Human Rights Director - EMEA

Overview We Are PepsiCo PepsiCo is a leading name in North Africa’s food and beverage industry, where our products are enjoyed by consumers daily across the region. We offer a robust portfolio of beloved brands like PEPSI, SEVEN-UP, DORITOS, CHEETOS and CHIPSY, designed to cater to the tastes and preferences of consumers. With a focus on local sourcing, production, and distribution, PepsiCo provides essential support to local economies and partners closely with communities throughout the region. Guiding Vision and Regional Impact PepsiCo’s vision aligns with our global goal to be the Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive (pep+). This strategic transformation is committed to sustainable growth by putting people and the planet at the heart of our operations. In North Africa, this includes initiatives in responsible sourcing, waste reduction, and water conservation. Our regional programs empower local talent, boost employment, and provide support for local agriculture, particularly through partnerships with farmers and suppliers. Empowering Our People and Communities Our dynamic teams drive the PepsiCo culture in North Africa, embracing diversity and collaboration to solve local challenges and create innovative products. We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace, one where every individual feels valued and empowered to be themselves. This commitment extends beyond our employees to positively impact the communities we serve, striving for shared growth and a healthier, more sustainable future for all. Diversity and Inclusion Commitment PepsiCo stands firmly behind our global commitment to diversity, equality, and human rights. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, ensuring a fair and welcoming workplace for all, regardless of age, gender, religion, disability, or any other characteristic. Our dedication to inclusion strengthens our workforce and helps drive our business forward, enriching both PepsiCo and the communities in North Africa. The EMEA Human Rights Director is responsible for embedding human rights policies and standards into PepsiCo's business operations across the EMEA region. This role will lead the regional implementation of global human rights strategy, help ensure compliance with international and local standards, and partners with internal and external stakeholders to mitigate risks across the Company's direct operations and supply chain. The Director acts as the primary human rights lead for EMEA, reporting to the Global Head of Human Rights, and collaborates closely with regional business units, Legal, People, Procurement, and Sustainability teams. Responsibilities Establish Regional Human Rights Leadership and Governance Serve as the Company's primary human rights lead for EMEA, acting as the regional expert and point of contact for all human rights matters within the region. Advise and partner with key EMEA functions (e.g., Legal, Compliance & Ethics, People, Procurement, etc.) and regional leadership to embed human rights into everyday decision-making processes across our anchor markets. Establish and lead EMEA-specific governance structures, integrating into existing regional business frameworks where possible, to facilitate alignment between global and EMEA teams. Ensure that best practices and learnings are adapted for EMEA and shared across the region, while maintaining accountability for regional implementation and outcomes. Drive Regional Human Rights Strategy and Action Plans Lead the execution of PepsiCo's global human rights strategy within EMEA, ensuring adaptation of global frameworks to local regulatory, cultural, and business contexts. Develop and implement tailored EMEA action plans to mitigate risks in key anchor markets, reflecting local priorities and challenges. Operationalize Global Policy for Regional Implementation and Drive Business Integration Adapt and operationalize PepsiCo's Global Human Rights Policy, Supplier Code of Conduct, and issue-specific guidance for practical application across EMEA, ensuring compliance with local laws and standards. Collaborate with regional functional and business leaders to ensure human-rights considerations are integrated into core business and decision-making processes, mitigating risk across our operations and supply chain in EMEA. Own the regional implementation of global policies, while escalating unresolved or systemic issues to global teams for further action. Lead Regional Training and Capability Building Efforts Design and deliver training and awareness materials tailored for EMEA leadership and in-market teams, leveraging global toolkits and adapting them for local context. Build capacity across key EMEA functions to identify and escalate potential issues effectively, supporting corrective actions (e.g., training and ongoing support for high-risk supply chains), when needed. Support Regional Human Rights Due Diligence Efforts Integrate regional findings into enterprise risk processes and business planning, ensuring EMEA-specific risks are accurately reflected and captured in risk management process. Partner with Global Human Rights Due Diligence Director to deploy and adapt global framework/tools to identify, assess, and mitigate human rights risk across EMEA, implementing tailored mitigation plans for regional and local risks, when needed. Lead Regional Stakeholder Engagement and Industry Collaboration Lead and oversee participation in key EMEA stakeholder forums and multi-stakeholder/collaborative initiatives to build partnerships and drive action on systemic human rights challenges. Supporting Critical Issue Management Escalate unresolved, systemic, or high-risk issues to the Global Human Rights team, ensuring regional insights inform global strategy and decision-making. Support in management of identified critical human rights violations within the EMEA region. Qualifications Advanced degree (JD, MA, or equivalent) in law, public policy, international relations, human resources, sustainability, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and substantial relevant experience. 