Senior HR Associate

Role Summary

The Senior HR Associate contributes to the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the EMEA businesses and the Global Human Resources Department. Working in partnership with the business, our HR group develops strategies to assist the business in achieving their goals. The Senior HR Associate role will assist in providing both strategic and tactical HR services whilst having primary responsibility for the day to day management for HR Operations and administration for the EMEA region.

This position will also be primarily responsible for:

• Employee relations efforts in the EMEA region.

• Dealing with immigration and mobility requirements.

• Supporting business continuity plans for HR in the region.

• Being responsible for some HR projects within the global HR team, as well as the local EMEA HR team.

This role will allow you to build strong partnerships with our Leaders, Managers and Associates.  We are seeking a proactive team player with an ability to work in a systematic, fast paced environment, managing various tasks simultaneously and working with changing priorities.

The responsibilities of the individual in this position include:

HR Operations

• Providing first line human resources partnership to EMEA clients in order to effectively achieve business results in a dynamic, changing environment.

• Producing and issuing all HR related documentation, such as offer letters, contracts of employment, reference letters and leaver letters etc.

• Coaching and supporting line managers through 1st line advice and employee relation situations.

• Proactively identifying any potential employee relations issues and trying to resolve them informally in the first instance. 

• Managing the HRIS System ensuring a smooth employee lifecycle process.

• Proactively engaging the business in HR activities and maintaining the ability to adjust priorities quickly based on business needs and resources in our regional HR team.  

• Managing the EMEA HR Calendar, ensuring key requirements are met throughout the year.

• Producing MI and relevant reporting for the EMEA HR Team and Wider business. This will includes the analysis of exit interviews and turnover, D&I initiatives and associates wellbeing.

• Responsible for the annual review of EMEA HR policies ensuring all legal and regulatory requirements are being met. 

• Contributing to the creation of new policies as appropriate.

• Proactively supporting on Talent Management and Annual Appraisal activity for the EMEA region including the annual performance and calibration process.

• Managing the maternity process for the EMEA Region including leading on EMEA’s returner program.

• Coordinating the on-boarding process, including issuing first day letters and liaising with the line manager.

• Arranging the HR induction and coordinating corporate induction.

• Assisting with any exit interview interviews within the region and reporting any trends to relevant HR Business Partners within the global team.

• Chasing annual year-end reviews, Continuing Professional Development Logs, and goals.

• Ensuring the supervision process is triggered for new joiners.

• Ensuring relevant MiFID II / SM&CR training is issued.

Employee Relations

The Senior HR Associate will support the Senior HRBP in handling these employee relations activities:

• Performance warnings and improvement plans.

• Disciplinaries.

• Terminations.

• Redundancies.

• Grievances.

• Risk mitigation strategies.

• Exit interviews and return to work meetings.

• Improving and maintaining our ER templates/letters.

• Interacting with legal and outside counsel, and handling situations in-house if the situation is routine.

• Processing and managing legal invoices.

• Supporting the Conduct and Disciplinary Council.

• Carrying out sickness management for the EMEA region. This includes managing long term sickness and occupational health referrals, dealing with long term insurance process’s and having front line coaching conversations with managers alongside the HRBP.

Global Mobility

•  Taking the lead on monitoring and managing immigration cases in the region, as well as mobility needs/agreements in collaboration with the global mobility team.

• Taking the lead on external counsel relationships and pro-actively managing visa requirements in a timely manner.

• Keeping abreast of immigration trends and changes e.g Brexit.

• Pro-actively managing immigration requirements for the region.

Diversity and Inclusion

• Taking a lead on Diversity and Inclusion initiatives from a HR perspective including interview panel champing, the collation and reporting of diversity statistics and equal opportunity monitoring.

• Encouraging and implementing best practice D&I process. 

• Working with the Global Community Engagement Council on implementing and taking the lead on local initiative such as the UpReach project, Amos Bursery, Internships and training interventions.

Project Management

• Leading on relevant HR projects eg associate induction, wellbeing etc

• Assisting the EMEA and Global team as appropriate on more complex projects with multiple stakeholders.

• Undertaking market and best practice research on HR related topics and making recommendations to the EMEA HR Team.

• Proactively highlighting any potential issues associated with HR Operations in conjunction with any regulatory or Global HR Projects.

Business Partnering ./ Relationship Management

• Responsible for coaching and supporting new line managers through the RI associate Lifecyle including onboarding and recruitment, performance management and talent development.

• Coaching managers and associates through the maternity process.

• Acting as the local Business Partner working in collaboration with the US on specific business areas.

Regulatory & Business conduct

• Displaying exemplary conduct and living by our organisation’s Code of Conduct.

• Taking personal responsibility for embedding the highest standards of ethics, including regulatory and business conduct across the business.

• Effectively and collaboratively identifying, escalating, mitigating and resolving risk, conduct and compliance.

• Leading or inputting on any HR specific regulatory requirements including tracking of MiFID II, Senior Managers and Certification Regime population.

The successful candidate will have extensive demonstrable skills and experiences including the following:

• University undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification / equivalent experience is required.

• Significant Human Resources work experience within the professional services sector (ideally financial services), dealing with a broad range of associate lifecycle events (including employee relations, maternities, recruitment, talent management) is essential.

• Strong ER skills are a MUST.

• CIPD qualification preferred.

• Previous experience / knowledge of Workday preferred.

• Able to act quickly and accurately to identify and analyse relevant information regarding work tasks.

• Makes accurate use of logic and considers all relevant factors to make rational, realistic and sound decisions.  

• Uncovers and meets the needs of both the internal and external clients.

• Maintains regular contact and builds strong working partnerships with clients and suppliers; acts with urgency and works hard to address client demands.

• Effectively manages client expectations and delivers value-added service.

• Strong presentation skills.

• Strong client service and communication skills (oral and written).