Associate Director, Head of Human Resources, Houston

Lonza•Houston, TX

24d•Onsite

About The Position

Lonza is seeking an experienced, strategic, and dynamic Associate Director, HR Partnering (HR Site Head) to lead the people agenda for its Houston site. As the site's senior HR leader, the role is a key member of the Site Leadership Team and the broader global HR organization. It partners with business leaders to drive organizational effectiveness, foster a high-performance culture, support transformational growth, and develop a sustainable, engaged workforce. The position aligns people strategies with business priorities, influences organizational direction, and enables operational success in a rapidly growing manufacturing environment. As HR leader for a 24/7 manufacturing facility, this is a highly visible, hands-on role requiring an engaged onsite presence. The successful candidate will provide flexible and adaptable HR leadership and support across the site's operational schedule, maintaining strong connections with employees and leaders at all levels.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Psychology, or a related field.
10 or more years of progressive HR leadership experience, including leading a broad HR function as part of a senior leadership team.
Experience in a CDMO, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, life sciences, or advanced manufacturing environment.
Proven success partnering with senior business leaders to develop and execute people strategies that drive business results.
Strong expertise in employment law, compensation, organizational development, workforce planning, employee relations, talent management, safety, training, and labor relations.
Demonstrated experience leading organizational change and business transformation initiatives.
Demonstrated ability to build high-performing teams and drive cultural transformation in complex organizations.
Exceptional verbal and written communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
High degree of integrity, professionalism, and sound judgment.
Ability to maintain a visible, hands-on onsite presence and provide HR leadership across the site's operational schedule.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, Organizational Development, or a related discipline.

Responsibilities

Serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to the Site Head and Site Leadership Team.
Build collaborative partnerships with site leadership, internal stakeholders, the SPM HR Strategic Partner, and the global HR network.
Develop and execute short- and long-term HR strategies aligned with business objectives and the Houston site vision.
Translate business strategy into actionable people priorities and execution plans that drive organizational performance.
Challenge and influence leaders to improve organizational effectiveness, team performance, and talent development.
Lead organizational design, workforce planning, succession planning, and talent management initiatives.
Lead people-related aspects of business transformation, growth, and change management programs.
Provide strategic HR guidance that mitigates business risk while fostering positive employee relations.
Ensure compliance with applicable employment laws, regulations, and company policies.
Develop and implement employee engagement strategies to strengthen culture, improve engagement outcomes, and enhance workforce experience.
Build and sustain talent pipelines to meet current and future business needs.
Deliver global HR initiatives while achieving site-specific people and business objectives.
Use workforce data, analytics, and metrics to assess effectiveness, identify trends, and inform decisions.
Connect operational teams and senior leadership to ensure alignment across business priorities.