People Operations Lead - EMEA

Job Description
Role Overview:
This London-based role covers London, Dublin, Zurich, Paris, Amsterdam, Hamburg and Dubai and reports to the Head of People Operations & Employee Relations - EMEA. As part of a lean regional team, the People Operations Lead will own high-quality delivery of core HR operations across EMEA, balancing operational execution, regulatory discipline, vendor oversight, data integrity and a consistently strong employee experience across the employee lifecycle.
Opportunities may be available from time to time in any location in which the business is based for suitable candidates. If you are interested in a career with Citadel, please share your details and we will contact you if there is a vacancy available.
Responsibilities:
People Operations Leadership

• Lead day-to-day delivery of People Operations across onboarding, employee changes, mobility, payroll inputs, benefits administration, employee records and offboarding for EMEA.

• Serve as the escalation point for complex employee queries, process exceptions and time-sensitive operational issues, applying sound judgement and confidentiality.

• Set clear service standards, controls, documentation practices and operating procedures to ensure work is accurate, consistent, timely and audit-ready.

• Partner with HR leadership, HR Business Partners, Recruitment, Compensation, Benefits, Payroll, Legal, Compliance, Finance, IT and external vendors to deliver joined-up regional support.

• Lead HR elements of projects - for example, opening in new locations.

Employee Lifecycle

• Global Mobility - Drive international relocations and assignments, coordinating with employees, internal stakeholders and external vendors to ensure a smooth and compliant experience.

• Onboarding - Manage HR onboarding for EMEA new hires, including background screening, orientation, documentation, right-to-work requirements and HR aspects of the SMCR Certification process.

• Employee Changes - Oversee lifecycle changes including transfers, manager changes, promotions, contract amendments, leave events and employee data updates across systems and payroll inputs.

• Offboarding - Manage voluntary leaver processes, including exit paperwork, exit interviews, system updates and accurate final payroll and benefits inputs.

Recruitment

• Partner with Recruiting and hiring managers to support a seamless candidate-to-employee transition, with timely documentation, approvals and onboarding handover.

• Understand the Remuneration Code for the UK and relevant European locations, helping navigate unique offer structures, role-specific considerations and candidate requirements.

Compensation and Benefits

• Partner with the US-based global Compensation team on compensation-related processes, issues and employee changes.

• Ensure local regulatory remuneration guidelines are considered and applied when reviewing unique offer packages or employee changes.

• Partner with the US-based Benefits team and local providers on employee benefit issues, renewals, communications and escalations.

Data and Risk Management

• Produce and analyse monthly KRI reports for EMEA Operating Committees, identifying trends, risks, exceptions and follow-up actions.

• Maintain accurate HR systems and employee files, ensuring documentation is complete, appropriately filed and aligned with data protection and internal control requirements.

• Support audits, regulatory requests and internal reviews by providing reliable data, documentation and process evidence.

Continuous Improvement

• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and constructive challenge across People Operations processes, workflows, templates and employee touchpoints.

• Leverage industry best practice and internal feedback to simplify processes, reduce manual effort, strengthen controls and improve the employee experience.

• Hold vendors to account through clear expectations, service review, issue resolution and performance management.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree strongly preferred.
• 9+ years of relevant HR experience, ideally in HR Service Delivery, People Operations or HR Operations within Financial Services.

• Experience with regulatory regimes, including SMCR and remuneration requirements, strongly preferred.
• International exposure and relevant experience supporting EMEA locations preferred.
• Strong HR systems capability; Workday experience a plus.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel, with strong data accuracy and reporting discipline.

• Experience working in a fast-paced, results-oriented and highly confidential environment.

Preferred:

• Solid track record in a similar position; likely currently operating in an HR Service Delivery, People Operations or HR Operations role in Financial Services and ready to step into a lead role.

• Ambitious self-starter with the ability to work independently in a dynamic, demanding environment while maintaining excellent judgement and follow-through.

• Highly organised, detail-oriented and intellectually curious, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and simultaneous projects with minimal supervision.

• Highest ethical standards and demonstrated ability to handle proprietary, sensitive, and confidential information appropriately.

• Proactive team player who builds strong relationships, contributes beyond core responsibilities and seeks practical ways to add value to the team and the firm.

About Citadel
Citadel is one of the world's leading alternative investment managers. We manage capital on behalf of many of the world's preeminent private, public and nonprofit institutions. We seek the highest and best use of investor capital in order to deliver market leading results and contribute to broader economic growth. For over 30 years, Citadel has cultivated a culture of learning and collaboration among some of the most talented and accomplished investment professionals, researchers and engineers in the world. Our colleagues are empowered to test their ideas and develop commercial solutions that accelerate their growth and drive real impact.