Director, People Operations (Europe)

ION® Audio; Ash Vale; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

inMusic is seeking an experienced European HR leader to serve as the primary adviser to our US-based executive team on employment, payroll, employee relations, and people operations across Europe. This is a highly visible role that blends strategic advisory responsibilities with practical operational ownership and requires partnering with senior leadership across multiple jurisdictions.

The successful candidate will oversee HR operations in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Bulgaria, with

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive HR leadership experience.
• Experience supporting operations across multiple European countries.
• Strong understanding of German employment law.
• Experience managing payroll directly or with providers.
• Experience advising senior executives.
• Fluent English communication skills, both written and verbal.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the principal European people and employment adviser to executive leadership.
• Advise senior management on employment law, organizational change, workforce planning, employee relations, performance management, and risk mitigation.
• Translate complex employment and labor relations issues into clear business recommendations.
• Partner with internal and external legal counsel on employment-related matters.
• Support business leaders through organizational changes, restructures, and growth initiatives.
• Lead employee relations matters across Europe.
• Provide guidance on disciplinary processes, grievances, investigations, performance issues, and employment risk.
• Develop pragmatic solutions that balance legal compliance with business objectives.
• Oversee day-to-day HR operations across Germany, the UK, and Bulgaria.
• Ensure legally compliant employment documentation and employee lifecycle processes.
• Maintain HR policies and practices that align with local legal requirements.
• Support onboarding, offboarding, and organizational changes.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for complex HR matters.
• Oversee payroll operations across European entities.
• Manage relationships with external payroll providers and internal finance teams.
• Ensure payroll accuracy, compliance, controls, and timely processing.
• Coordinate statutory reporting and payroll-related compliance requirements.
• Drive improvements in payroll and people operations processes.
• Monitor legislative developments and advise leadership on emerging employment risks and obligations.
• Ensure compliance with local employment regulations across multiple jurisdictions.
• Support audits, reporting requirements, and regulatory inquiries.
• Develop practical frameworks for managing employment risk while supporting business growth.

Job description

inMusic is seeking an experienced European HR leader to serve as the primary adviser to our US-based executive team on employment, payroll, employee relations, and people operations matters across Europe.

This is a highly visible role that combines strategic advisory responsibilities with practical operational ownership. The successful candidate will partner directly with senior leadership to help navigate the realities of operating across multiple European jurisdictions while ensuring compliance, managing risk, and supporting business objectives.

The role has responsibility for HR operations across Germany, the United Kingdom, and Bulgaria, with particular emphasis on Germany due to the complexity of local employment and labor relations requirements.

We are looking for a commercially minded HR professional who can translate complex employment issues into practical business guidance, operate independently, and effectively support a fast-moving international leadership team.

Executive Advisory

• Serve as the principal European people and employment adviser to executive leadership.
• Advise senior management on employment law, organizational change, workforce planning, employee relations, performance management, and risk mitigation.
• Translate complex employment and labor relations issues into clear business recommendations.
• Partner with internal and external legal counsel on employment-related matters.
• Support business leaders through organizational changes, restructures, and growth initiatives.

Employee Relations & Labor Relations

• Lead employee relations matters across Europe.
• Provide guidance on disciplinary processes, grievances, investigations, performance issues, and employment risk.
• Develop pragmatic solutions that balance legal compliance with business objectives.

HR Operations

• Oversee day-to-day HR operations across Germany, the UK, and Bulgaria.
• Ensure legally compliant employment documentation and employee lifecycle processes.
• Maintain HR policies and practices that align with local legal requirements.
• Support onboarding, offboarding, and organizational changes.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for complex HR matters.

Payroll Management

• Oversee payroll operations across European entities.
• Manage relationships with external payroll providers and internal finance teams.
• Ensure payroll accuracy, compliance, controls, and timely processing.
• Coordinate statutory reporting and payroll-related compliance requirements.
• Drive improvements in payroll and people operations processes.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Monitor legislative developments and advise leadership on emerging employment risks and obligations.
• Ensure compliance with local employment regulations across multiple jurisdictions.
• Support audits, reporting requirements, and regulatory inquiries.
• Develop practical frameworks for managing employment risk while supporting business growth.

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive HR leadership experience.
• Significant experience supporting operations across multiple European countries.
• Strong understanding of German employment law and employment practices.
• Experience managing payroll directly or overseeing external payroll providers.
• Demonstrated experience handling complex employee relations matters.
• Experience advising senior executives and business leaders.
• Strong judgment, discretion, and problem-solving skills.
• Fluent English communication skills, both written and verbal.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting US-based leadership teams.
• Experience supporting UK employment matters.
• Experience in technology, software, consumer electronics, manufacturing, media, or other international organizations.
• German language skills.
• Experience supporting post-acquisition integration or organizational transformation initiatives.

The Successful Candidate Will Be

• Comfortable operating independently with significant autonomy.
• Able to balance legal compliance with commercial realities.
• Capable of influencing senior stakeholders through expertise and sound judgment.
• Skilled at building productive relationships across cultures and jurisdictions.
• Calm and effective in complex employee relations situations.
• Equally comfortable discussing strategic workforce issues and reviewing payroll reports.

inMusic is the parent company for a family of premier brands that includes AIR Music Technology, Akai Professional, Alesis, Alto Professional, Denon DJ, Denon Pro, Marantz Professional, HeadRush, ION Audio, Marq Lighting, M-Audio, MixMeister, Moog, Native Instruments, Numark, Rane, and Sonivox. Committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation in the DJ, music production, live sound, musical instrument, pro audio, lighting and consumer electronics industries, each of inMusic's brands creates cutting-edge products that incorporate and build upon the latest in engineering, design, and technology.