Global Chief Human Resources Officer, Future-of-Work Mandate

CONFIDENTIAL RETAINED SEARCH | GLOBAL AUTOMOTIVE / AUTO PARTS

Search Reference: TNF-AU-CHRO-2026 | Human Capital Leadership Mandate, Global Automotive

ABOUT THIS SEARCH

Top Notch Finders has been retained on an exclusive and strictly confidential basis to identify a Global Chief Human Resources Officer for a global automotive or auto parts manufacturing organization. To protect the interests of our client and of every candidate who engages with us, the identity of the company is disclosed only to qualified candidates under a confidentiality agreement. All inquiries and applications are received and managed solely by Top Notch Finders.

POSITION SNAPSHOT

• Reports to: Chief Executive Officer.
• Location: Global, HQ-based with cross-regional travel; specifics disclosed to qualified candidates.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Global CHRO leads the human capital strategy for a workforce undergoing generational and technological transformation, combining foundational automotive labor and plant HR expertise with AI governance, people analytics, and organizational design capability required for the 2026-2030 future-of-work mandate.

MARKET CONTEXT

Scarcity is very high: the overwhelming majority of CHROs globally are not yet equipped with the combined foundational and AI-governance skill set required by the 2026-2030 mandate, requiring extended search timelines and build-around onboarding.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design and execute global talent strategy spanning labor relations, workforce planning, and cross-border manufacturing HR operations.
• Lead enterprise reskilling and upskilling programs to prepare the workforce for AI, automation, and electrification-driven change.
• Establish AI governance frameworks for HR technology and workforce AI tools, aligned with NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001, and EU AI Act principles.
• Build people analytics capability and pursue ISO 30414 human capital reporting maturity.
• Partner with the CEO and board on organizational design, succession planning, and leadership capability development.
• Oversee cross-border labor relations and compliance, including U.S.-Mexico manufacturing labor law and reform, such as the 40-hour workweek changes.
• Lead diversity, equity, and multilingual workforce integration strategies across global sites.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to the executive team on culture, change management, and talent risk.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• 15+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, including 5+ years as CHRO or SVP HR in automotive or industrial manufacturing.
• Deep foundational expertise in automotive labor relations and plant-level HR operations.
• Demonstrated experience building AI governance capability and people analytics functions.
• Cross-border HR experience, particularly across North American manufacturing corridors (U.S., Mexico).
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field; advanced degree or SHRM/HRCI certification preferred.
• Multilingual capability (English/Spanish) strongly preferred for cross-border roles.
• Proven track record leading large-scale organizational transformation and reskilling initiatives.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND HOW TO APPLY

This is a discreet, retained engagement. Your candidacy will never be presented to any organization without your explicit prior authorization, and no application will be visible to the hiring company at this stage. Accomplished human capital executives are invited to submit a resume in confidence through the Top Notch Finders website. Please reference search code TNF-AU-CHRO-2026 in your submission. Do not include proprietary, export-controlled, or customer-confidential information of any kind in your application materials. Only candidates whose backgrounds align closely with the mandate will be contacted.