HR director DACH

Rituals is a consumer brand with a culture centered on “Play to Win” and “Love to Care.” Its DACH region supports approximately 4,000 employees across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

• Shape the people strategy and broader business agenda across the DACH region with the Managing Director and Management Team
• Advise senior leaders on strategic decisions from a people and organisation perspective
• Own and drive the DACH HR agenda, translating business ambitions into people and organisation priorities
• Connect organisation, talent, leadership, performance, reward, culture, and employee relations priorities
• Protect and evolve Rituals’ culture across DACH, balancing ambition, accountability, performance, care, respect, inclusion, and personal attention
• Support and challenge leaders to role-model the culture and include employee perspectives in leadership decisions
• Lead organisational transformation, including organisational design, workforce development, leadership effectiveness, productivity, and culture transformation
• Drive strategic workforce and succession planning for business-critical roles
• Turn transformation strategies into action and guide leaders and employees through change
• Lead and develop the DACH HR team, setting direction, ownership, and growth opportunities
• Empower HR professionals to act as proactive business partners
• Build connections across DACH HR, International HR Leadership, central HR, and business leadership
• Build constructive relationships with works councils and employee representative bodies
• Ensure co-determination and employee representation are considered in organisational and people initiatives
• Navigate complex employee relations matters while balancing business needs, employee interests, culture, and governance
• Ensure Rituals attracts, develops, and retains talent and capabilities for future needs
• Strengthen leadership capability and create opportunities for meaningful feedback, growth, and performance
• Apply AI, data, and digital innovation to improve HR and support new ways of working
• Use people data and business insights to identify trends, challenge assumptions, improve decisions, and anticipate organisational needs
• Represent DACH in the International HR Leadership Team and contribute to the international people agenda
• Partner with central HR functions and other markets to apply international strategies locally and share insights and best practices
• Maintain an integrated view across Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, Learning & Development, Performance, Engagement, Reward, Well-being, and Employee Relations
• Own the DACH HR budget and strategic workforce and people-cost planning
• Translate strategic priorities into clear actions and measurable outcomes, balancing strategic direction with execution

• 10+ Years of progressive HR leadership experience, including senior HR Business Partner, Head of HR, or HR Director responsibility in a complex, multi-site environment
• Experience in retail, hospitality, or another fast-paced consumer environment, with an understanding of large-scale frontline organisations
• Ability to advise and constructively challenge Management Teams and influence senior business decisions
• Strong experience working with works councils and employee representative bodies, particularly in the German context
• Proven experience in organisational transformation, organisational design, workforce transformation, leadership effectiveness, and culture change
• People-centred, culturally aware leadership combining commercial ambition with empathy, curiosity, and care
• Hands-on, action-oriented approach, with ownership and the ability to move between strategy and execution
• Based in Cologne or willing to relocate there permanently; able to travel across the DACH region and occasionally connect with international HR colleagues and central functions in Amsterdam

• Office role in Cologne, Germany
• Permanent relocation to Cologne is required if not already based there
• Travel across the DACH region and occasional connections with Amsterdam are expected