HR Manager, People Operations, Northern Europe

Are you an HR professional who combines strong interpersonal and negotiation skills with strategic thinking to drive People & Culture initiatives? Join a role where you act as the primary People & Culture representative, guiding leaders and influencing organizational culture across Northern Europe. As HR Manager, you will partner with leaders, unions, and authorities, ensuring compliant and modern People & Culture operations. You’ll lead initiatives that strengthen engagement, support transformation, and enhance local market practices.

This position's primary location is Darwen. Warrington, Haslingden, Gloucester may be considered as additional locations.

• Partner with leaders to drive organizational change, wellbeing, culture, and employee engagement for designated countries and business areas, acting as local ambassador.
• Lead People & Culture guidance for local market practices on talent attraction and Employee Value Proposition.
• Collaborate on benefit and process harmonization across countries.
• Develop and implement P&C policies compliant with local legislation.
• Ensure communication, training, and compliance monitoring across the organization.
• Provide coaching and guidance to leaders on people management, change management, performance, and development, by fostering a culture of empowerment and accountability across the workforce.
• Act as primary liaison for labor relations, unions, and authorities, ensuring compliance and effective negotiation.
• Oversee, benchmark and co-develop with Rewards & Recognition the offering of local employee benefits, including health insurance, pensions, and other statutory or voluntary programs.
• Support the offboarding process by ensuring compliance with local regulations, and coordinating/analyzing final documentation.

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in HR, Law, or a related field.
• Bring 5+ years of People & Culture experience, preferably in international environments.
• Strong knowledge of local labor laws and HR compliance.
• Experience in labor relations and policy implementation.
• Communicate fluently in English; northern languages knowledge is an asset.

• Strong interpersonal and negotiation skills.
• Strategic thinking with operational execution ability.
• High integrity and ethical standards.
• Excellent communication and coaching capabilities.
• Proficiency in HRIS systems and Microsoft Office.
• Service-oriented mindset and problem-solving skills.
• Proficient in HR practices, processes, and systems with an understanding of labor laws, collective agreements, and practices, preferably in manufacturing and industrial settings, including white- and blue-collar workforce regulations.
• Proven ability to build a network of working relationships at various levels, both internally and externally.
• Demonstrate business acumen in providing insights/analysis to best support business decisions.
• Possess relevant IT skills and a keen interest in the digitalization of HR processes and tasks.

• Take accountability – Act with ownership, set clear expectations, and follow through.
• Lead with courage – Champion change, try bold ideas, and learn quickly.
• Build on trust – Listen to understand, be open, and create psychological safety.
• Collaborate for growth – Work across boundaries, value diverse perspectives, and focus on customer value.

We offer You’ll join a People & Culture function working closely with leaders, compliance teams, payroll, talent acquisition, and local authorities. This is an opportunity to contribute to a collaborative, mission-driven team supporting countries and business areas across Northern Europe. We offer an inspiring and international environment, modern tools, local benefits, and opportunities for professional growth and development, including flexible work arrangements.

Interested? Send your application with your CV in English via the link provided by 8 February 2026.

When everything works together Valmet is where the best talent from diverse backgrounds comes together. We partner with customers throughout the lifecycle, delivering leading technologies and mission‑critical automation solutions. Backed by over 225 years of industrial experience and 19,000 professionals, we are shaping a regenerative tomorrow. Join the team – and lead the way with us!

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