Senior HR Manager (People Governance & Compliance)

Thomson Reuters; Spain; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Thomson Reuters is seeking a Senior HR Manager to own People Governance & Compliance across EMEA Continental Europe & MEA, based in Barcelona or Madrid. You’ll be the reference for HRBPs, managers, and regulators on complex European employment questions.

You will balance hands-on casework with policy design within a global team, driving standardized HR practices, audits, and risk management while partnering with Legal and Privacy.

Qualifications

• Strong stakeholder management and credibility with senior HR and business leaders.
• Proven ability to operate independently in a matrixed, global organization.
• Deep knowledge of European employment law and data privacy regulations (GDPR essential).
• Fluency in English, Spanish, and French.

Responsibilities

• Own compliance incident management (triage, RCA, CAPA, closure) and regional HR risk register.
• Monitor employment law adherence across jurisdictions and manage GDPR/data privacy requirements.
• Run internal and external HR compliance audits and ensure ethical practices.
• Develop and maintain global standards for employee records, retention, and policy library.
• Draft, manage changes, and communicate policy lifecycle across Europe & MEA.
• Produce compliance reports and KPIs for leadership.
• Partner with Legal and Privacy teams on litigation and regulatory matters.
• Provide training materials for policy rollouts and maintain a knowledge base.

Skills

European employment law

Data privacy (GDPR)

Policy governance

Stakeholder management

Job description

• We’re looking for a Senior HR Manager to own People Governance & Compliance across EMEA Continental Europe & MEA, based in Barcelona or Madrid. You’ll be the person HRBPs, managers, and regulators turn to when European employment questions get complicated
• You’ll balance hands-on casework (Tier 2) and operational tasks with big-picture policy design, as part of a close-knit regional team reporting into our VP of Global Governance & Compliance
• What Success Looks Like: Consistent, locally compliant HR practices underpinned by clear, well-governed policy; reduced compliance risk, faster case resolution, and clean audit trails; visible progress automating and simplifying governance processes; and recognition as the go-to advisor for HR governance and compliance in the region
• We’re at a pivotal moment, transforming the way we work. Here, you’ll have real ownership over our EMEA team’s governance and compliance agenda, a genuinely global team, and direct visibility to unit leadership
• Establish and maintain standardized HR policies that comply with local labour law while allowing local adaptation
• Manage the policy lifecycle (drafting, exceptions, change log, communication) and interpret global and local policy for the business
• Monitor employment law adherence across jurisdictions and manage data privacy requirements (GDPR, DSARs, retention) with Privacy & Legal
• Run internal and external HR compliance audits, and ensure ethical practices
• Own compliance incident management (triage, RCA, CAPA, closure) and the regional HR risk register, partnering with Legal on litigation and reputational risk
• Own OHS activities and plans in coordination with site management
• Set global standards for employee record-keeping and retention, and build and maintain the HR policy library, templates, and version control across the employee lifecycle
• Document legal research, audit findings, remediation plans, and regulatory filings (e.g., EEO-1, pay gap reports)
• Develop training and communication materials for policy rollouts, and maintain a self-serve knowledge base and FAQ
• Produce compliance reporting and KPIs for leadership, and oversee benefit provider administration and local payroll inputs
• Perform compliance due diligence and ongoing oversight for payroll, benefits, recruitment, immigration, and other HR vendors, ensuring data protection, audit, and regulatory obligations are met
• Review and improve HR data collection methods to ensure appropriate data protection
• Act as the primary HR contact for local regulators and inspections, and engage government bodies where required
• Represent the company in legal proceedings and fulfil board-mandated HR responsibilities as needed
• Partner with the People Advisory team on union and works council negotiation documentation and compliance of agreements
• Perform compliance due diligence and ongoing oversight for payroll, benefits, recruitment, immigration, and other HR vendors

Strong stakeholder management skills and the credibility to advise senior HR and business leadersProven ability to operate independently in a matrixed, global organization, with a track record of driving process improvement or automationStrong knowledge of European employment law and data privacy regulation, with GDPR knowledge essentialFluency in English, Spanish, and FrenchSignificant HR compliance, employment law, or HR governance experience across multiple European jurisdictionsBased in, or willing to relocate to, Barcelona or MadridFluency in other European languages