. • Ensure that global policies are implemented consistently while accommodating legitimate local legal and operational requirements. • Represent regional HR priorities in relevant cross-functional and international forums. • Foster collaboration between HR, Commercial, Finance, Medical, Regulatory Affairs, Supply Chain, and other functions as appropriate to the company's organizational structure. Candidate Profile Education • Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Management, Organizational Psychology, or a related discipline. • Additional qualifications in HR management, organizational development, change management, or executive leadership will be considered an advantage. Professional Experience • At least 10–15 years of progressive HR experience, including significant experience in senior HR leadership roles. • Proven experience managing HR activities across multiple countries, ideally within North Africa or a comparable multi-country regional environment. • Demonstrated ability to partner with senior executives and influence business decisions at regional or country leadership level. • Strong experience in organizational design, talent management, performance management, compensation and benefits, employee relations, and HR transformation. • Previous experience within the pharmaceutical industry is strongly preferred. Candidates from other international, highly regulated industries may also be considered if they demonstrate relevant expertise. • Experience working within a matrix organization and coordinating with global or regional corporate teams. • Proven experience leading HR projects, driving change, and delivering measurable improvements in organizational performance. • Experience managing complex employee relations and navigating different labour law frameworks across multiple markets. Languages • Fluent English and French are essential for effective collaboration with regional and international stakeholders. • Arabic is a strong advantage. • Additional regional or international languages will be considered a plus. Core Competencies • Strategic thinking and strong business acumen. • Executive presence and stakeholder management. • Strong leadership, coaching, and influencing skills. • Excellent knowledge of HR best practices and organizational development. • Ability to operate effectively in complex, multicultural, and matrix environments. • Strong analytical capabilities and data-driven decision-making. • Sound judgement, discretion, and ability to manage sensitive situations. • Change leadership, adaptability, and a continuous improvement mindset. • High ethical standards and commitment to confidentiality and compliance. • Ability to balance regional consistency with local market realities. Key Success Factors Success in this role will be measured by the ability to: • Align regional HR priorities with business strategy and operational objectives. • Strengthen the leadership pipeline and succession readiness for critical positions. • Improve talent attraction, retention, employee engagement, and workforce effectiveness. • Ensure effective implementation of HR policies and compliance across the regional scope. • Build strong partnerships with country leadership and global HR stakeholders. • Deliver measurable improvements in HR performance, processes, and organizational capabilities. • Lead transformation initiatives while maintaining employee trust and organizational stability. What the Opportunity Offers • A senior regional leadership position within the pharmaceutical sector. • Direct exposure to regional decision-makers and collaboration with international stakeholders. • The opportunity to shape HR strategy and influence organizational development across multiple markets. • A broad mandate covering strategic HR leadership, talent development, organizational effectiveness, and transformation. • The opportunity to contribute to the long-term growth and performance of an international business. Application Qualified candidates with strong regional HR leadership experience and the ability to operate at both strategic and operational levels are invited to apply. Applications will be handled confidentially.