10+ years of progressive experience in legal, compliance, ESG, sustainability, human resources, or responsible business roles, with demonstrated leadership in a regional or global, matrixed organization. Working knowledge of business and human rights concepts and frameworks, including labor rights, supply chain risk, and due diligence expectations, with the ability to quickly translate evolving standards into practical business guidance. Demonstrated ability to lead and influence cross functionally, partnering with Legal, People, Procurement, Sustainability, Compliance, and business teams to integrate risk considerations into decision making and manage complex or sensitive issues. Strong executive presence and communication skills, with experience engaging senior leaders and external stakeholders across diverse EMEA markets. Establish Regional Human Rights Leadership and Governance Serve as the Company's primary human rights lead for EMEA, acting as the regional expert and point of contact for all human rights matters within the region. Advise and partner with key EMEA functions (e.g., Legal, Compliance & Ethics, People, Procurement, etc.) and regional leadership to embed human rights into everyday decision-making processes across our anchor markets. Establish and lead EMEA-specific governance structures, integrating into existing regional business frameworks where possible, to facilitate alignment between global and EMEA teams. Ensure that best practices and learnings are adapted for EMEA and shared across the region, while maintaining accountability for regional implementation and outcomes. Drive Regional Human Rights Strategy and Action Plans Lead the execution of PepsiCo's global human rights strategy within EMEA, ensuring adaptation of global frameworks to local regulatory, cultural, and business contexts. Develop and implement tailored EMEA action plans to mitigate risks in key anchor markets, reflecting local priorities and challenges. Operationalize Global Policy for Regional Implementation and Drive Business Integration Adapt and operationalize PepsiCo's Global Human Rights Policy, Supplier Code of Conduct, and issue-specific guidance for practical application across EMEA, ensuring compliance with local laws and standards. Collaborate with regional functional and business leaders to ensure human-rights considerations are integrated into core business and decision-making processes, mitigating risk across our operations and supply chain in EMEA. Own the regional implementation of global policies, while escalating unresolved or systemic issues to global teams for further action. Lead Regional Training and Capability Building Efforts Design and deliver training and awareness materials tailored for EMEA leadership and in-market teams, leveraging global toolkits and adapting them for local context. Build capacity across key EMEA functions to identify and escalate potential issues effectively, supporting corrective actions (e.g., training and ongoing support for high-risk supply chains), when needed. Support Regional Human Rights Due Diligence Efforts Integrate regional findings into enterprise risk processes and business planning, ensuring EMEA-specific risks are accurately reflected and captured in risk management process. Partner with Global Human Rights Due Diligence Director to deploy and adapt global framework/tools to identify, assess, and mitigate human rights risk across EMEA, implementing tailored mitigation plans for regional and local risks, when needed. Lead Regional Stakeholder Engagement and Industry Collaboration Lead and oversee participation in key EMEA stakeholder forums and multi-stakeholder/collaborative initiatives to build partnerships and drive action on systemic human rights challenges. Supporting Critical Issue Management Escalate unresolved, systemic, or high-risk issues to the Global Human Rights team, ensuring regional insights inform global strategy and decision-making. Support in management of identified critical human rights violations within the EMEA region. Advanced degree (JD, MA, or equivalent) in law, public policy, international relations, human resources, sustainability, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and substantial relevant experience. 10+ years of progressive experience in legal, compliance, ESG, sustainability, human resources, or responsible business roles, with demonstrated leadership in a regional or global, matrixed organization. Working knowledge of business and human rights concepts and frameworks, including labor rights, supply chain risk, and due diligence expectations, with the ability to quickly translate evolving standards into practical business guidance. Demonstrated ability to lead and influence cross functionally, partnering with Legal, People, Procurement, Sustainability, Compliance, and business teams to integrate risk considerations into decision making and manage complex or sensitive issues. Strong executive presence and communication skills, with experience engaging senior leaders and external stakeholders across diverse EMEA markets.