HR Director – multiple sites, Location: based in Cluj-Napoca

HR Director – multiple sites

Location: based in Cluj-Napoca

Role: The HR Director serves as the strategic architect and operational leader of the Human Resources function across a complex, multi-site manufacturing organization of approximately +2,000 employees. This role leads a multidisciplinary team of +8 HR professionals responsible for Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, HR Administration, and HR Business Partnering. This is a pivotal transformation role, responsible also for budget construction and optimisation. The organization is transitioning from process-driven HR operations toward a data-powered, digitalized people serving function — underpinned by SAP and emerging AI-driven HR capabilities. The HR Director is expected to be both an inspiring people leader and a credible business partner who can bridge shop floor realities with executive strategic priorities with Industry 4.0 HR practices.

The HR function operates across three geographically distinct production facilities with a combined headcount of +2,000 employees spanning blue-collar production workers, technical specialists, engineers, and managerial staff. The HR team of +8 is structured across four areas of specialization:

Talent Acquisition & Employer Branding
Learning, Development & Technical / Soft Skills Competency Management
HR Administration, Payroll Coordination & Compliance
HR Business Partnering & Employee Relations
Strategic Communication and Alignment

KEY RESPONSIBILITES

Strategic HR Leadership & Business Partnering

Define and execute a forward-looking HR strategy aligned with the company’s 3–5 year business and operational roadmap.
Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to the CEO and senior leadership team on all people-related matters.
Lead organizational design initiatives, including workforce planning, restructuring support, and capacity modeling across all three sites.
Drive cultural transformation toward a high-performance, inclusive, and digitally enabled workplace.
Establish and monitor HR KPIs (e.g., time-to-hire, retention rates, training ROI, engagement scores) through real-time dashboards in current ERP Modules.

HR Digitalization & Technology Implementation

Own the HR digital transformation roadmap, driving the transition of processes to fully digitalized workflows.
Lead the end-to-end implementation and optimization of ERP but also other digital tools for :
- - Employee Central — single source of truth for all employee data.
  - Recruiting & Onboarding — automated talent pipelines with predictive analytics.
  - Learning Management System (LMS) — personalized learning paths and mandatory training tracking.
  - Performance & Goals — real-time feedback loops, OKR alignment.
  - People Analytics & Workforce Planning — data-driven headcount and succession planning.
Champion the adoption of AI-driven HR tools for resume screening, skills matching, predictive attrition, and workforce sentiment analysis.
Develop and deploy a mobile-first HR self-service experience for shop floor employees without traditional desktop access.
Define and enforce data governance standards and GDPR compliance across all HR digital systems.
Collaborate with IT and Operations to integrate HR systems with ERP platforms for seamless workforce and production data alignment.

Talent Acquisition & Employer Branding

Oversee and continuously evolve a data-driven recruitment strategy capable of supporting high-volume hiring (blue-collar) and specialized technical roles simultaneously.
Build and position a compelling employer brand in the manufacturing talent market, leveraging digital channels, social media, and partnerships with technical schools and universities.
Implement structured, standardized interview and assessment frameworks across all sites to ensure quality, fairness, and speed. Define and track recruitment metrics.
Lead succession planning processes for critical roles in collaboration with business unit leaders.

Learning, Development & Competency Frameworks

Design, own, and continuously update the organization-wide Technical Competency Matrix (TCM) covering all production and engineering roles across the three facilities.
Develop and maintain the Soft Skills Competency Framework for managerial, supervisory, and support functions — covering areas such as leadership, communication, problem-solving, and change management.
Build individualized learning paths in the LMS aligned to competency gaps, career development objectives, and business-critical skill requirements.
Integrate compliance and mandatory training (HSE, quality, regulatory) into digital tracking workflows with automated certification reminders and dashboards.
Implement a blended learning approach combining e-learning modules, on-the-job training (OJT), coaching, and mentoring programs.
Measure and report on Learning ROI using pre/post-training performance data and business impact metrics.
Drive a culture of continuous learning, positioning the company as an employer that invests in its people’s growth.

HR Administration & Compliance

Ensure operational excellence across all HR administrative processes: onboarding, offboarding, contract management, time & attendance, and payroll coordination.
Drafting and updating Internal Work Regulations: Developing and maintaining the company’s Internal Regulations in full compliance with the Romanian Labor Code and organizational changes.
Lead Negotiator: Acting as the primary representative of the company in collective bargaining processes with employee representatives. Managing the implementation and day-to-day administration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), ensuring all clauses are respected by both parties.
Digitalize and automate HR administrative workflows, eliminating paper-based processes through workflow automation tools.
Maintain full compliance with applicable Romanian labor legislation, collective bargaining agreements, and GDPR requirements.
Manage HR audit readiness and maintain up-to-date employee files and documentation in digital repositories.
Define and standardize HR policies and procedures across all three manufacturing sites, ensuring consistency and legal alignment.

Employee Relations, Engagement, Culture & Communication

Design and execute annual employee engagement surveys and pulse checks; translate results into actionable improvement plans with defined owners and timelines.
Serve as a trusted mediator and advisor in complex employee relations matters, disciplinary procedures, and grievances.
Champion of equity and inclusion initiatives across all three sites and all workforce layers.
Develop programs to improve retention, particularly in high-turnover production environments, through competitive total rewards benchmarking and employee wellbeing initiatives.
Developing the internal communication strategy, crafting a comprehensive internal communication roadmap that aligns with the company’s business goals and corporate culture.
Change management communication, leading the communication strategy for organizational changes, restructuring, or shifts in business direction to ensure transparency.
Driving employee engagement, implementing communication initiatives designed to increase employee morale, retention, and sense of belonging. Cascading organizational values and mission through creative storytelling and internal campaigns.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

Professional Experience & Education

Minimum 10 years of progressive HR experience, with at least 5 years in a senior HR leadership role within a manufacturing, industrial, or FMCG environment.
Demonstrated experience managing multi-site HR functions with workforce complexity (blue-collar, technical, and white-collar populations).
Proven track record in leading HR digital transformation projects, including Human Resources Information System implementation.
Hands-on experience in designing and deploying competency frameworks (technical and behavioral), L&D strategies, and talent management programs.
Strong command of Romanian labor law, collective agreements, and GDPR compliance requirements.
Experience in workforce restructuring, change management, and culture transformation programs.
Bachelor’s degree (minimum) in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
Master’s degree with specialization in Organizational Development, HR Strategy, or MBA.
Proficiency in HR data analytics and workforce planning tools; ability to build and interpret People Analytics dashboards.
Strong digital literacy: experience with Microsoft 365, advanced Excel/Power BI for HR reporting, and familiarity with HR automation and AI tools.
Familiarity with project management methodologies (Agile/ Lean) applied to HR transformation initiatives.
Romanian — Native (mandatory).
English — Advanced, professional business communication at executive level.
Additional European language — considered an advantage.

Leadership & Behavioral Competencies

Strategic thinking & Business acumen, Inspiring leadership & team development, executive-level communication & influence, organizational change management, courage to challenge the traditional Status Quo.
Digital mindset & Technology adoption, Resilience & change agility, Data-Driven decision making, cross-functional collaboration, empathy & people-centricity.

For more information:

Raluca Vătămănescu

HR PROJECT MANAGER

0755-041 440

raluca.vatamanescu@psihoselect.ro