HR Director

BRAND: Publicis Groupe
Job Function: Human Resources
Location: London, United Kingdom
Experience Level: Management
Workplace Type: Hybrid

Company description

OVERVIEW

Publicis Groupe is one of the world's largest communications holding companies, present in over 110 countries and employing about 100,000 professionals.. The Groupe is positioned at every step of the value chain, from consulting to execution, combining marketing transformation and digital business transformation.

HELPING OUR CLIENTS UNLOCK GROWTH IN THE PLATFORM WORLD

Our clients compete in the platform world, a horizontal marketplace between creators and consumers, between speakers and listeners, between buyers and sellers. To thrive in the platform world, companies must continue to innovate their products and business models. Four imperatives (1. Real Identity, 2. Dynamic, Diverse and Disruptive Creativity 3., Smart Media and 4. Direct Relationships) via our suite of world-class agencies, are necessary for modern brands to win in the platform world. At Publicis Groupe, we've invested in capabilities across these four imperatives our clients need to unlock growth. As the only one who can architect, build and orchestrate end to end solutions, not only do we have a proven record of building bespoke models for clients and leading expertise across all major industry categories, we are able to offer our talents more opportunities to grow and benefit from a richer learning experience. We call this Power of One. Powered by a 100,000-strong network via Marcel, our AI-based platform, we are also able to provide our clients and talents instant access to resource, knowledge for any need, any time, in any market.

THE SPIRIT OF VIVA LA DIFFERENCE

Viva La Difference is deeply rooted in everything we do. It has always been in our DNA. From the birth of Publicis, 94 years ago, when Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet, our founder, invented French advertising. Viva La Difference expresses how we value and respect each individual and recognize what makes us distinctive. This is the charge that inspires our teams to celebrate the differences in identity, background, culture, and experience of all of us. It is how we behave with each other and our clients, and it is deeply rooted throughout our work, to elevate and bring to life our differences throughout the platform world.

Overview

Role Overview

The HR Director (known internally as Associate Talent Director) for Publicis Health UK is responsible for leading the people agenda across the UK health practice. This role partners closely with senior practice and agency leadership to deliver a people strategy that supports growth, regulatory compliance and a strong, inclusive culture, while aligning with broader UK and Groupe people frameworks and teams.

The role balances strategic leadership with hands-on delivery, operating within a matrixed environment and supports multiple agency brands within the practice.

This HR Director role is a 12 month FTC Maternity Cover

Key responsibilities

Strategic Partnership

• Act as a trusted people partner to Publicis Health CEO and the Senior Leadership Team
• Translate practice and agency priorities into clear, practical people plans - Support organisational change, including restructures, integrations and growth initiatives within the health practice.

People Strategy & Employee Relations

• Lead the delivery of the people strategy across Publicis Health UK, aligned to UK Groupe People priorities.
• Provide senior oversight and guidance on employee relations, including complex cases, restructures, redundancies and TUPE.
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation

Culture, Leadership & Engagement

• Shape and sustain a strong, inclusive culture that reflects both Publicis values and the specific needs of health agencies.
• Coach and support senior leaders to build engaged, high-performing teams.
• Drive engagement, wellbeing and retention initiatives across the practice.

Data-Driven

Oversee the accurate collection and analysis of key people metrics. Go beyond simply reporting data; extract actionable insights and translate them into compelling narratives and recommendations that inform strategic talent decisions

Learning & Development

• Oversee talent management, succession planning and development for key roles within the health practice.
• Partner with L&D to deliver relevant learning and leadership programmes, particularly for regulated and specialist roles.
• Support early careers and career pathway development within health agencies.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

• Champion DE&I across Publicis Health UK, ensuring inclusive hiring, development and progression practices.
• Work with Groupe Equity and Inclusion team to align and support UK initiatives and goals

People Data & Insight

• Use people data and insight to inform decision-making and highlight risks and opportunities.
• Provide clear, practical people insights to practice leadership.

Talent Acquisition Partnership

• Partner with the internal Talent Acquisition team on organisational planning and critical hires.
• Support effective hiring strategies specific to the health and science talent market.

Future Focus

Keeping abreast of innovations and trends in the industry and within the HR space and contributing to our continuing evolution e.g. use of AI

HR Leadership

• Lead and develop HR business partner and advisory support aligned to the health practice.
• Oversee people processes for the practice, partnering with the HR Operations team, including promotions, approvals and submissions, ensuring consistency and quality.
• Contribute to UK and Groupe people initiatives and projects where relevant.

Experience

• Proven strategic experience working as partner to an MD or CEO and snr leadership roles
• Experience with line management.
• Blend of HR best practice knowledge with innovative thinking, able to flexibly adapt to changing priorities.
• Strong relationship-building skills across all levels.
• Adept at planning and executing organisation change programmes from end to end
• Ability to work with Centres of Excellence in building and implementing people plan
• Bring a deep-rooted sense of fun and passion for fostering an engaging, empowering, and meaningful work environment for yourself and the client groups that you support.
• Proficiency in handling data, interpreting insights, and translating them into actionable strategies.
• Previous experience in similar industry preferred (Media, Production, Digital, Advertising, Tech) but not essential

Additional information

Publicis Groupe has fantastic benefits on offer to all of our employees, full details of which are shared when you join. This includes the classics like Pension, Life Assurance, Private Medical, as well as Reflection Days, Shared Parental Leave, and spans other initiatives like:

Please check out the Publicis Career Page which showcases our Inclusive Benefits and our EAG's (Employee Action Groups).

Publicis Groupe, we are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion or belief, disability, age, citizenship, relationship status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic.

We are committed to providing a fair, accessible, and inclusive recruitment process. If you have any access needs - for example, related to disability, neurodivergence, or a health condition - please let us know. We'll work with you to ensure the process works for you. Sharing this information will never impact your application.

Guided by our values, we listen with empathy, uplift each other, take responsibility, and embrace change - building a culture where everyone feels seen, respected, and genuinely included.

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