HR Director – Chivas Brothers (Integrated Operations) / Pernod Ricard Gold Brand Unit
Job title: HR Director – Integrated Operations
Location: Kilmalid, Glasgow, Scotland (with travel to London & occasional international travel)
Reporting line: VP of HR, Gold Brand Unit (London based)
HR Team reports; 4 direct reports, 11 indirect reports
Contract type: Permanent
Pernod Ricard is a worldwide leader in the spirits and champagne industry, blending traditional craftsmanship, state-of-the-art brand development, and global distribution technologies. Our prestigious portfolio of premium to luxury brands includes Absolut vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur, and Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes. Our mission is to ensure the long-term growth of our brands with full respect for people and the environment, while empowering our employees around the world to be ambassadors of our purposeful, inclusive, and responsible culture of authentic conviviality
Chivas Brothers is the Pernod Ricard business dedicated entirely to Scotch whisky. Our award-winning portfolio features some of the world’s most revered single malt and blended Scotch whisky brands, including Chivas, Ballantine’s, Royal Salute, The Glenlivet and Aberlour, which are exported from Scotland to over 100 countries worldwide. As the world’s No.2 Scotch whisky producer with a 1,600-strong team across 26 sites, we are committed to upholding the heritage and pursuing the progress of Scotch and ensuring its sustainable future, as well as opening it up to new audiences across the globe.
We are now seeking a HR Director to lead the HR team (Integrated Operations) of the Scotch Whisky business of Pernod Ricard and lead the coordination of HR (Manufacturing across the Pernod Ricard Gold Brand Unit, our global division for Aged Spirits & Champagne, which brings together the prestigious portfolios of Irish Distillers, Chivas Brothers, Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët and North American Distillers.
This is a rare opportunity to play a key role in shaping the people agenda for one of Scotland’s most iconic whisky makers, while collaborating with colleagues across the UK, Ireland, France, and North America.
Reporting to the VP of HR (Gold Brand Unit /UK) you will operate as a senior leader within the Gold Brand Unit and a trusted partner to the VP Manufacturing and our Senior Leaders who oversee our Operations functions across the Scotland, Ireland, France, and the US. Leading an experienced HR team based primarily in Dumbarton (Glasgow) and across Scotland, you will provide strategic direction, operational excellence, and transformational leadership across Distillation & Maturation, Bottling & Blending and office environments.
You will sit in the UK HR leadership team , leveraging the support of our HR Centres Of Excellence, while working in close collaboration with the VP HR Gold Brand Unit / UK and the Ireland HR Director, to shape and deliver the people strategy across manufacturing, supply chain and operations.
What you will do
Shape strategy. Cultivate the future.
Develop and lead the workforce strategy for UK & Ireland manufacturing, ensuring long term organisational capability, talent planning and succession aligned to Gold Brand Unit and Global HR priorities.
Translate business ambitions into a clear, pragmatic HR Operations Roadmap, balancing performance, engagement, compliance, and sustainability.
Partner, influence, and lead change.
Act as senior HR business partner to the VP Manufacturing & team, consolidating Gold Brand Unit Operations insights and aligning HR activity across multiple geographies.
Lead large-scale change and transformation programmes, turning strategic intent into actionable project plans with measurable impact.
Strengthen employee engagement and experience through visible leadership and close partnership with site leaders and teams.
Lead with credibility and conviction.
Own industrial and employee relations, building strong, fair, and future focussed partnerships with trade unions.
Ensure excellence in day-to-day HR operations across Scotland, embedding best practice and full legislative compliance.
Lead, inspire and develop and direct the HR Manufacturing team in Chivas Brothers, while collaborating effectively across the wider Pernod Ricard HR community and Pernod Ricard Centres of Excellence in Talent Development & Acquisition, Reward and HR Shared Services
Collaborate beyond borders.
Work closely with internal partners across Operations, Communications, Finance and HR.
Manage external relationships including legal counsel, HR service providers, unions, and professional forums.
You are a senior, commercially minded HR leader with a deep understanding of operational environments and a passion for creating workplaces where people and performance thrive.
Proven experience operating at HR Director or equivalent senior leadership level, leading sizeable HR teams within complex organisations.
Strong track record in industrial relations, with credibility in unionised manufacturing environments.
Demonstrated capability in change management and transformation, aligning people strategies with evolving business needs.
An inspiring people leader, known for building trust, fostering development, and nurturing future HR talent.
Expert knowledge of UK employment legislation and contemporary HR best practice.
Comfortable working across manufacturing, distillation, bottling and office based environments, with a practical, hands-on leadership style.
Collective Spirit
You will be part of a connected, international community shaped by iconic brands, a performance mindset, and a proud legacy, where collaboration, fun and ambition coexist.
Craft your path
We empower you to own your career, innovate boldly and grow alongside our business, surrounded by leaders who value curiosity, energy, and impact.
Cultivate the future
You’ll help shape a business with a soul — one that cherishes the land, respects communities, and brings good times from a good place, responsibly and sustainably.
People are at the heart of everything we do at Pernod Ricard and are the foundation of our collective spirit as ‘Créateurs de Convivialité.’ We promote inclusion throughout our business and supply chain. In our teams, we proactively foster a diverse work force and an inclusive culture, an environment where we can truly be ourselves.
We will assess your application for this role based on your skills, experiences, and achievements, not your gender, age, ethnic or educational background or any other such factors. Our recruiting team are more than happy to provide reasonable adjustments during our application and interview process, in order for you to participate fully in our recruitment experience.
Learn more about working with Pernod Ricard https://www.pernod-ricard.com/en
Learn more about Chivas Brothers https://www.chivasbrothers.com/
Job Posting End Date:
Target Hire Date:
2026-06-01Target End Date:
Pernod Ricard Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Pernod Ricard and has not been reviewed or approved by Pernod Ricard.
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Healthcare Strength — Pay and benefits are described as strong overall, supported by comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage alongside life and disability insurance. Wellbeing support is reinforced through mental-health resources and broader wellness programming.
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Retirement Support — Retirement benefits are positioned as a standout part of the package, including a 401(k) with a match and an additional profit-sharing contribution for eligible employees. A legacy defined-benefit pension is also referenced for certain earlier hires, adding depth to long-term financial support.
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Parental & Family Support — Family-related benefits are unusually broad, including paid parental leave, paid caregiver leave, backup child/elder care resources, and adoption/surrogacy reimbursement. Additional supports such as Milk Stork and fertility/ART coverage further strengthen family-building coverage.
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What We Do
Pernod Ricard is a convivial, responsible and successful global wine and spirits group and the #1 premium spirits organisation in the world. The Group represents 240 premium brands available in more than 160 countries. We are 18,500 exceptionally talented people worldwide with our own salesforce in 73 countries. Our portfolio is one of the most comprehensive in the market with every major category of wine and spirits, providing Pernod Ricard with a unique competitive advantage. To keep growing our business, transforming our industry and making a positive impact on the world, we believe in the power of human connection. Creating ‘convivialité’ is our business and our raison d’être. As ‘créateurs de convivialité’, our purpose is to turn every social interaction into a genuine, friendly and responsible experience of sharing. We believe there can be no convivialité with excess and strive to be sustainable and responsible at every step, from grain to glass.
