HR DIRECTOR, GLOBAL Q&R & R&D (HYBRID)

You may know McCormick as a leader in herbs, spices, seasonings, and condiments – and we’re only getting started. At McCormick, we’re always looking for new people to bring their unique flavor to our team.

McCormick employees – all 14,000 of us across the world – are what makes this company a great place to work.

We are looking to hire an HR DIRECTOR, GLOBAL Q&R & R&D immediately in a Hybrid (50/50) capacity at our Global Headquarters in Hunt Valley, Maryland. 

What We Bring To The Table:

The best people deserve the best rewards. In addition to the benefits you’d expect from a global leader (401k, health insurance, paid time off, etc.) we also offer:

• Competitive compensation

• Career growth opportunities

• Flexibility and Support for Diverse Life Stages and Choices

Position Overview

McCormick is seeking an experienced and highly strategic HR Director, Global R&D and Quality to serve as a trusted business partner to the Chief Science Officer and the global Research & Development and Quality leadership teams.

Reporting to the Vice President, Human Relations, this role will provide HR leadership across all facets of people strategy, organization effectiveness, talent management, leadership coaching, change management, employee engagement, and culture. The HR Director will play a critical role in enabling the short- and long-term goals of the global R&D and Quality functions by building organizational capability, strengthening leadership effectiveness, and ensuring teams are positioned to deliver against McCormick’s growth, innovation, quality, and business priorities.

This is a highly visible global role requiring strong business acumen, sound judgment, high emotional intelligence, and the ability to influence senior leaders in a complex, matrixed environment. The role will lead a small HR team and will have two direct reports.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic HR Business Partnership
• Serve as the primary HR business partner to the Chief Science Officer and senior leaders across global R&D and Quality.
• Develop and execute people strategies that directly support functional priorities, business objectives, innovation goals, and quality excellence.
• Provide counsel to leaders on organization design, workforce planning, leadership effectiveness, talent development, engagement, and culture.
• Act as a trusted advisor and thought partner, bringing insight, challenge, and practical HR solutions to complex business and people matters.

Change Management and Organization Effectiveness

• Lead and support organizational change initiatives across global R&D and Quality, ensuring clear communication, leader readiness, employee adoption, and sustained impact.
• Partner with leaders to assess organizational capabilities, identify gaps, and implement solutions that improve effectiveness, agility, collaboration, and performance.
• Help leaders translate business strategy into effective organization structures, talent plans, and ways of working.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement, inclusion, accountability, and innovation.

Talent, Leadership, and Performance

• Drive talent management processes, including succession planning, performance management, leadership development, capability building, and talent reviews.
• Coach senior leaders and people managers to strengthen leadership effectiveness, team performance, and employee engagement.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition and business leaders to attract, assess, and develop high-caliber talent for critical roles.
• Support the development of diverse talent pipelines and inclusive leadership practices across global functions.

Employee Relations, Culture, and Engagement

• Provide leadership and guidance on employee relations matters, ensuring fair, consistent, and values-based outcomes.
• Partner with leaders to foster a positive, inclusive, and high-performing culture aligned with McCormick’s values.
• Use employee insights, engagement data, and business feedback to identify trends and recommend meaningful actions.
• Serve as a credible, empathetic, and balanced advisor on sensitive people matters.

HR Functional Delivery and Team Leadership

• Ensure effective deployment of HR programs, processes, and initiatives across assigned client groups, including compensation, talent, performance, recruiting, engagement, and organizational planning.
• Partner closely with HR Centers of Excellence and regional HR teams to deliver integrated, business-relevant solutions.
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of two direct reports, ensuring clear priorities, strong execution, and continued professional growth.
• Represent the needs of global R&D and Quality in enterprise HR initiatives and cross-functional forums.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Development, or a related field.
• 10+years of progressive HR experience, including significant HR business partnering experience.
• Minimum of 5 years HR leadership experience.
• Experience supporting senior executives and leadership teams in a complex, global, matrixed organization.
• Demonstrated expertise in strategic HR partnership, talent management, organization design, change management, employee relations, performance management, and leadership coaching.
• Proven ability to influence, challenge, and advise senior leaders with credibility and confidence.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to connect people strategies to business outcomes.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, relationship-building, and stakeholder management skills.
• High emotional intelligence, sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to navigate ambiguity and complexity.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop HR talent.

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or advanced degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Development, or related discipline.
• HR certification preferred.
• Experience supporting R&D, Quality, Science, Technical, Innovation, Product Development, or related technical functions.
• Experience in a global consumer goods, food, flavor, ingredients, manufacturing, science-based, or regulated environment.
• Strong understanding of global talent practices, leadership development, and organizational transformation.

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