DS Smith
Group Head of Talent & Organisation Development
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Group Head of Talent & Organisation Development
About the Role
We are looking for an exceptional Group Head of Talent & Organisation Development to shape and lead our strategic talent agenda partnering directly with the CHRO and Executive Leadership Team.
We are at an exciting stage in our evolution, as we prepare to spin off and become a fully independent business, strengthening our ability to respond to the market and realise growth opportunities.
This business context provides a unique opportunity for someone to shape the strategic direction for culture, talent, performance, and organisational capability required to deliver our business strategy. This high impact role will also interface with the new Board and manage the governance required around our 'Great place to work' agenda.
As a member of the HR Leadership Team, you will play a key role in shaping the people strategy and be the thought leader on talent and OD. Critically you will build strong partnerships across the business, collaborating to deliver solutions that have tangible business outcomes.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide strategic leadership on Talent and Organisation Development, partnering with the CHRO, Executive Leadership Team and Board to shape the talent agenda and build the organisational capability required to deliver the business strategy.
- Bring our Great Place to Work ambition to life, shaping and delivering programmes across culture, leadership, learning, and employee listening that drive engagement, capability, and measurable business outcomes.
- Lead the global Talent and Performance framework, including talent management, succession planning, performance, leadership development, and workforce capability, ensuring a consistent and scalable approach across the organisation.
- Shape the future talent pipeline, overseeing corporate talent acquisition, executive talent strategies, graduate and early-career programmes, and the development of a compelling Employee Value Proposition.
- Drive organisational development and effectiveness, partnering with business leaders to support transformation, strengthen leadership capability and ensure the organisation is equipped to meet future challenges.
- Champion Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, leading initiatives that foster an inclusive culture and support the attraction, development, and retention of diverse talent.
- Lead the Talent Centre of Expertise, developing a high-performing team and collaborating across the HR community to embed best-in-class talent practices and deliver the end-to-end talent agenda.
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About You
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You are a strategic and commercially minded talent leader with a proven track record of delivering impactful talent and organisational development strategies in large, complex, and matrixed environments.
We are looking for someone with:
- Deep expertise across talent management, leadership development, learning, engagement, and DE&I.
- Significant experience leading enterprise-wide talent agendas within multinational organisations.
- Strong organisational development and change management capability, with experience diagnosing capability gaps and implementing effective solutions.
- The personality and presentational ability to interpret the Boards input on a wide range of topics and be the face of the management team in the areas of their expertise.
- Collaboration and relationship building skills to lead through influence and credibility.
- Outstanding stakeholder management skills, with the credibility to influence executives, HR leaders, and PLC Board-level audiences.
- Experience leading and developing teams of talent professionals within global and matrix structures.
- A pragmatic and outcome-focused leadership style, with a passion for developing people and building high-performing organisations.
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