International HR Director - London base, entrepreneurial culture

ROLE FILLED - HIGH PERFORMANCE LEADER COMMENCED AFTER SUCCESSFUL EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT OFFER

This company is “coming of age” after experiencing rapid growth and success from their relatively recent founding. They have carved out a healthy niche in their market, and have further plans for expansion, both organic and through acquisition. Like many companies who have remained viable after initial startup success, they now wish to introduce frameworks and consistency of practices, to ensure efficiency and fairness in their operations, but without losing the dynamic and innovative culture that contributed to their entrepreneurial success.

As a result, we’re seeking a pragmatic leader with advanced multi-markets labor law knowledge, to take on a newly created HR Operations role with this company. Reporting directly into the CHRO, this person will focus on

  • building HR frameworks to enable diverse and commercially sustainable company growth,

  • risk management for employment legislation compliance and labor law interpretation

  • ensuring consistency for HR policy, process and service delivery to international stakeholders, and

  • building structures to manage fairness for pay and performance management.

The efforts of this person will directly be with the purpose of taking away the day to day "noise" from the HRBP team and the CHRO, which in turn will enable them to provide more proactive support to management teams in further growth and financial success for the company.

The person will lead a team of globally scattered HR managers, who in turn provide day to day HR operational support to employees and managers scattered around the world. Ensuring that this team is inspired and motivated, technically proficient, consistent and pro active with their advice, and able to provide accurate data and talent market intelligence in short time frames - this is just another of the many priorities in this role.

A significant number of employees globally have advanced IT and finance savvy, so this role will particularly suit the HR professional who can offer solutions with reasoning and influence through facts and data, rather than the HR leader who prefers a “policy police” and/or emotive approach in their communications.

Ideally (post-Covid restrictions) this person will be based from the company’s central London offices, with some flexibility in the long term for a flex work arrangement. We are mindful that the culture of the company may take many iterations as the company continues with an aggressive growth trajectory, so “water cooler” moments are particularly critical for the foreseeable future.

Again, as with many companies still early in their life-cycle, there is a need for this person to have a “jack of all trades” mindset - there will be no shortage of change, ambiguity, critical projects and “all hands to the pump” moments. Bonus and benefits plans haven’t yet been developed, HR systems are inconsistently utilised, acquisitions aren’t always integrated, and the people who joined at start up aren’t always the best placed to operate effectively as revenues and staff numbers soar…

The “wish list” for hiring criteria is very reasonable, inclusive of:

  • Fluent English written and verbal language skills. Any additional European languages would be useful but are not essential.

  • A working knowledge of multi jurisdictional labor laws, ideally across Europe, North and South America, plus AsiaPac countries

  • A track record for successfully working through the complex matrix and reporting structures of a multinational company, and knowing how to pick the best of that and apply it within the ambiguity and “everything yesterday” demands of a startup company culture

  • Advanced commercial savvy with an ability to find solutions that match business needs

  • Courage to influence and stand your ground whilst demonstrating a high degree of emotional intelligence


The role will require current EU or UK citizenship and current UK residency. When Covid restrictions are relaxed, planned travel can be expected across Europe and occasionally to other continents.  The base salary will be accompanied by bonus and benefits whenever they’ve been designed and implemented!

Finally, this employer offers genuine intent for career development prospects of high performance staff, especially for those who wish to move to other specialist areas within the HR team, or into other functional roles within the company.

If this sounds like the challenge you've been seeking for your next career move, please do make contact directly and in confidence via solutions@cartermorris.com; quoting CMTS00254. Interviews are being scheduled currently with view to an employment offer being extended in the coming weeks.

ROLE FILLED - HIGH PERFORMANCE LEADER COMMENCED AFTER SUCCESSFUL EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT OFFER

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Employment Law, HR Business Partner, HR Transformation, HR OperationsLeanne Morris