About the Company
Shape our global HR Strategy. Connect People, Locations, and Cultures. LOWA stands for more than 100 years of footwear expertise, combining quality, innovation, and a passion for outdoor, mountain, and trail running footwear. We are equally dedicated to creating an inspiring workplace, developing our people, and fostering a culture built on trust, collaboration, and mutual respect. Headquartered in Jetzendorf near Munich, LOWA is an international organization with more than 1.850 employees across Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Slovakia, and the USA, generating annual revenues of over €240 million. As part of the Italian Tecnica Group since 1993, we combine the strengths of LOWA with the opportunities of an international group.
About the Role
To support our continued growth and international development, we are looking for an experienced and strategic Group HR Director (m/f/d). In this key leadership role, you will take overall responsibility for the strategic direction and further development of HR across the LOWA organization, working closely with the LOWA management board and Tecnica Group Corporate HR.
Responsibilities
- Lead and strategically develop the HR function across our legal entities in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Slovakia, and the USA.
- Develop and implement a forward-looking HR strategy for the entire company group together with the management board, ensuring alignment with the overall Group HR strategy and priorities.
- Act as a trusted advisor to the management board and senior leaders on strategic organizational, people and leadership matters.
- Develop and oversee group-wide compensation, benefits and incentive principles, ensuring market competitiveness, internal consistency and alignment with local requirements.
- Oversee labor and employee relations across the group, including collaboration with works councils, trade unions and other employee representative bodies.
- Establish meaningful group-wide HR reporting and people analytics, providing management with transparency on workforce development, personnel costs, turnover and other key HR indicators.
- Foster close collaboration and knowledge sharing between our two headquarters and international locations, strengthening a unified company culture across countries.
- Harmonize HR processes across the group while respecting local legal, cultural, and organizational requirements.
- Further develop group-wide leadership principles and performance management processes.
- Drive the further development of organizational structures and lead HR-related transformation and change initiatives.
- Design and implement group-wide approaches for talent development, succession planning, and employee engagement.
- Lead strategic workforce planning and HR budgeting to ensure sustainable organizational development and alignment with business requirements.
Qualifications
- Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, or a comparable qualification.
- 10+ years of leadership experience in HR within an international manufacturing organization, ideally in footwear, fashion, sporting goods or consumer goods.
- Experience in managing industrial relations across multiple European
- Strong expertise across key HR disciplines, particularly compensation and benefits, organization and development.
- Proven experience partnering with executive management, senior leaders, and international teams.
- Ability to balance local business needs with group-wide standards and align diverse stakeholders around common goals.
- Strong communication and influencing skills combined with empathy and intercultural competence.
- Fluent in German and English; knowledge of Italian would be an advantage, given our close collaboration with Tecnica Group headquarters.
- Willingness to travel regularly to our international locations.
What We Offer
- A key leadership position with significant strategic impact on the future development of our international group.
- The opportunity to shape structures, professionalize processes, and drive meaningful change.
- Short decision-making paths and a collaborative, entrepreneurial working environment.
- An open, value-driven company culture.
Ready to Make an Impact?
Are you an experienced HR leader who combines strategic thinking with a passion for people? Do you thrive in an international environment where you can connect people and cultures, strengthen collaboration, and drive organizational development?
Then we look forward to getting to know you.
Join LOWA and help shape the future of our people, our culture, and our international organization.