Head of People & Culture - HR

About Us:

ZEISS is a global technology and innovation leader in optics and optoelectronics. Founded in Germany in 1846, ZEISS operates in 50+ countries and offers career opportunities across engineering, manufacturing, research, sales, and technology.

As a foundation-owned company, ZEISS is committed to responsibility, quality, and continuous innovation. Employees help shape the future through cutting-edge technology and impactful work. With a strong North American presence since 1925 and 20+ locations, ZEISS partners with industries including semiconductor, automotive, biomedical research, and medical technology, and is a leading manufacturer of eyeglass lenses, camera and cinema lenses, and precision optical systems.

What’s the role?

The Head of HR, North America is a senior executive HR leadership role with a dual mandate: serving as a strategic business partner to ZEISS Business Services North America, and representing the region within the Global HR function. This is not a steady-state role. The primary driver is transformation — building a more integrated, high-performing HR operating model across the region that connects people strategy to business outcomes. This role oversees the North American HR Functional Groups – Talent Attraction, People Development, Learning & Belonging, Workday Operations, HR Digital Solutions, Benefits, HRBPs and Strategic Projects & Change.  This role has a solid reporting line into the Head of ZEISS Business Services (“ZBS”) in the US, and a dotted line to the Global Head of Corporate HR (Germany-based) and is part of the global corporate HR Leadership team, as well as the ZBS Leadership team.

ZEISS Business Services (“ZBS”) North America supports operations with solutions spanning people and culture, finance, communications, data analytics, IT, legal and compliance, tax, operational and process excellence, procurement, EHS, and real estate and facilities. The Head of HR partners across functions to drive organizational effectiveness at scale.

Sound Interesting?

What you’ll do:

Strategic HR Leadership

• Serve as the senior HR voice for North America, shaping and executing the regional people strategy in alignment with global priorities

• Act as a trusted advisor and thought partner to the President of ZEISS Business Services NA and senior regional leadership

• Represent North America on the Global HR Leadership team, ensuring regional perspectives are integrated into global HR strategy and that global initiatives are localized effectively

• Participate in the Global HR Leadership team to translate best practices from the Americas to the other regions globally

• Collaboration with Segment HR Teams in North America

• Continue to build and drive a sense of community across the NA HR team across segments for the purpose of greater knowledge transfer, talent visibility and mobility and sharing of best practices intended to support business success, and eliminate duplication

Transformation & Operational Execution

• Lead and execute HR transformation initiatives across the NA region, including operating model redesign, service delivery evolution, and capability building

• Partner with global HR Centers of Excellence (Talent Attraction, Compensation, Transformation, Operations & Insights, People Development & Organization) to deploy globally-led programs with regional fit

• Align with global functional and process teams to ensure excellent employee experience and stakeholder satisfaction analyzed through quantitative measures of SLAs and KPIs.

• Drive continuous improvement across HR processes, identifying opportunities to streamline, digitize, whilst leveraging an AI-first approach.

• Collaborate with segment HR Business Partners to enable ZBS regionally by driving the harmonization of HR policies, standards and processes, aligning them with the global framework, whilst being mindful of regional/ business nuances.

Business Partnership & People Operations

• Provide strategic HR partnership to business leaders across ZEISS's NA segments and functions (ZBS, SMT, PNO, Canada)

• Lead workforce planning, organizational design, and talent pipeline efforts in support of growth and restructuring priorities

• Oversee employee relations, ensuring a consistent, compliant, and human-centered approach across US and Canadian operations

Team Leadership

• Lead, develop, and inspire a team of HR Business Partners, HR Functional Managers, and specialist practitioners across the region

• Build team capability in strategic partnership, data-driven HR, project and change management

• Foster a culture of accountability, curiosity, and continuous learning within the People & Culture function

Culture, Belonging & Employee Experience

• Champion ZEISS's culture and values across the NA workforce, with particular focus on belonging, inclusion, and psychological safety

• Support the continued development and activity of ZEISS NA's employee resource groups and senior leaders

Operational Excellence

• Drive the establishment of governance frameworks (where applicable) to create a workforce that is empowered to move at speed through clear roles, responsibilities and guiding principles

• Drive a culture of knowledge management and knowledge sharing through the discipline of process documentation and continuous improvement

• Drive the development of meaningful qualitative and quantitative metrics (KPIs) and SLAs to enhance value for internal stakeholders

• Drive a culture obsessed with service excellence through role modelling, reward and recognition

Stakeholder Management & Communication

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with executive leadership, business unit heads, and key stakeholders across the organization to understand business priorities, anticipate HR needs, and position HR as a strategic business partner

• Lead stakeholder engagement and alignment on critical HR initiatives through regular touchpoints, governance forums and executive briefings, ensuring transparent communication of progress, challenges and value delivered

• Drive cross-functional and cross-segment collaboration with finance, IT, legal and other business partners to ensure integrated solutions, break down silos, and foster a unified approach to organizational challenges and opportunities.

