Head of People & Culture – Innovation & Brand

About the role

The Head of People & Culture will partner with senior leaders across the Innovation & Brand (I&B) and People & Culture (P&C) portfolios to align people strategy with Fonterra’s strategic and operational priorities. Based in Palmerston North, the role sits at the intersection of HR and business strategy, providing trusted advice and challenging senior stakeholders to shape workforce, leadership and culture plans. The position requires a commercial mindset to balance long‑term capability building with immediate operational needs.

Key responsibilities

• Partner with I&B and P&C leaders to drive performance, capability and organisational effectiveness.
• Provide trusted, strategic HR advice to senior stakeholders and influence workforce, leadership and culture initiatives.
• Lead the delivery of key people programmes, ensuring alignment with enterprise priorities and local business needs.
• Navigate complex organisational requirements and translate them into practical people solutions.
• Influence leadership teams to strengthen organisational capability and foster a high‑performance, engaged culture.
• Balance commercial considerations with long‑term talent development and immediate operational demands.

Required profile

• Significant experience in a senior People & Culture or HR leadership role.
• Proven ability to partner with business leaders and deliver measurable organisational outcomes.
• Deep HR expertise combined with strong commercial awareness.
• Demonstrated skill in influencing senior stakeholders and navigating complexity.
• Experience developing workforce, succession and leadership capability strategies.
• Passion for creating environments where people can thrive and perform at their best.

Required skills