At Thorlabs, we design and manufacture components, instruments, and systems that transform the world by identifying, enabling, and accelerating key photonics (i.e., light-based) technologies. Backed by a dedicated workforce of more than 3,000 employees worldwide, Thorlabs contributes to cutting-edge research and real-world innovation.
Whether you're early in your career or bringing years of experience, you’ll find opportunities to grow, take ownership, and make meaningful contributions from day one. We know every employee brings unique talents and perspectives that fuel our success, and we seek driven individuals who are excited to make an impact in a fun, fast-moving culture.
Purpose of the Position
The Senior Manager, North America HRBP partners with business leaders to translate business priorities into effective people and organizational strategies. This role leads the North America HRBP team and provides strategic guidance across workforce planning, organizational effectiveness, talent and succession, performance management, employee relations, and organizational change.
Essential Job Functions include the following, but are not limited to:
- Lead, coach, and develop the North America HRBP team, ensuring consistent and effective HR partnership across the region
- Serve as a trusted advisor to senior business leaders on people, organizational, and workforce priorities
- Translate business strategy into workforce plans, organizational design, and talent priorities
- Lead talent reviews, succession planning, and leadership development efforts in partnership with global HR teams
- Partner with leaders to strengthen performance management, employee engagement, and organizational effectiveness
- Provide guidance on complex employee relations matters, organizational risk, and sensitive workforce issues
- Lead the people aspects of organizational transformations, restructuring, and change initiatives
- Use workforce data and analytics to identify trends, inform decisions, and recommend actions
- Partner across the global HR organization to ensure regional execution of enterprise HR strategies, programs, and processes
- Identify opportunities to improve HRBP practices, consistency, and effectiveness across North America.
Requirements
Qualifications
Experience:
- 8+ years of progressive HR experience, including significant HR business partnering experience.
- Experience in talent management, workforce planning, organizational design/effectiveness, performance management, and employee relations
- Demonstrated ability to influence and advise senior leaders on complex organizational and people matters
- Experience leading, coaching, and developing HR professionals
- Strong business acumen with the ability to connect people priorities to business objectives
- Ability to operate effectively in a matrixed, global organization and collaborate across functions and geographies
- Agile and adaptable, with the ability to navigate evolving business priorities and organizational change
- Bilingual Spanish preferred; French Canadian language capability a plus
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field
Specialized Knowledge and Skills:
- Strategic Business Partnership: Understands the business model, financials, and competitive landscape. Shapes people strategies that directly advance business results.
- Leading & Developing Others: Sets clear expectations and coaches for growth. Build a high-performing, consistent HRBP team.
- Sound Judgment & Risk Management: Handles sensitive employee relations and workforce matters with discretion, fairness, and sound assessment of legal and organizational risk.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: Uses workforce analytics to find insights, measure impact, and guide recommendations.
- Collaboration in a Matrixed Environment: Works across global HR, Centers of Excellence, and functions to deliver integrated solutions that fit local needs.
- Agility & Resilience: Stays effective through ambiguity and shifting priorities. Adjusts approach while keeping the team focused.
- Excellent verbal and written presentation skills with the ability to influence and educate.
Annual pay range for this position is $127,000 - $165,000 per year depending on experience
Organizational Relationships
Direct Reports:
This position has direct supervisory responsibilities.
#INDMP
Thorlabs values its diverse environment and is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified individuals will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age or veteran status. Job descriptions are not intended as and do not create employment contracts. The organization maintains its status as an at-will employer. Employees can be terminated for any reason not prohibited by law.
Benefits
Thorlabs offers a complete benefits package that includes medical, dental and vision insurance, company paid life insurance, a generous PTO package, a 401(k) plan, and tuition reimbursement just to name a few.
Skills Required
- 8+ years of progressive HR experience, including significant HR business partnering experience
- Experience in talent management, workforce planning, organizational design and effectiveness, performance management, and employee relations
- Ability to influence and advise senior leaders on complex organizational and people matters
- Experience leading, coaching, and developing HR professionals
- Strong business acumen and ability to connect people priorities to business objectives
- Ability to operate effectively in a matrixed, global organization and collaborate across functions and geographies
- Ability to navigate evolving business priorities and organizational change
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field
- Bilingual Spanish language capability
- French Canadian language capability
- Excellent verbal and written presentation skills with the ability to influence and educate
Thorlabs, Inc. Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Thorlabs, Inc. and has not been reviewed or approved by Thorlabs, Inc..
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Affordable Benefits — Health coverage is often described as inexpensive, with low deductibles and out-of-pocket costs. This perceived affordability boosts the overall appeal of the package.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with employer match and company-paid life insurance are standard components. These offerings are viewed as reliable support for long-term financial wellbeing.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Tuition reimbursement—advertised as full in some descriptions—and wellness perks like gym access stand out. These benefits are seen as strong draws for early-career and technical employees.
Thorlabs, Inc. Insights
What We Do
Thorlabs pioneers photonics technologies, designing and manufacturing a wide range of photonics components, instruments, and systems for scientific research, product development, and various industrial applications.
