People & Culture Business Partner, Emea

Position Overview
Reporting directly to the Global Head of People Partners, the HR Business Partner for UK & Nordics will serve as a strategic partner to our regional leadership teams during a pivotal growth phase. This role uniquely combines regional expertise with global responsibility, supporting our worldwide R&D and Professional Services organizations while maintaining deep local market knowledge across UK, Benelux and Nordic countries. This position requires a commercially-minded HR professional who thrives in fast-paced, data-driven environments and can seamlessly bridge local employment complexities with global operational excellence.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Business Partnership
- Partner with regional Sales, Product, and Operations leaders to align HR strategy with aggressive business growth targets
- Serve as the HR partner globally for R&D and Professional Services functions, providing strategic workforce planning and organizational development support across all international locations
- Lead cross-functional collaboration between regional compliance requirements and global team structures, ensuring seamless operation of distributed R&D and consulting teams
- Provide consultative support on organizational design, workforce planning, and talent strategy for EMEA.
- Lead strategic workforce analytics and insights to drive data-informed decisions on headcount planning, compensation positioning, and retention strategies
- Act as the primary HR liaison for M&A due diligence and integration activities in the region

Market Expansion & Workforce Planning
- Support regional leadership with strategic workforce planning and organizational design initiatives
- Partner with hiring managers to optimize onboarding and integration processes for new hires
- Develop market-specific people strategies that resonate with EMEA business expectations and cultural values

Complex Employment & Compensation Management
- Navigate intricate multi-country payroll, benefits, and compliance requirements (similar complexity to our Turkish operations analysis)
- Design competitive, locally-compliant compensation frameworks that account for significant tax and cost variations across markets
- Manage global compensation equity and career progression frameworks for R&D and Professional Services teams across multiple jurisdictions
- Lead annual compensation reviews, equity planning, and complex cross-border employee mobility projects
- Ensure compliance with diverse employment legislation across EMEA while maintaining operational efficiency for global teams

Organizational Development & Culture
- Drive leadership development initiatives and succession planning for high-growth teams
- Design and implement global career development pathways for technical and consulting professionals, ensuring consistent advancement opportunities regardless of location
- Lead change management initiatives during rapid scaling phases and organizational restructuring
- Develop and implement employee engagement strategies that maintain Centric's culture during international expansion
- Support performance management processes and career development frameworks

Operational Excellence
- Establish HR service delivery models that scale with business growth across multiple time zones and legal entities
- Build people analytics dashboards and reporting frameworks for both regional business leaders and global R&D/Professional Services leadership
- Lead HR technology implementation and optimization projects for the region while ensuring global system integration
- Manage complex employee relations cases and investigations across different legal frameworks
- Coordinate with global teams to ensure consistent HR policies while maintaining local compliance and cultural sensitivity

Required Qualifications
Experience & Background
- 8-12 years progressive HR experience with at least 4 years in business partner or generalist roles
- Proven track record in high-growth technology companies, preferably SaaS, software, or digital services
- Multi-country experience required - deep understanding of UK, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, The Netherlands and Switzerland employment law and cultural nuances
- International payroll and compensation experience managing complex tax structures and compliance requirements
- M&A or rapid scaling experience supporting organizations through significant growth phases

Technical Expertise
- Strong analytical capabilities with experience in HR metrics, workforce planning, and compensation benchmarking
- Proficiency with HRIS systems, payroll platforms, and people analytics tools
- Understanding of equity compensation, international benefits, and complex employment structures
- Experience with employment law across UK and Nordic jurisdictions

Leadership & Business Acumen
- Commercially-minded approach with ability to balance people strategy with business outcomes
- Executive presence and ability to influence stakeholders and regiona