Montblanc Head of Human Resources

About Montblanc

Montblanc is a global maison renowned for uniting fine craftsmanship, innovation, and timeless elegance across writing instruments, leather goods, watches, accessories, and new technologies. Founded in 1906 and inspired by the spirit of exploration and mastery, the brand offers employees the opportunity to contribute to a heritage of excellence while shaping contemporary luxury experiences for discerning clients worldwide. As an employer, Montblanc values precision, creativity, service excellence, and an entrepreneurial mindset, fostering an international environment where talent can grow across retail, design, manufacturing, marketing, and corporate functions. Its teams are united by a commitment to quality, cultural refinement, and meaningful client relationships.

Role & Responsibilities

• Develop and implement HR strategies and initiatives for Montblanc’s Hamburg headquarters, aligned with business goals and the CPO’s strategic direction.
• Lead and develop the Headquarters People Department team, fostering a high-performing, collaborative environment.
• Provide strategic HR oversight and support for approximately 1,000 employees across central international functions, writing instrument production, and Northern Europe sales entities.
• Advise the Executive Board and other headquarters leaders as a strategic HR Business Partner on people-related matters.
• Lead organizational design and reorganization projects at headquarters, advising leadership on evolving structures.
• Oversee talent acquisition, retention, career management, and development initiatives for headquarters employees, maintaining a strong and diverse talent pipeline.
• Advise and coach leaders on leadership development, performance management, organizational and personnel development, succession planning, and talent management.
• Design and facilitate workshops and training for headquarters employees and leaders on leadership skills, motivation, communication, and team effectiveness.
• Collaborate constructively with the Works Council, lead negotiations for works council agreements, and ensure compliance with German labor law.
• Implement collective bargaining agreements, particularly those for the metal and electrical industry, and lead the compensation committee.
• Represent Montblanc in labor court proceedings when necessary.
• Manage and oversee HR cost planning and budgeting for headquarters.
• Analyze and optimize headquarters HR processes and systems to improve efficiency, employee experience, and data integrity.

Qualifications

• In-depth experience and a proven record in senior HR leadership roles, specifically in a German corporate headquarters environment, ideally in luxury goods or a similar industry.
• Experience leading and developing an HR team.
• Expertise in German labor law, Works Council relations, and collective bargaining agreements, such as those in the metal and electrical industry.
• Ability to develop and implement HR strategies that directly drive business results within a complex headquarters structure.
• Experience in organizational design, change management, and leadership.
• A proven record as a strategic HR Business Partner to executive leadership on complex organizational and people-related topics.
• Hands-on approach to HR operations, data analysis, and process optimization.
• Fluency in German and English.
• Excellent strategic vision and conceptual strengths, with a global mindset and the ability to link people strategy to business outcomes.
• Strong execution and delivery, with a results-driven, people-centric approach.
• Exceptional communication skills and the ability to engage effectively at all hierarchical levels and represent the organization to internal and external stakeholders with conviction and empathy.
• Charismatic, approachable presence and excellent people-management skills, including the ability to energize teams, build trust, and foster a positive, high-performance culture.
• Flexibility and a problem-solving approach to conflict, demonstrating fairness, empathy, and constructive engagement.
• Passion, strong commitment, reliability, and transparency in HR dealings.
• Strong business acumen in luxury goods or similar industries, with the ability to understand and proactively support business challenges.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Skills

Experience

In-depth experience in senior HR leadership roles in a German corporate headquarters environment; experience leading and developing an HR team, with additional experience in organizational design, change management, and leadership.

Benefits

International environment and development opportunities; flexible working hours; canteen, on-site café, and laundry service; company sports and other health programs; discounted Urban Sports membership; subsidized HVV-ProfiTicket for local public transport; employee car park and free electric-vehicle charging stations; special conditions on Montblanc products and products from other Group brands; employee benefits portals; 30 days’ holiday; regular employee events; further training opportunities.

Culture

Montblanc fosters a refined, international workplace culture rooted in craftsmanship, heritage, and a commitment to timeless innovation. As an employer, it values meticulous attention to detail, collaborative excellence, and the personal development of teams who bring its luxury writing instruments, leather goods, watches, and accessories to life.

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.