Global Head of People Business Partnering - Support Functions

Dr. Martens is more than a brand - it’s a global icon with over 60 years of attitude, heritage, and cultural impact. We’re a thriving, values‑driven business powered by diverse thinkers, bold doers, and people who bring their whole selves to work. If you’re ready to make your mark, you’re in the right place.

At DM, our values guide everything we do: Be Yourself, Act Courageously, Show You Care. They’re not just words - they’re how we turn passion into progress.

WHERE YOU SIT

As our Global Head of People Business Partnering – Support Functions, you’ll be part of the People team working closely with brilliant people across the business and reporting into Chief People Officer. You’ll be right at the heart of fast‑moving projects that shape how we show up for our consumers - today and tomorrow.

WHERE YOU CONTRIBUTE

The Global Head of People Business Partnering – Support Functions is accountable for leading strategic people partnering across Directors office, Finance, Tech, and Legal. The role ensures these functions are structurally sound, capability rich, and resourced to underpin value creation and value capture across the wider organisation.

As a senior advisor to functional leaders and the CPO, this role translates enterprise strategy into clear people and organisation plans, enabling operational excellence, scalability, efficiency, and effective collaboration across global and market connected teams. The role plays a crucial part in delivering organisational simplification, improved productivity, and consistent leadership standards across core corporate functions.

CORE ACCOUNTABILITIES

As our Global Head of People Business Partnering – Support Functions, you will be responsible for:

• Acting as the senior People partner to Global Support Function leadership teams, translating business strategy into aligned people plans and providing challenge on structure, cost and capability decisions.
• Leading organisation design and workforce planning, ensuring clarity of accountability, productivity focus and alignment with future capability needs.
• Owning talent, succession and leadership development across Support Functions, strengthening inclusive talent pipelines and delivery capability.
• Leading the people aspects of transformation and embedding consistent leadership behaviours, ways of working and culture across functions.
• Using people insights and governance to drive decision quality while leading and developing a high-performing People Business Partner team.

KEY SKILLS & CAPABILITIES

Put simply, the key things we’re looking for are:

• Strong understanding of how support functions enable enterprise performance, scalability and value delivery, with ability to connect people strategy to cost, productivity, risk and operational outcomes across global matrix organisations.
• Deep expertise in organisation design, workforce planning, succession planning and leadership development, with credibility to influence and challenge senior functional leaders and executives.
• Experience leading people aspects of large-scale transformation and change, with strong understanding of engagement drivers and cultural levers within corporate and enabling functions.
• Data-driven and commercially minded approach to people decisions, operating effectively across global–local environments with strong judgement, resilience and decisiveness in ambiguity.
• Role models organisational values and builds trust through credibility and consistency, acting as a principled leader and culture carrier across the business.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?

• Hybrid working
• Welcome free pair of Docs
• ‘Buy as you Earn’ Share scheme
• 65% off all Docs
• 50% off Accessories
• Pension Scheme through Aviva
• Life Assurance
• 25 Days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays
• Private healthcare
• 2 paid volunteer days per year

READY TO FILL YOUR BOOTS?

If you’re excited to own your impact, shape the future of an iconic brand, and grow your career in a place that champions individuality - we’d love to hear from you.

Application closing date: Friday 1st of May 2026

At Dr. Martens, we are committed to creating an environment in which we can all be our best and bring our authentic selves to work. We encourage applications, regardless of race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, age, veteran status, or disability. Diverse and inclusive teams have a positive impact on our brand; helping us to speak authentically to our consumers.

We strive to develop a business where our people can thrive and feel empowered to express themselves. Because we believe everyone should feel supported and included whatever their role in the Dr. Martens community.