COS European Head of HR

Accountable for shaping and delivering an ambitious people strategy across 29 countries, translating global direction into powerful local execution that drives commercial performance and long‑term growth. The role reports directly to the Regional Managing Director and COS People Director and sits at the heart of the European regional team, ensuring that people decisions enable strategy, strengthen organisational capability and unlock team potential across every market.

Responsibilities

• Partner with European and global business leaders to translate global people frameworks into effective, locally relevant execution that supports European strategy and growth.
• Build strong, trust‑based relationships with leaders to embed people priorities into operational and commercial decision‑making.
• Represent Europe credibly in group people forums, ensuring a strong European voice and challenging global approaches where they do not deliver for local realities.
• Create a strong EU HR community, with shared ways of working, best practice and accountability.
• Lead workforce planning and organisational design to structure the business for performance, agility and future readiness.
• Drive and support change and transformation initiatives, enabling leaders and teams to adapt to evolving business needs.
• Own succession planning and talent pipelines for critical European roles.
• Drive internal mobility and capability building, strengthening leadership depth and accountability across markets.
• Provide senior guidance on performance, development and engagement, intervening directly where impact or risk is high.
• Retain direct involvement in complex senior hires, critical leadership cases, restructures and sensitive people issues.
• Champion a values‑driven, inclusive culture that strengthens engagement, belonging and performance.
• Embed colleague experience frameworks, including Moments That Matter, to elevate engagement and retention.
• Provide senior oversight of employee relations, ensuring fair, consistent and legally sound outcomes across Europe.

Qualifications

• Proven senior HR leadership experience within a complex, multi‑country environment, ideally in a consumer‑led business.
• Demonstrated experience leading other HR leaders and building high‑performing teams and shaping capability as well as delivery.
• Strong commercial acumen with the credibility and confidence to influence Regional Managing Directors and leadership teams.
• Track record of translating strategy into practical, high‑impact people solutions that drive business performance.
• Comfortable operating at both strategic and hands‑on levels, owning critical people decisions and interventions when it matters most.
• Deep experience working within matrixed, global organisations, with the ability to navigate complexity and influence without authority.
• Strong expertise across core people priorities, including organisational design, workforce planning, succession, leadership development and employee relations.
• Calm, decisive leadership style with the judgement to manage risk, ambiguity and sensitive situations across diverse markets and cultures.
• Passion for building inclusive, values‑driven cultures that strengthen engagement, performance and long‑term talent retention.

Benefits

• 25 days holiday + bank holidays.
• Discounts on everyday brands and leisure activities.
• Long service awards.
• Retail Trust membership.
• Excellent private pension scheme.
• Private health and dental care.
• Discounted gym membership.
• Cycle to work scheme.

Inclusion & Diversity

At COS we are determined to create and maintain inclusive, diverse and equitable workplaces throughout our organisation. Our teams should consist of a variety of people who share and combine their knowledge, experience and ideas, and we consider all diversity dimensions in our recruitment process.

Company Values

Alignment to our company values is the most important characteristic we look for. We value open‑mindedness, curiosity, difference, constant improvement, and empowerment and trust to take ownership. These values shape how we act and what we stand for.

Location & Remote Working

This role is based at our Regional Office in London. While some flexibility to work remotely is possible, a presence in the office is required four days each week to support cross‑department collaboration and teamwork.