Director, People Operations (Europe) in Farnborough

inMusic is seeking an experienced European HR leader to serve as the primary adviser to our US-based executive team on employment, payroll, employee relations, and people operations matters across Europe. This is a highly visible role that combines strategic advisory responsibilities with practical operational ownership. The successful candidate will partner directly with senior leadership to help navigate the realities of operating across multiple European jurisdictions while ensuring compliance, managing risk, and supporting business objectives. The role has responsibility for HR operations across Germany, the United Kingdom, and Bulgaria, with particular emphasis on Germany due to the complexity of local employment and labor relations requirements. We are looking for a commercially minded HR professional who can translate complex employment issues into practical business guidance, operate independently, and effectively support a fast-moving international leadership team.

What You'll Do

• Executive Advisory
  • 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.
• Employee Relations & Labor Relations
  • 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.
• HR Operations
  • 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.
• Payroll Management
  • 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.
• Compliance & Risk Management
  • 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 We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

• 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• 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

The successful candidate will be:

• 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.