Head of EMEA HR and Strategic HR Business Partner

We are seeking a business-minded, forward-looking HR leader to join our global Human Resources team as Head of EMEA HR and Strategic HR Business Partner. If you want to learn and shine at a company committed to you, then ISS STOXX might be the best move you’ll ever make.

As the Head of EMEA HR and Strategic HR Business Partner, you will lead our people agenda across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and act as a thought partner to a member of our Executive Leadership Team (ELT). You will help that organisation become more effective, enabling faster delivery for our clients and supporting business growth. This part of the role is less about running HR processes and more about helping the business win through its people: how the organisation is designed, how it changes, how its leaders lead, and how its culture drives performance.

At the same time, you will modernise how HR is delivered in the region. As a key client of our global HR Shared Services, you will own the successful move of transactional and operational work out of the region and keep finding more that can move. You will also champion an AI-enabled way of working, so our team spends its time where it adds the most value: talent, leadership, organisational effectiveness and change.

As a member of the HR Leadership Team, you will help shape global HR strategy, not just execute it regionally. You will represent a key area of transformation for the company and are expected to be a significant contributor and team player.

Responsibilities

Regional leadership, employee relations and compliance

•  Act as the senior point of escalation for HR in the region, with high-risk matters escalating to the CHRO, ensuring practices comply with local employment law and global policies.

•  Lead, develop and inspire the EMEA HR team (approximately 15 people), and partner with regional specialists such as Talent Acquisition, building a business-focused team with strong succession.

•  Manage day-to-day relationships with Works Councils, unions and employee representative bodies, and run consultation processes, with CHRO and Legal oversight on significant changes.

•  Manage complex employee relations matters, balancing risk, fairness and business needs, working with Legal and external counsel as appropriate.

•  Deliver annual performance, promotion and compensation cycles effectively in the region, in partnership with global Centres of Expertise and Shared Services.

•  Design and lead change management for restructuring and integration, making sure change is well planned, well communicated and lands appropriately with employees.

•  Help leaders build a high-performing, accountable culture aligned with our values, using engagement and culture insights to drive targeted action.

•  Lead the people elements of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) across the region, including due diligence and post-deal integration.

Strategic business partnership

•  Serve as the senior HR thought partner to an ELT member, bringing an independent, constructive point of view on people, organisation and culture.

•  Help the client organisation operate more effectively and at greater pace, strengthening how it works with commercial and client-facing teams so solutions reach clients faster.

•  Understand how the business makes money, its value streams, clients and priorities, and translate these into a clear people plan that the business owns.

•  Coach and counsel senior leaders on leadership effectiveness, team dynamics, difficult decisions and how they shape our culture.

•  Use people data (engagement, attrition, capability, productivity, cost) to diagnose issues early and recommend practical, evidence-based solutions.

HR operating model transformation: Shared Services and AI

•  Own the success of the EMEA transition to global HR Shared Services: partner with the Shared Services leader on scope, sequencing, service levels and knowledge transfer, and hold the service to a high standard.

•  Continually identify further activities that can move to Shared Services or be simplified, automated or removed; track and report the capacity released and how it is reinvested.

•  Coach and lead the EMEA HR team through the shift from regional execution to the right mix of regional operations and business partnering.

Champion AI-enabled HR: identify high-value use cases, drive adoption across the team, and redesign processes rather than automate old ones.

•  Act as a steward of the responsible use of AI in HR, in line with EU data protection and AI regulation and our governance framework.

HR Leadership Team

•  Contribute to global HR strategy, policy and priorities, and take enterprise-wide ownership of selected initiatives.

•  Partner closely with HR colleagues in the Americas and Asia-Pacific, and with Talent and Learning, Compensation, HR Systems and Analytics, Benefits, Talent Acquisition and Shared Services.

Qualifications

Education

•  Degree in Human Resources, Business, Economics, Law or a related field, or equivalent experience.

Experience

• 15+ years of progressive HR experience, including significant senior experience partnering directly with executive-level leaders on strategy, organisation design and change in a complex, international, matrixed organisation.
• Proven record of moving an HR team from operational delivery to strategic business partnering, including moving work to Shared Services or a global capability centre, simplifying processes and adopting HR technology and AI.
• Experience leading restructuring, M&A integration and large-scale change across several European countries, including Works Council consultation.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Thorough working knowledge of employment law and practice across key EMEA markets.
• Business and financial acumen: reads a profit and loss statement, understands value streams and cost drivers, and makes people decisions that improve outcomes.
• Thought partnership and influence: confident, credible and willing to challenge senior leaders constructively.
• Organisation design and change leadership: structured, practical and focused on making the organisation simpler and more effective.
• Data and AI fluency: uses people analytics and AI tools to generate insight and productivity and leads others to do the same.
• Coaching: helps leaders grow their own effectiveness and lead their teams through change.
• Enterprise mindset: puts what is right for the whole company ahead of regional or functional interests.
• Fluent English required.

Nice to have

•  Experience in financial services, financial data or technology.

•  Organisation design, change or coaching accreditation.

•  Experience with Workday and/or SAP SuccessFactors.

What You Can Expect from Us

Our people are the moving force behind our work. We are committed to building a culture that values diverse skills, perspectives, and experiences. If you have the skills, passion, and drive to help us bring clarity and transparency to capital markets, we want to work with you.

Together, we can grow your career in an environment that fuels creativity, drives innovation, and has real impact.

About ISS STOXX

ISS STOXX delivers world-class research, data, and technology solutions that empower capital market participants to pursue their visions with confidence. Our expertise spans indices, corporate governance, sustainability, cyber risk, and fund intelligence, giving clients the tools they need to uncover opportunities, manage risks, and navigate evolving regulations. We are made up of 4,000 professionals operating across 20 countries and serving approximately 5,000 clients, including many of the world’s leading institutional investors. Our scale and reach give us deep market knowledge, while our innovative methodologies allow us to offer our clients tailored insights that drive impact and success.  

Visit our website: https://www.iss-stoxx.com/

View additional open roles: https://www.iss-stoxx.com/about/careers/

ISS STOXX is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, color, ethnicity, creed, religion, sex, age, height, weight, citizenship status, national origin, social origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, pregnancy status, marital status, familial status, mental or physical disability, veteran status, military service or status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law (referred to as “protected status”). All activities including, but not limited to, recruiting and hiring, recruitment advertising, promotions, performance appraisals, training, job assignments, compensation, demotions, transfers, terminations (including layoffs), benefits, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment, are and will be administered on a non-discriminatory basis, consistent with all applicable federal, state, and local requirements.