Salary - €€ negotiable

Start: ASAP

Location: Hoogstraten - Belgium

Languages: English, Dutch , German is an additional bonus

The role:

As the head of HR you will lead and develop a global team spanning a 1000-person manufacturing workforce with operations in the USA, South East Asia and some European sites.

This strategic role has a core focus on training & development (50%), supporting all employee levels from front-line staff to management, and commercial teams within a complex matrix organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, champion, and deliver training & development programs for all departments (frontline, support, sales, management), continuously benchmarking against industry standards.
• Build and maintain a people strategy for the global sites, guiding performance and succession planning.
• Lead all aspects of HR operations: talent acquisition, onboarding, engagement, retention, and workforce planning for over 1000 staff.
• Foster strong relationships and collaboration with management, executive leadership, and global teams.
• Navigate and represent the company in all union matters, including CDA and works councils, ensuring compliance and positive employee relations.
• Drive ESG initiatives and sustainability projects, working with the management board to uphold and elevate Platinum EcoVadis standards.
• Monitor, report, and analyze HR metrics using robust data and benchmarking to continuously improve HR strategy and employee outcomes.
• Oversee reward & recognition, policy compliance, payroll, and HRIS in a global matrix setting.
• Advise on workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion, championing DESTER’s culture across locations.

Candidate Profile

• Track record in manufacturing HR leadership, preferably with experience in multinational, matrix organizations.
• Deep expertise in union matters (CDA, works councils) and global employment law.
• Strong analytical, reporting, and benchmarking capabilities.
• Demonstrated success in training and development delivery at scale.
• Appreciation for ESG frameworks, sustainability, and experience managing or supporting EcoVadis standards.
• Proven ability to work closely with executive management and influence strategic decisions.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience in supporting large workforces across diverse international operations.
• Commercial acumen and hands-on leadership with a collaborative, inclusive approach.