As an HR Business Partner, you act as a trusted strategic partner to the Research & Innovation teams in Utrecht & Paris-Saclay (Advanced Tech, Utrecht Site, Support Functions – General Secretary, Finance, Quality Food Safety and Cycles & Procurement). You proactively identify people‑related needs, influence leaders through data and insights, and ensure strong execution of the HR agenda. You are both an employee advocate and a business enabler, contributing to performance, culture and organizational effectiveness.

This role blends strategic partnering, talent development, organizational support, and HR operational excellence in a dynamic, scientific and multicultural environment.

You will be reporting to Marie Descat, HRD R&I Utrecht.

Main Responsibilities

1. Business Strategy & Organizational Leadership

• Partner with leaders to shape and execute the People agenda aligned with the function priorities and the People Strategy.
• Anticipate organizational needs, advise on future capabilities, and support workforce planning, organizational design, and structural evolutions.
• Provide strategic HR insights to influence decisions and elevate overall organizational performance.

2. Talent, Leadership & Culture Development

• Lead the Talent Management cycle: succession planning, key talent identification, development plans, and leadership pipeline strengthening.
• Coach and support Team Leaders in developing their teams, fostering accountability, wellbeing and high performance.
• Champion Danone’s culture, leadership standards, inclusion & diversity agenda, and employee engagement.

3. HR Performance & Operational Excellence

• Deploy all annual HR cycle activities (ASR, STI, performance management, objective setting) with consistency and quality across the location.
• Guarantee the accuracy and reliability of HR processes, data and documentation.

4. Insights, HR Analytics & Decision Support

• Use People Analytics dashboards and HR metrics to identify trends, risks, and opportunities; translate insights into meaningful recommendations.
• Support leaders with data‑driven decision‑making across talent, performance, engagement and organization.

5. Transformation, Change & Ways of Working

• Contribute to and lead change initiatives (organizational, cultural, digital or process‑related).
• Support teams through transitions by enabling clarity, alignment, and adoption of new ways of working.
• Leverage the broader HR network and Centers of Excellence to bring best practices and ensure harmonization across teams and locations.

6. Collaboration & Stakeholder Partnership

• Collaborate with global HRBPs and cross‑country teams to align on global priorities and share learnings across R&I sites.
• Work closely with HR colleagues (TA, Reward, Learning, etc.) to ensure seamless HR experience.
• Proactively connect with business stakeholders to understand needs, challenges and opportunities.

Experience & Education

• You have proven progressive HRBP experience in complex and fast‑moving environments; strong comfort with scientific, technical or matrix organizations.
• Undergraduate degree required; HR qualification is a plus.

Skills & Competencies

• Strategic & Business Acumen: ability to link people implications to business priorities.
• HR Analytics & Insights: capacity to interpret data and generate recommendations.
• Talent & Performance: skilled in development conversations, talent spotting, coaching and engagement.
• Employee Relations & Ethics: sound judgment, fairness, and confidentiality.
• Communication & Influence: ability to convey complex topics clearly and partner with diverse stakeholders.
• Critical Thinking & Problem‑Solving: ability to anticipate, simplify and propose solutions.
• Change Agility: comfort with ambiguity, transition and continuous improvement.

At Danone we are committed to our mission “bringing health, through food to as many people as possible”. We are working together to make sure that our brands, like Nutricia and Nutrilon, create real benefits for people, communities and the planet. You will be part of one of the largest Certified B Corps™ in the world. Being B Corp means to be part of a select movement of companies verified to be meeting the highest standards of social and environmental criteria and using business as a force for good. One Planet. One Health.

Our state-of-the-art research and innovation center builds bridges between food and science and is global in reach, founded on over 125 years of experience in life & food science, technology and user experience and is at the forefront of pioneering advances in specialized nutrition.

We offer:

All Danoners receive a complete package of benefits. This includes a competitive salary and yearly bonus, a premium free pension, 30 days of annual leave (with the opportunity to purchase more) and you will receive a monthly health care allowance. In addition, you can get discount on your gym membership, and we offer initiatives focused on nutrition, physical, and mental health. We provide continuous learning opportunities through workshops, online courses and training sessions.

We put people at the center of everything we do. Bring your unique perspective, ambitions and ideas to the table – the impact you could make might surprise you. We are committed to embrace diversity, nurturing an inclusive workplace where every individual is valued; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is deeply embedded in Danone's DNA.

What's next:

It’s simple – hit the “apply” button before the application deadline of 15 February 2026. In order to comply with GDPR we can’t process your personal data without your given consent, so please apply directly via this website. Good luck! We can’t wait to meet you.

Need more information? Please contact Elif Oruc, Senior Talent Manager via elif.oruc@danone.com

* All applications will be considered for a vacancy without discrimination based on ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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