Head of HR France

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Paris; On-site; EUR 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Paris seeks a Head of HR France to lead the people strategy and partner with the leadership team to drive talent, culture, and regulatory alignment for the office.

Reporting to the Paris Managing Partner and the Head of HR Continental Europe, you will manage the local HR team, oversee performance and recruitment, and ensure compliant HR practices across France.

Qualifications

• 8–10 years in a comparable HR leadership role.
• Strong knowledge of French employment law and employee relations.
• Qualified in HR, legal, or an equivalent professional program.
• Commercial judgement with senior stakeholders in an international setting.
• Fluent in French and English.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Paris partnership to define and deliver the France people strategy.
• Lead and develop the local HR team and provide high-quality service.
• Oversee performance, succession planning, and reward processes.
• Manage end-to-end recruitment and employer branding for France.
• Provide senior HR advisory on complex employee relations and compliance.
• Oversee HR operations, data reporting, payroll governance, and change.

Skills

HR leadership

French employment law

Stakeholder advisory

Bilingual English/French

Education

HR, legal or equivalent professional qualification

Job description

The Head of HR France is a strategic HR leader and trusted adviser to the Paris partnership and leadership team, responsible for shaping and delivering the people agenda in support of the firm’s business priorities. Acting as a key business partner, the role drives talent, culture, and organizational initiatives to enable business success. The Head of HR France reports directly to the Paris Managing Partner and the Head of HR Continental Europe.

Working closely with partners, line managers, HR business partners and centres of expertise, you will translate business needs into pragmatic, high-quality people solutions and ensure compliance with French employment law and local regulatory requirements.

Key responsibilities and deliverables

HR Strategy and Leadership:

• Partner with the partnership and business leaders to define and deliver the France people strategy in line with firm and Paris office priorities.
• Lead, develop and prioritise the local HR team, ensuring an effective, responsive and high-quality service.
• Advise leaders on organisational change, workforce priorities and people-related risks, and lead the local implementation of strategic HR programmes and systems.

Talent, performance and reward:

• Lead workforce and succession planning, identifying capability gaps and developing short- and long-term talent plans.
• Drive talent, performance and development processes, enabling individuals and teams to perform at their best.
• Oversee annual appraisal, salary and bonus reviews, ensuring fair, consistent and timely decision‑making supported by accurate data.

Recruitment and workforce planning:

• Translate business demand into clear resourcing plans and ensure recruitment needs are met efficiently and inclusively.
• Oversee end-to-end recruitment for fee-earning and business services roles, and ensure the firm’s employer brand is represented consistently.
• Set the local graduate recruitment and law student internship strategy, working closely with relevant stakeholders.

Employee relations and French labour relations:

• Provide senior-level advice on complex performance, disciplinary, grievance and other employee relations matters.
• Ensure HR policies and practices meet firm standards and comply with French employment law and local regulatory requirements.
• Lead constructive relationships with employee representatives and the CSE, including required negotiations, consultations and elections.

HR operations, data and change:

• Oversee effective local HR operations, payroll governance, mobility processes and collaboration with HR Shared Services and centres of expertise.
• Use people data and management reporting to support informed decisions, while ensuring the compliant handling and integrity of HR data.
• Champion employee engagement, inclusion, communication and knowledge sharing across the Paris office and wider HR community.

Key requirements

Essential

• A minimum of 8 to 10 years’ experience in a comparable role, including leading and developing an HR team.
• Strong knowledge of French employment law and employee relations.
• A relevant HR, legal or equivalent professional qualification.
• Commercial judgement and the credibility to advise and influence senior stakeholders and notably partners in a complex, international environment.
• Strong organisational and analytical skills, with the ability to prioritise competing demands and handle sensitive matters with integrity and discretion.
• Fluent French and English.

Desirable

• Experience in a legal, partnership or other professional services environment.

What we offer

This is an opportunity to take on a highly visible HR leadership role at the heart of our Paris office. You will work closely with the partnership and senior leaders, lead a talented local HR team and help shape the people agenda for France within an international firm. We offer a collaborative and inclusive environment, international exposure, opportunities for continued professional development, and a competitive compensation and benefits package.