EMEA HR Operations Lead

About Us

Korn Ferry is a global consulting firm that powers performance. We unlock the potential in your people and unleash transformation across your business - synchronizing strategy, operations, and talent to accelerate performance, fuel growth, and inspire a legacy of change. That’s why the world’s most forward-thinking companies across every major industry turn to us - for a shared commitment to lasting impact and the bold ambition to Be More Than. Headquartered in Los Angeles, our 9,000 colleagues globally serve clients in more than 50 countries. We offer five core capabilities that span the full talent lifecycle:

• Organizational Strategy
• Assessment and Succession
• Talent Acquisition
• Leadership Development
• Rewards and Benefits

Job Description

POSITION OVERVIEW

Reporting to the Vice President – Human Resources, EMEA; as Human Resources Operations Manager, EMEA you will be responsible for managing the end‑to‑end delivery of HR activities to approximately 3,000 employees across 32 EMEA countries. Working closely with in‑country HR Business Partners, Office Managers, Finance and other in‑country resources, the role will have responsibility for the provision of day‑to‑day support to employees and/or HR activities. These services include the provision of support, advice and guidance and consultation on areas including (but not limited to) Employee Relations, Redundancy, TUPE, Payroll, Employee Benefits, Recruitment and general Human Resources Best Practice. The HR Operations Manager will also have line management responsibility for a team of HR Administrators.

Key Responsibilities

Generalist Human Resources

• Manage the end‑to‑end employee life‑cycle administration, including offer letters, contracts, references, resignation letters, employment confirmation letters, etc.
• Oversee and manage the UK & EMEA shared mailboxes.
• Develop and implement people policies, procedures, and process improvements on a continual basis.
• Develop and deliver HR training sessions aligned to prevalent external influences or internal capability needs.
• Develop and roll‑out a HR Calendar incorporating wellness, training and educational sessions on prevalent topics.
• Manage the HR onboarding and induction/offboarding process across EMEA.
• Act as a subject matter expert for Maternity, Paternity, and/or Adoption queries, and manage end‑to‑end parental leave processes.
• Oversee pre‑employment screening adjudication for new hires across EMEA.
• Manage the administration of the Company’s annual (and ad hoc) Bonus, Promotion, and Salary Review processes.
• Handle invoice administration related to HR activities (e.g., legal invoices, benefits invoices).

Employee Relations

• Act as the subject matter expert for and manage employee relations activities, including (but not limited to) grievances, disciplinary actions, performance management, flexible working, and managing sickness absence.
• Participate in informal/formal employee relations processes, including investigations, documentation, and hearings.
• Support complex organizational change projects, including redundancy, restructuring, and TUPE.
• Review and develop company policies and procedures in line with legislative changes.
• Support the Vice President – Human Resources, EMEA, and in‑country HR Business Partners on complex Employee Relations matters.

Payroll & Benefits

• Act as a subject matter expert and point of escalation for complex employee benefit queries and manage employee benefit claims where appropriate.
• Oversee the timely completion of the ‘Payroll Tracker’ within relevant EMEA countries to ensure all employee variable data is included in time for payroll cut‑off each month.
• Support the EMEA Payroll Team with HR‑related queries during the monthly payroll processing schedule.
• Manage the UK employee benefits platform (Benefex), including annual benefit enrolment processes and system enhancements.
• Ensure all new starters are added to, and leavers are removed from, relevant company benefit schemes across EMEA in a timely manner each month.

People Leadership

• Act as People leader for junior members of the HR Operations Team (from HR Administrator through to Senior HR Advisor).
• Onboard, train and develop direct reports, to support their progression as HR professionals within the business.
• Ensure all global people and talent initiatives are completed with or by the team as appropriate.
• At all times demonstrate best practices relating to People Management.

Reporting & Audit

• Prepare and maintain agreed business reports (e.g., special compensation, provider reports, internal leadership reports).
• Support the preparation and delivery of ad‑hoc report requests, including internal and external audit reports and data requests.

HRIS and Compliance

• Act as a HCM and PSCF Initiator for EMEA, supporting the HRIS function with initiating new hires and processing leavers.
• Ensure employee personal information is up to date and support employees in making changes via the Employee Self‑Service (ESS) system.
• Support global HRIS initiatives, acting as a champion of HR systems, new system implementation, and system utilisation.
• Ensure HR & HRIS functions comply with SOX obligations.

Cross‑Functional Partnering

• Partner with internal teams (Finance, Talent Acquisition, IT, Operations) on cross‑functional activities across the employee life‑cycle.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to ensure process compliance and continuous improvement/efficiency.

Professional Experience/Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or above.
• Level 5 CIPD qualified or above.
• At least 5 years of prior experience in a generalist Human Resources advisory role.
• Experience managing a small team and prior individual line management experience.
• Business acumen and high client‑service orientation.
• Situational and cultural adaptability.
• Ability to organise and shape practical solutions to complex problems.
• Excellent communication and community‑building skills at all levels.
• Detail‑oriented and able to work in a fast‑paced environment with constantly changing priorities.
• Strong knowledge of UK Employment Law and ACAS guidelines.
• Experience with redundancy, restructuring, and TUPE processes.
• Experience with UK and/or EMEA payroll processing.
• Experience administering employee benefit schemes across the UK and/or EMEA.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Problem‑solving skills and the ability to provide solutions.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (both verbal and written).
• Ability to influence others and gain the trust and support of key stakeholders.

Korn Ferry may use AI as part of its recruitment process, but all hiring decisions are made by humans.

Korn Ferry is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.