Head of HR France

As a strategic, truly generalist HR leader, you partner with local business leaders to shape and implement the local HR strategy, driving performance, engagement, and well‑being for all Rituals employees. You lead the local HR team and ensure HR policies, systems, and programs are aligned with business needs while fostering a culture of trust, pride, and growth. This role combines a strong background in Talent & People Development with robust expertise in HR Operations, including large‑scale hiring and turnover flows, complex payroll variables, occupational health processes, and the management of diverse employment contract types.

You report in a matrix: functionally to the Director International HR and operationally to the Managing Director / France Country Director. You are a member of both the local Management Team and the global HR team. In this capacity, you lead and develop a local HR team of 5–10 people (up to 10 FTE), typically including three HR Business Partners (one per zone), Learning & Development, and Works Council (CSE) management. The payroll and administration teams are managed in a dotted‑line structure, in total this is a team of +-20 people. You also take ownership of and contribute to cross‑functional projects that support key business and HR priorities.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead and develop a high‑performing HR team, driving expertise, collaboration, and reliable execution
• Act as a strategic advisor to senior leadership, shaping HR strategy, policies, transformation, and key people decisions
• Partner with (Store) managers, Area managers and Heads of Retail, to build inclusive, motivating, and high‑performing teams
• Drive leadership development and learning initiatives, coaching leaders and strengthening capabilities at all levels
• Build a winning culture through engagement initiatives, change management, and continuous improvement
• Own strategic workforce planning and talent acquisition, including attraction, retention, large‑scale hiring, and turnover management
• Ensure excellent employee experience, well‑being, and employee relations, including occupational health and CSE topics
• Deliver HR operational excellence across HR processes, payroll complexity, and diverse contract types in a scaling environment
• Use HR metrics and analytics to steer workforce planning, performance, and key people KPIs
• Ensure competitive and fair compensation and benefits frameworks are aligned with business needs

What success looks like:

• An analytical, structured, and proactive leadership style, with the ability to sustain a high work tempo and deliver results in a dynamic, fast‑growing environment
• Strong presence and gravitas to uphold Corporate HR positions while championing business priorities and supporting multiple functions
• Acting as a thought leader who influences leadership behaviours and ways of working across the organization

Qualifications

You are high on energy, low on ego, and bring a healthy sense of humor. You are a strong team player who adapts naturally to changing situations and actively looks for opportunities to collaborate.

In addition:

• Minimum 6+ years experience in a managerial HR role, preferably in an international retail environment (experience in corporate settings and multi‑site environments such as retail and hospitality is a strong plus).
• You are used to exposure to large populations, high employee turnover, significant payroll variability, and the need for highly structured HR operations (people scale is c.1,600 FTE, increasing to over 2,200 during peak periods).
• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, or a related field
• Proven ability to lead HR teams and implement end‑to‑end people strategies
• Experience with HR transformations in complex, high‑change environments
• Strong knowledge of employer branding, recruitment technologies, talent pipelines, and workforce forecasting
• Strong understanding of HR operations, including hiring and turnover flows, payroll complexity, occupational health, and contract landscapes
• Confidence in using data for workforce planning and strategic decision‑making
• Based in Paris, with excellent command of English and fluency in French