Director, People Operations (Europe)

Department: Operations

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Farnborough, Hampshire, Ash Vale, UK, Remote

What Youll Do

• Serve as the principal European people and employment adviser to executive leadership. 
• Advise senior management on employment law, organizational change, workforce planning, employee relations, performance management, and risk mitigation. 
• Translate complex employment and labor relations issues into clear business recommendations. 
• Partner with internal and external legal counsel on employment-related matters. 
• Support business leaders through organizational changes, restructures, and growth initiatives. 

• Lead employee relations matters across Europe. 
• Provide guidance on disciplinary processes, grievances, investigations, performance issues, and employment risk. 
• Develop pragmatic solutions that balance legal compliance with business objectives. 

• Oversee day-to-day HR operations across Germany, the UK, and Bulgaria. 
• Ensure legally compliant employment documentation and employee lifecycle processes. 
• Maintain HR policies and practices that align with local legal requirements. 
• Support onboarding, offboarding, and organizational changes. 
• Serve as the primary escalation point for complex HR matters. 

• Oversee payroll operations across European entities. 
• Manage relationships with external payroll providers and internal finance teams. 
• Ensure payroll accuracy, compliance, controls, and timely processing. 
• Coordinate statutory reporting and payroll-related compliance requirements. 
• Drive improvements in payroll and people operations processes. 

• Monitor legislative developments and advise leadership on emerging employment risks and obligations. 
• Ensure compliance with local employment regulations across multiple jurisdictions. 
• Support audits, reporting requirements, and regulatory inquiries. 
• Develop practical frameworks for managing employment risk while supporting business growth. 

What Were Looking For

• 8+ years of progressive HR leadership experience. 
• Significant experience supporting operations across multiple European countries. 
• Strong understanding of German employment law and employment practices. 
• Experience managing payroll directly or overseeing external payroll providers. 
• Demonstrated experience handling complex employee relations matters. 
• Experience advising senior executives and business leaders. 
• Strong judgment, discretion, and problem-solving skills. 
• Fluent English communication skills, both written and verbal. 

• Experience supporting US-based leadership teams. 
• Experience supporting UK employment matters. 
• Experience in technology, software, consumer electronics, manufacturing, media, or other international organizations. 
• German language skills. 
• Experience supporting post-acquisition integration or organizational transformation initiatives. 

Success in This Role

• Comfortable operating independently with significant autonomy. 
• Able to balance legal compliance with commercial realities. 
• Capable of influencing senior stakeholders through expertise and sound judgment. 
• Skilled at building productive relationships across cultures and jurisdictions. 
• Calm and effective in complex employee relations situations. 
• Equally comfortable discussing strategic workforce issues and reviewing payroll reports.