Head of People, Regional People Lead, LATAM

About Burson:

Burson is the global communications leader built to create value for clients through reputation. With highly specialized teams, industry-leading technologies and breakthrough creative, we help brands and businesses redefine reputation as a competitive advantage so they can lead today and into the future.

Our global headquarters are in New York City, and we have 6000 employees across 40 markets. The Burson Group in LATAM includes more than 700 employees operating across three brands, 13 office locations, and 10 countries. Burson operates under WPP (NYSE: WPP), the creative transformation company. Learn more at www.bursonglobal.com.

About the Role: 

Burson seeks a strategic and people-centric professional to lead and provide regional direction for a cluster of Latin American markets, fostering a thriving workplace culture and driving operational excellence across the region. This role will be a key strategic and operational partner to the regional CEO and CFO, as well as other LATAM market leaders and their respective teams—providing leadership in developing and executing people strategies, optimizing operational efficiency, and fostering a positive and productive work environment that attracts, retains, and develops top talent.

This senior executive will be a highly collaborative and influential leader with a proven track record of success in building and managing high-performing teams, driving organizational change, managing local laws and regulations, and aligning HR strategies with business objectives.

Talent Profile:

• Experienced People Executive: Minimum 15+ years of proven experience in a senior HR leadership role within a global or Latin American regional communications consultancy or creative services agency environment or a related professional services industry.
• Strategic HR Leader & Culture Champion: Demonstrated ability to develop and implement innovative HR strategies aligning with overall business objectives and fostering a positive, inclusive, high-performing work environment.
• Talent Management Expertise: Deep understanding of talent acquisition, onboarding, performance management, compensation and benefits, employee relations, and talent development best practices. Experience designing and implementing programs that attract, retain, and develop top talent.
• Focused on Operational Excellence: Proven ability to optimize operational processes, drive efficiency, and improve productivity across key business functions. Experience with resource allocation, process improvement initiatives, and change management within HR.
• Collaborative and Results-Driven: Effective at balancing delegation and personal execution with demonstrated success in prioritizing organizational needs and goals.
• Effective Communicator: Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, including business proficiency in Spanish and English languages (Portuguese a plus), with the ability to build strong relationships, influence stakeholders, and effectively communicate with individuals at all levels of the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

• People & Culture Leadership:
• Develop and implement a comprehensive People strategies that align with Global HQ and LATAM regional business objectives and fosters a positive, inclusive, high-performing work environment.
• Oversee all LATAM employee lifecycle aspects, including talent acquisition, onboarding, performance management, compensation and benefits, employee relations, internal mobility, succession planning, and talent development, ensuring effective execution in collaboration with local People teams across LATAM.
• Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the region, ensuring a regional culture where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their best work.
• Foster a culture of open communication, feedback, and recognition, promoting employee engagement and satisfaction.

• People Operations Excellence & Efficiency:
• Lead and optimize LATAM people operational needs, including risk management, legal, systems, platforms, and employee data with overall business strategy and seamless collaboration and alignment with Global People initiatives.
• Identify and implement talent management improvements to enhance regional efficiency, productivity, and retention.
• Oversee local contract negotiations and vendor relationships, ensuring optimal terms and cost management for regional people operational needs.
• Develop and implement robust risk management frameworks and internal employee relations controls to safeguard the agency's regional assets and reputation.

• Team Leadership & Talent Development:
• Build, inspire, and lead high-performing regional and local LATAM People leads, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Attract, retain, and develop top People talent, providing guidance, mentorship, and opportunities for professional growth.
• Foster a data-driven culture, promoting HR analytics and operational data to inform decision-making and drive performance.

• Stakeholder Management & Communication:
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the LATAM CEO, CFO, market leaders and other key stakeholders on all people and operational matters.
• Effectively communicate global or WPP HR policies, global people operations updates, and key initiatives to employees at all levels of the organization.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with external partners, including legal counsel, benefit providers, and other service providers.

Background & Competencies:

• Relevant experience or education in Human Resources, Psychology, or Business Administration.
• Fluency in Spanish and English is essential.
• Proficiency and demonstrated experience with financial and data analysis and reporting tools.
• Proven track record of success in leading and scaling a large people function with transparency, alignment, efficiency, and collaboration to support internal client objectives.
• Familiarity and experience with the variety of labor laws, operating environments, and people practices found across the LATAM region.
• Deep understanding of the PR and communications industry and the unique talent and operational challenges and opportunities it presents.
• Experience with M&A and integration is highly desirable, given Burson's growth trajectory.
• Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills, with the ability to build strong relationships across markets and cultures to effectively communicate complex information to diverse audiences.

Highlights of Life at Burson:

• Hybrid work environment that offers the flexibility and balance of an integrated life.
• Executive career growth opportunities through high-impact client engagement, continued education, training & development courses, and the Burson Learning Hub program.
• Paid time off for vacation, sick and personal days.

At Burson, we’re an agency of learn-it-all’s. We recognize that the things we do best, creativity and communications, require a level of nuanced understanding. That’s why it’s imperative for us to hire extraordinarily talented people of all races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, sexual orientation and gender identities. Without that we can’t do the essential work of inspiring bold ideas, fostering constructive dialogue, cultivating meaningful experiences, and driving innovation and creativity for our partners. Your unique point of view—your talent—is what makes you a #BursonPerson, and it’s how we deliver exceptional results for our clients, together.

For more information, visit www.bursonglobal.com.