Senior People Manager - Europe · London, UK ·

HKA is a leading global consultancy in risk mitigation, dispute resolution, expert witness and litigation support. We anticipate, investigate and resolve complex challenges by harnessing world-leading multi-disciplinary expertise and experience. As trusted independent consultants, experts and advisors, we deliver solutions amid uncertainty, dispute and overrun, and provide the insights that make the best possible outcomes a reality for public and private sector clients worldwide. Our experts have testified across the globe on many of the largest quantum, delay, engineering and commercial damages matters.

What you can expect at HKA: A strong collaborative high performing culture focused on making HKA a great place for our brilliant people to work, play and grow. Growth of our people, their talent and expertise, diversity, wellbeing, and engagement as the bedrock of our success. Two-way regular engagement and communication, collaborating globally, and living our values.

The opportunity: HKA is looking to recruit an experienced Senior People Manager with responsibility for our UK and European business as part of our wider International People Team. This is a pivotal role combining operational excellence with tactical partnership, supporting business leaders across multiple jurisdictions while leading the delivery of people initiatives that enable business growth. Our ideal candidate will have a strong generalist HR background, significant experience operating in a multi-country European environment, and a deep understanding of employment law, particularly within the UK and Europe. They will be a highly credible HR professional with a strong track record of business partnering, capable of building trusted relationships with stakeholders at all levels and influencing people decisions that support organisational success.

Key responsibilities:

• Act as the lead People partner for our UK and European region, providing expert advice and guidance to senior leaders, managers, and employees.
• Act as a trusted and visible People Business Partner to senior leaders across the UK and Europe, building strong and effective relationships that support business performance and employee engagement.
• Develop a deep understanding of the business, its priorities, challenges, and growth ambitions, providing commercially focused people solutions and advice.
• Lead and manage complex employee relations matters across multiple jurisdictions, including disciplinary, grievance, performance management, restructuring, organisational change, and workforce planning activities.
• Ensure compliance with UK and European employment legislation, with particular focus on France and the UK, proactively identifying risks and recommending practical solutions.
• Partner closely with leaders to develop people strategies that drive engagement, performance, retention, and organisational effectiveness.
• Lead the delivery of regional people initiatives and projects, ensuring alignment with wider Global People Team and business objectives.
• Manage and develop one direct report, providing coaching, support, and development opportunities to strengthen capability and performance.
• Collaborate with HR colleagues globally to drive consistency, share best practice, and implement people policies and processes across the organisation.
• Support business growth and change initiatives through expert people advice, change management support, and effective stakeholder engagement.
• Advise on reward and benefits matters in partnership with the Total Reward team, ensuring market competitiveness, compliance, and internal equity.
• Monitor, interpret, and communicate changes in employment legislation and HR best practices across relevant jurisdictions (with a focus on UK and France), updating policies and advising stakeholders accordingly.
• Coach and develop managers on people management practices, employment law, leadership capability, and employee engagement.
• Analyse workforce and HR metrics to identify trends, opportunities, and risks, providing insights to support decision making.
• Maintain a regular presence within our London office for a minimum three days a week and travel periodically to regional offices across the UK and Europe to strengthen stakeholder relationships and support local teams.
• Collaborate and contribute to the continuous improvement of our People processes, systems (we use Workday People System), and service delivery across the wider international region.

About you: Qualifications & Experience:

• CIPD Level 5 qualification (or equivalent) would be desirable.
• Significant experience in a Senior HR Business Partner, Senior People Manager, or equivalent leadership role supporting UK and European businesses.
• Strong working knowledge of UK employment law and demonstrable experience supporting employees and managers within France, including knowledge of French employment legislation and People practices.
• Knowledge of wider European employment law would be highly advantageous.
• Proven experience managing complex employee relations cases and organisational change activities across multiple jurisdictions.
• Strong business partnering experience with a proven ability to influence, coach, and support senior stakeholders and leadership teams.
• Demonstrated ability to build credibility quickly and establish trusted relationships across all levels of an organisation.
• Experience supporting geographically dispersed teams across multiple countries and cultures.
• Previous experience within a professional services, consulting, engineering, or similarly fast-paced knowledge-based business would be advantageous.
• Experience leading, coaching, or developing People team members.
• Experience of using Workday People System would be advantageous.
• French language capability would be highly desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a high-performing, fast-paced, and culturally diverse international environment.

Skills & Competencies:

• Exceptional business partnering and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence, challenge, and coach leaders effectively.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build credibility and strong relationships at all levels, including senior leadership.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to balance business objectives with people priorities.
• Strong knowledge of UK and French employment law and the ability to apply legal and commercial judgement to complex situations.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to establish a visible and trusted presence across multiple locations and develop strong working relationships in an international environment.
• High level of discretion, professionalism, and integrity when handling sensitive information.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on operational delivery.
• Strong project management and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Proficient in HRIS systems and Microsoft Office Suite.

Personal Attributes:

• Culturally aware, inclusive, and globally minded.
• Relationship-focused with a natural ability to build trust and credibility across all levels of the organisation.
• Approachable, visible, and highly collaborative, with a genuine passion for supporting leaders and employees.
• Proactive, self-motivated, and resilient.
• Confident and pragmatic approach to problem solving and decision making.
• Collaborative team player who builds strong relationships across diverse teams and geographies.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, international environment with the flexibility to travel as required.
• Passionate about developing people and fostering high-performance cultures.
• Committed to continuous improvement and professional development.

Why join HKA? You will be joining a respected global consultancy where quality, collaboration and integrity underpin everything we do. This role offers meaningful exposure, responsibility and the opportunity to contribute to our people agenda.

ED&I at HKA: HKA has a thriving ED&I committee working hard to provide an inclusive and welcoming environment for a truly diverse set of employees. We are committed as a business on the continued improvement of our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy.