Human Resources Manager - Europe

Cooley is seeking a Human Resources Manager - Europe to join the Human Resources team.

Position Summary: The HR Manager will work alongside the Senior HR Manager and HR Director (HR Management) with respect to Benefits and Wellness, the Director of Benefits and Wellness in the provision of a proactive HR, Benefits and Wellness service across the UK and Europe. The role will have involvement in key HR projects and initiatives to contribute to the HR strategy and overall business objectives. The HR Manager holds a generalist role, with a focus on Benefits, Wellness, Compensation, Payroll, and Budgets in addition to partnering with assigned practice groups and business support groups. The Human Resources Manager is responsible for, but not limited to, the following:

Position Responsibilities:

SUPERVISION AND MANAGEMENT

Together with the support of the Senior HR Manager, act as day-to-day supervisor, coach and mentor to the members of the UK-based HR team
Work with local HR Management to ensure a cohesive and friendly culture is maintained within the team at all times
Ensure that the Human Resources Team continues to be held in positive regard within the Firm
Work with decision makers and key stakeholders as required on HR strategies

BENEFITS

Oversee the administration of all UK benefits, ensuring scheme memberships are accurately maintained throughout the year.
Oversee the orientation meetings and follow up with individuals to ensure they have opted into the relevant schemes
Conduct benefit orientations for new partners
Work with the HRIS team to maintain and develop Workday benefits
Work with relevant HR team member and oversee the maintenance of Cooleynet and all benefit communication and forms
Answer benefit related queries and liaise with broker or benefit providers to resolve any issues
Lead on and work with the relevant HR team member in the annual benefit renewals, attend renewal planning meetings with the broker as well as usage/service analysis meetings with broker and/or vendors
Take the lead on communication when it comes to benefit changes related to UK employees and partners
Attend Pension Governance meetings and administer the Firm’s pension scheme, ensuring contributions are correct and uploaded onto the provider portal in a timely manner and in line with pension auto enrolment obligations
Conduct research into benefits and liaise with external providers as well as Director of Benefits & Wellness to share results. Set up and implement schemes, systems and processes as directed
Keep abreast of the benefits trends and attend vendor events as necessary
Complete benefit surveys and analyse results compared to our offerings
Together with the Senior HR Manager, maintain SLAs and liaise with our lawyers as necessary
Design and conduct benefits presentations as necessary, taking the lead on London presentations
Work with Director of Benefits & Wellness and relevant office manager with respect to the provision and administration of benefits for Brussels office and future European offices.

WELLNESS

In conjunction with the firm’s Wellness team, oversee the coordination of any ongoing bwell initiatives e.g., flu vaccinations, wellness weeks, mental health awareness
Oversee the maintenance of Cooleynet and London and European newsletters with all wellness communication and forms
Lead on wellness and mental health events for London and Europe
Work with local partner sponsor on all Mindful Business Charter activity for London. Lead on local initiatives, work closely with MBC champions and attend MBC signatory calls and events
Ensure Mental Health First Aiders and Champions maintain their trained status
Arrange Mental Health First Aider and Champion meetings and conduct check-ins
Research wellness initiatives.

COMPENSATION

Oversee the completion of all compensation surveys e.g. Willis Tower Watson, annual recruitment benchmarking surveys
Oversee the uploading of compensation data into Workday and ensure accuracy
Oversee the draft of salary review letters and check letters ready for distribution

HR ANALYTICS

Working with the HR systems team, produce regular, consistent and ad hoc management reports to enable appropriate decisions to be made, reports could include:

Reward analysis (benefit take up, cost v benefit analysis, flexible working statistics)
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion analysis (gender pay gap reporting, stay gap analysis, attrition rates)
HR benefits planning data and analysis (cost, resource demand)
Ad hoc reporting, as required.

GENERALIST HR

Respond to all HR requirements specific to allocated practice group e.g. ER, L&D, Recruitment
Continually review HR processes and make recommendations for improvements
Assist with research, HR policy development and updates
Develop/maintain a detailed knowledge of HR issues through appropriate reading, seminars, networking events and practical experience
Work closely with US-based CN HR team members to ensure the full team presents a consistent, global HR strategy where feasible and possible
Undertake any ad hoc projects where necessary.

This job description is not exhaustive, and the job holder may be required to undertake additional duties from time to time to ensure the smooth running of the department.

Skills & Experience

Required:

CIPD qualified
Experience managing and mentoring a team
Accomplished HR professional, ideally with direct experience of a partnership or professional services environment
Excellent understanding of current employment law and HR best practice and proven ability to apply this in the workplace
Excellent computer literacy including Word, Excel and Outlook

Preferred:

Experience with administering pension and benefits
Experience managing wellbeing and mental health programs
Experience of using Workday or similar HR software

Competencies

Ability to organise and prioritise work, as well as delegate tasks to support departments and HR Assistant when necessary
Ability to work independently without supervision and as part of a team in a fast-paced environment
Possess excellent written, communication and proofreading skills with strong attention to detail and presentation
Ability to inspire confidence and function in a professional and polite manner when dealing with co-workers, candidates and external providers
Proactive, reliable, committed and punctual
Service delivery focused with ability to recognise pressure points and to offer assistance where needed
Confident and demonstrates the ability to command respect, gain confidence of lawyers and other staff and engender a team spirit
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively at all levels
Highly motivated and enthusiastic for team and self-development; can drive ideas forward and be innovative
Strong analytical and numerical skills with good attention to detail and presentation
Proactive and reliable
Ability to embrace organisational change and champion as needed
Ability to deal with confidential situations with tact, diplomacy and discretion