Head – HRBP-Discovery Business

We are looking for a Head – HRBP to serve as the strategic HR partner for the Discovery business of a leading global CRO-CDMO serving innovator pharma and biotech companies. The Discovery business spans Medicinal Chemistry, Biology, DMPK, and Toxicology functions, working to accelerate the "Concept to Clinic" journey for global innovator partners. This is a senior, business-facing HR leadership role responsible for driving the people agenda across a highly scientific, R&D-intensive workforce.

The ideal candidate will act as a trusted advisor to the Discovery business leadership team, translating scientific business strategy into workforce, talent, and organizational priorities, while representing HR's voice at the leadership table.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Business Partnership: Act as the primary HR point of contact for the Discovery business unit leadership, contributing to business strategy discussions with a people and organizational lens. Translate business goals into an actionable HR/people plan. Provide data-driven workforce insights to support business planning and decision-making.
• Talent Management & Organization Development: Drive talent reviews, succession planning, and leadership pipeline building for scientific leadership roles. Partner with business leaders on organization design, role clarity, and structure changes. Champion career pathing and development frameworks for scientists and R&D leadership.
• Talent Acquisition Enablement: Partner with TA to build hiring strategies for niche/scientific talent. Support employer branding initiatives to position the organization as an employer of choice for scientific talent.
• Employee Engagement & Culture: Own engagement strategy and action planning for the Discovery business, including pulse surveys and culture-building initiatives. Foster a scientific excellence, innovation, and collaboration-driven culture.
• Performance & Rewards: Drive performance management cycles and partner with C&B teams on compensation benchmarking and retention strategies.
• Change Management & Compliance: Lead change management for organizational transitions and ensure HR practices comply with applicable labour law and internal policy.
• Digitization: Lead HR digitization and transformation initiatives by leveraging technology, automation, and HR analytics to streamline people processes and enhance employee experience. Drive adoption of digital HR solutions to improve efficiency, data-driven decision-making, and scalability.
• Well-versed in HRMS and ATS platforms, with the ability to leverage technology to streamline HR processes, enhance recruitment efficiency, and improve employee lifecycle management.
• Team Collaboration: Strong focus on team collaboration, fostering cross-functional partnerships, effective communication, and a collaborative work culture to achieve organizational and people objectives.
• HR Metrics & Governance: Own HR dashboards and metrics for the Discovery business and present insights to leadership.

Candidate Profile

• Experience: 15+ years of progressive HR/HRBP experience, with a significant portion in a business partnering leadership role. Prior experience supporting R&D or scientific functions is strongly preferred.
• Education: MBA / PGDM in Human Resources or related field from a reputed institute.
• Skills & Competencies: Strong business acumen, deep expertise across the HR value chain, excellent stakeholder management, and a data-driven approach to HR decision-making.

What Success Looks Like

• A high-performing, engaged Discovery workforce aligned to business growth plans.
• Strong leadership pipeline and reduced attrition in critical scientific roles.
• HR positioned as a proactive strategic partner within the Discovery leadership team.
• Smooth execution of organizational changes tied to research capacity growth.