• Scale successful initiatives across segments and celebrate wins to build transformation momentum and organizational capability

ZEISS Business Services (ZBS) Company Officer and Functional Leadership

• Fulfill the responsibilities, as required as an Officer of the Company (CZI and its subsidiaries)

• Participate as an active member of the Fiduciary Committee for the CZI pension & 401(k) plans

• Serve as an ambassador for ZBS NA both in region and globally as required

• Lead the development, execution and ongoing improvement of performance reporting, metrics and SLA development, adherence and performance with services delivered to the business

• Drive the development and maintenance of service charters, in collaboration with global functional leaders within CHR as well as in alignment with local segment key stakeholders

• Communicate and operationalize the regional functional strategy, service charters and standards of operation with the ZBS NA HR team

• Support the drive to identify and implement opportunities for cross-functional and cross-segment synergies, both at the regional and global level

Leadership accountability

In line with Agenda 2030, drive a culture of high performance by leading and developing a team of functional experts. This position is expected to behave as a role model, developing a team of functional experts and leaders, empowering them to drive functional regional strategy and operational strategy, and for them in turn to develop their own team of direct reports. This leader is expected to hold their team accountable for their performance, create a culture of psychological safety and foster high EQ so that candid and constructive feedback is readily shared and received in the manner it is intended; for ongoing development and growth. This role also provides executive support and coaching for members of the ZBSLT across expected ZEISS leadership behaviors and values.

Do you qualify?

Experience

• 15+ years of progressive HR experience, with at least 5 years in a senior regional or enterprise-level HR leadership role

• Proven track record leading HR transformation — including operating model change, M&A integration, or large-scale organizational redesign

• Experience operating in a matrixed, global organization, ideally within a manufacturing, technology, or industrial environment

• Deep expertise across the full HR value chain: talent, total rewards, employee relations, HR operations, and workforce planning

• Track record of accomplishments, knowledge and capabilities in driving Shared Services transformation as it relates to creating and socializing streamlined HR processes across various internal business units

Leadership & Capabilities

• Executive presence and the ability to influence at the C-suite level without direct authority

• Strong commercial acumen — you connect people strategy to business performance

• Data-driven mindset with the ability to translate workforce analytics into actionable insight

• Comfort operating in ambiguity and leading through change

• Experience navigating dual reporting structures or shared services environments is a strong differentiator

Setting Strategy

• The inclination to seek and analyze data from a variety of sources to support decisions and to align others with the organization's overall strategy.

• An entrepreneurial and creative approach to developing new, innovative ideas that will stretch the organization and push the boundaries within the industry.

• The ability to effectively balance the desire/need for broad change with an understanding of how much change the organization is capable of handling, to create realistic goals and implementation plans that are achievable and successful.

Executing for Results

• The ability to set clear and challenging goals while committing the organization to improved performance; tenacious and accountable in driving results.

• Comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty; the ability to adapt nimbly and lead others through complex situations.

• A risk-taker who seeks data and input from others to foresee possible threats or unintended circumstances from decisions; someone who takes smart risks.

• A leader who is viewed by others as having a high degree of integrity and forethought in their approach to making decisions; the ability to act in a transparent and consistent manner while always taking into account what is best for the organization.

Leading Teams

• The ability to attract and recruit top talent, motivate the team, delegate effectively, celebrate diversity within the team, and manage performance; widely viewed as a strong developer of others.

• The ability to persevere in the face of challenges, and exhibit a steadfast resolve and relentless commitment to higher standards, which commands respect from followers.

• A leader who is self-reflective and aware of their own limitations; leads by example and drives the organization's performance with an attitude of continuous improvement by being open to feedback and self-improvement.

Relationships and Influence

• Naturally connects and builds strong relationships with others, demonstrating strong emotional intelligence and an ability to communicate clearly and persuasively.

• An ability to inspire trust and followership in others through compelling influence, powerful charisma, passion in their beliefs, and active drive.

• Encourages others to share the spotlight and visibly celebrates and supports the success of the team.

• Creates a sense of purpose/meaning for the team that generates followership beyond their own personality and engages others to the greater purpose for the organization as a whole.

Driving Sustainability

Firmly believes that both sustainability and profit are in the organization’s best long-term interest. Integrates economic, societal, and environmental factors into a purpose-driven strategy, turning sustainability into a competitive advantage. Understands and incorporates viewpoints from all key stakeholders to drive decision making and share the benefits.

The annual pay range for this position is:

NY Metro 210k - 260k

SF Bay Area 240k - 290K

The pay offered for this role may be influenced by factors such as job location, scope of role, qualifications, education, experience, & complexity/specialization/scarcity of talent.

This position is also eligible for a performance bonus or sales commissions.  ZEISS also offers robust benefits, including medical plans, retirement savings plan and paid time off.

Your ZEISS Recruiting Team:

Debra Ann Rybolt

Zeiss provides Equal Employment Opportunity without unlawful regard to an Applicants race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender, marital status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military or veteran status, citizen status, sexual orientation, pregnancy (includes childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical condition), genetic predisposition, carrier status, gender expression or identity, including transgender identity, or any other class or characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law of the employee (or the people with whom the employee associates, including relatives and friends).