HR Manager

Skechers U.S.A., Inc.; Esbjerg; Hybrid; DKK 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Skechers U.S.A., Inc. is seeking an experienced HR Manager Nordics, based at the Esbjerg Headquarters, to lead the People function across Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland.

You will partner with senior leadership, develop a Nordic HR roadmap, and ensure payroll delivery across all four countries while driving a high-performance culture in both corporate and retail environments. The role requires strong leadership, strategic thinking, and deep knowledge of Nordic employment practices.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8–10 years of progressive HR experience in a senior role
• Experience leading HR teams across multiple sites, ideally in retail or consumer-focused environments
• Proven advisory partner to senior leadership
• Experience designing HR strategies with measurable outcomes
• Experience across Nordic countries and knowledge of Nordic employment law
• Payroll operations oversight across Nordic countries
• Experience in a global matrix organization is a plus
• Fluent English, additional Nordic languages beneficial

Responsibilities

• Act as HR representative within the Nordic Management Team, influencing decisions with a people focus.
• Partner with HR Director Nordics & UK to implement Nordic HR strategy aligned with global objectives.
• Translate priorities into a measurable HR roadmap for sustainable growth.
• Provide strategic guidance on organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, and change management.
• Identify capability gaps and implement performance and leadership initiatives.
• Lead and improve the performance management framework across functions and locations.
• Coach leadership teams and develop learning programs.
• Use workforce analytics to identify trends and present recommendations to leadership.
• Own the employee engagement agenda and translate survey results into action plans.
• Champion an inclusive, collaborative culture across corporate and retail environments.
• Ensure compliance with employment law, GDPR, pension obligations, and internal policies across Nordic countries.
• Maintain and update HR policies and contracts to ensure legal compliance.
• Oversee payroll processes and governance across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
• Coordinate with Finance on payroll reporting, budgeting, and cost management.
• Lead HR team including HR Business Partners, Payroll & Administration, and Canteen Management.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Coaching & mentoring

Data-driven decision making

Analytical skills

Multi-country experience

Payroll management

Employee relations

Job description

The HR Manager Nordics, based at the Esbjerg Headquarters, is responsible for leading the People function across Skechers Nordics, including all corporate and retail operations in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. As a key member of the Nordic Management Team, the HR Manager partners closely with senior leadership to develop and execute a people strategy that supports business growth, operational excellence, and employee engagement across the region.

The role provides strategic leadership across all areas of Human Resources, including organizational development, talent management, employee relations, performance management, compliance, and workforce planning. In addition, the HR Manager holds overall accountability for payroll operations across all four Nordic countries, ensuring compliance with local legislation and company standards.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Act as the HR representative within the Nordic Management Team, influencing business decisions through a people-focused perspective.
• Partner with the HR Director Nordics & UK to develop and implement the Nordic HR strategy, ensuring alignment with global business objectives and company values.
• Translate business priorities into a clear and measurable HR roadmap that supports sustainable growth and operational performance.
• Provide strategic guidance and coaching to senior leaders on organizational effectiveness, talent management, workforce planning, employee relations, and change management.
• Identify organizational capability gaps and implement initiatives that enhance performance, leadership capability, and business effectiveness.
• Lead and continuously improve the performance management framework, driving a high-performance culture across all functions and locations.
• Develop management capability through coaching, leadership development programs, and targeted learning initiatives.
• Utilize workforce analytics and HR metrics to identify trends, risks, and opportunities, presenting actionable recommendations to leadership teams.
• Own the employee engagement agenda, ensuring engagement survey results are analyzed, communicated, and translated into meaningful action plans.
• Champion an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performing culture across both corporate and retail environments.
• Ensure compliance with employment legislation, GDPR requirements, pension obligations, and internal company policies across all Nordic countries.
• Maintain and continuously update employee policies, procedures, and handbooks to ensure legal compliance and operational effectiveness.
• Oversee employment frameworks including contracts, terms and conditions, compensation structures, and employee benefits programs.
• Hold overall accountability for accurate and compliant payroll delivery across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
• Ensure payroll processes, controls, and governance standards are consistently applied and compliant with local legislation and tax regulations.
• Act as the senior escalation point for payroll-related matters, ensuring timely resolution and minimal business disruption.
• Partner closely with Finance to ensure payroll reporting, reconciliation, budgeting, and cost management requirements are met.
• Lead, develop, and inspire a high-performing HR team consisting of HR Business Partners, Payroll & Administration, and Canteen Management.
• Establish clear objectives, performance expectations, and development plans for all direct reports.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, commercial awareness, and strong business partnership within the HR team.
• Maintain overall management responsibility for the Headquarters canteen operation.
• Lead and support regional and global HR projects as required.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING:

• Strong leadership presence with the ability to influence and build credibility at all levels of the organization.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to operate effectively within a matrix environment.
• Strategic mindset combined with strong operational execution capabilities.
• Proven ability to translate business challenges into practical and impactful people solutions.
• Strong coaching and mentoring capabilities, particularly in supporting leadership teams and people managers.
• High levels of integrity, professionalism, and sound judgment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a data-driven approach to decision making.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic, and multi-country environment.
• Collaborative working style with the ability to build strong relationships across functions, countries, and cultures.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Minimum 8–10 years of progressive HR experience, including significant experience in a senior HR Manager or Senior HR Business Partner role.
• Proven experience leading and developing HR teams within a multi-site and preferably retail or consumer-focused environment.
• Demonstrated success operating as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and management teams.
• Strong experience designing and implementing HR strategies that deliver measurable business outcomes.
• Experience supporting multiple countries and navigating complex employment legislation, ideally across the Nordic region.
• Strong knowledge of Nordic employment law, HR compliance requirements, and employee relations practices.
• Proven experience developing performance management, leadership development, and organizational effectiveness initiatives.
• Experience overseeing multi-country payroll operations with a sound understanding of payroll compliance and legislative requirements across the Nordic countries.
• Experience working within a global matrix organization is highly desirable.
• Experience partnering with regional HR leadership teams and international stakeholders is an advantage.
• Fluent English communication skills, both written and verbal. Additional Nordic language skills are considered beneficial.
• This job description is not exhaustive and may be reviewed and amended in line with business requirements.

WHO WE ARE:

Headquartered in Southern California, Skechers—the Comfort Technology Company®—has spent over 30 years helping men, women, and kids everywhere look and feel good. Comfort innovation is at the core of everything we do, driving the development of stylish, high-quality products at a great value. From our diverse footwear collections to our expanding range of apparel and accessories, Skechers is a complete lifestyle brand.

Be You - Feel Welcome

Skechers recognises the importance and power of diversity within our business. We ensure that our people processes are fair, transparent and promote equality of opportunity for all employees and job applicants.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities or health conditions, who are otherwise qualified for the job position, to perform the essential functions as detailedabove.