Hermès Human Resources Director

About Hermès

Hermès is a Parisian luxury maison renowned for artisanal leather goods, silk, and timeless design with a global retail network. The Australian subsidiary operates within the wider Hermès ecosystem, combining rigorous standards of craftsmanship and client service with long-term talent development and a commitment to heritage-driven quality.

Role & Responsibilities

• Provide strategic HR leadership for the Hermès Australia subsidiary as a member of the executive management team, aligning workforce planning with regional and group objectives.
• Lead end-to-end talent acquisition, succession planning and organisational design (OAD) to ensure critical roles are filled and future needs anticipated.
• Design, maintain and administer compensation and benefits frameworks, manage annual salary review and bonus campaigns, and ensure pay equity and market competitiveness.
• Oversee learning & development strategy: identify retail training needs, budget programmes with the CFO, deliver management development and implement corporate training locally.
• Advise on and manage employee relations, industrial relations and enterprise agreement matters; represent the company in hearings, investigations and with external stakeholders.
• Direct performance and talent management processes, lead the annual appraisal and talent review cycles and recommend development pathways for high-potential employees.
• Own HR policy, governance and audit compliance: develop procedures, resolve policy enquiries and ensure statutory record keeping and reporting (including group and legislative returns).
• Administer HRIS and payroll oversight; ensure accurate payroll administration and collaborate with payroll team and external providers as required.
• Lead health, safety and workers' compensation processes; act as safety officer, investigate incidents and ensure integration with legal and environmental obligations.
• Manage HR budgets, departmental expenditure and a direct HR reporting team; support store openings, expansion projects and ad hoc subsidiary initiatives.

Qualifications

• Degree qualified in Human Resources or a related discipline.
• Minimum 10 years' progressive human resources experience at managerial level, preferably in luxury retail or a multinational environment.
• Proven track record as a people leader with experience managing HR teams and partnering with executive stakeholders.
• Demonstrable expertise in compensation & benefits design, job evaluation and managing annual salary/bonus processes.
• Strong knowledge of industrial relations and experience applying Enterprise Agreements or similar frameworks.
• Excellent interpersonal, written and presentation skills with high-quality judgment and decision-making capability.
• Capacity to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment and to work both autonomously and within a multi-geographic team.

Skills

Experience

At least 10 years of progressive human resources experience at a managerial level, with demonstrated leadership of core HR disciplines (recruitment, C&B, L&D, employee relations) in luxury retail or a multinational setting; experience as a trusted advisor to senior management and participation in executive committees is expected.

Education

Degree in Human Resources or a related field.

Workplace

Culture

Hermès fosters an environment that privileges craftsmanship, meticulous standards and long-term career development. The Australian subsidiary combines the maison's heritage-driven values with a collaborative, client-focused workplace that emphasises quality, employee development and responsible business practices.

About Cerulean

Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.