Senior HR Business Partner, Europe

Watlow; Worthing; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private healthcare

Life assurance

Income protection

Matched pension scheme

Mental health and wellbeing support

Job summary

Watlow is seeking a Senior HR Business Partner, Europe, based in Worthing, UK. You will partner with enabling functions in Finance, IT, Marketing & Communications and Legal, shaping organisational design and capability while owning complex employee relations and employment-law considerations across the UK, Ireland and Sweden.

You will lead UK/Ireland/Sweden ER, coach leaders, drive organisational change and ensure policy alignment with Watlow’s global framework, using data to drive local action

Qualifications

• Eight years’ progressive HR experience in a multinational, matrixed organisation.
• Deep UK employment law and employee relations expertise (Acas Code incl. 2025 reforms).
• Experience in Ireland and Sweden or ability to build it quickly with local advisers.
• Experience supporting enabling functions; change management in complex settings.
• Fluent English; additional European languages advantageous.
• Basic AI skills and willingness to develop as AI user.

Responsibilities

• Partner European enabling functions (Finance, IT, Marketing & Communications, Legal) to translate strategy into people plans.
• Own UK, Ireland and Sweden employee relations and advise on law; manage case handling and escalation.
• Lead organisational change initiatives and ensure legal/consultation requirements are met.
• Drive annual people cycle (performance, calibration, talent, succession, pay) and close capability gaps.
• Collaborate with Watlow global HR and use data to drive local action while upholding compliance.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder mgmt

HR analytics

Communication

Education

Degree in HR, Business, Law, Psychology

CIPD Level 7

Job description

We are hiring: Senior HR Business Partner, Europe

Location: Worthing, UK

The Senior HR Business Partner, Europe partners Watlow’s enabling functions in Europe – Finance, IT, Marketing & Communications and Legal – and holds regional accountability for employee relations in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Sweden. The role combines strategic partnering on organisational design, talent and capability with hands-on ownership of complex employee relations and employment law across three jurisdictions.

WhatYou’llDo

Strategic Partnering with Enabling Functions

• Act as principal HR partner to the European leaders of Finance, IT, Marketing & Communications and Legal, translating functional strategy into practical people plans.
• Use a deep understanding of each function’s operating model and capability needs to shape organisational design, role clarity and ways of working.
• Coach managers on leadership, team effectiveness and people decisions, and support workforce planning and resourcing with Talent Acquisition and Total Rewards.

Employee Relations – United Kingdom, Ireland and Sweden

• Own the employee relations agenda for all employee groups in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Sweden, irrespective of function.
• Lead and resolve complex cases – disciplinary, grievance, performance, absence, wellbeing, conduct and exits – fairly, consistently and on sound evidence.
• Advise authoritatively on UK employment law and, with local advisers, on Irish and Swedish requirements; keep leaders informed of legislative change and its practical impact.
• Maintain constructive relationships with employee representatives and trade unions, manage consultation obligations, direct external employment counsel, and turn case trends into preventative manager education.

Organisational Change and Transition

• Partner with leaders to design and deliver organisational and workforce change within scope, from concept through to embedding.
• Assess impact on people, identify risks and build practical mitigation, engagement and communication plans.
• Ensure change meets local legal and consultation requirements, and guide managers and employees through transition without loss of engagement or continuity.

Talent, Culture and HR Excellence

• Drive the annual people cycle within scope – performance review, calibration, talent review, succession and compensation planning – and close capability gaps in critical roles.
• Champion Watlow’s values, using engagement data and employee listening to agree and track focused local actions.
• Keep HR policies for the three countries legally current and aligned to the global framework and use HR data and metrics to generate insight and support local compliance.
• Act as trusted and collaborative team members within Europe HR as well as Watlow global HR organizations

Success Indicators

• Enabling-function leaders treat the role as trusted adviser and involve it early in business and people decisions.
• Employee relations matters are resolved promptly, fairly and consistently, with low levels of escalation or claim.
• Policy and practice in the three countries are legally current and consistently applied, with managers increasingly confident handling people matters themselves.
• Change activity is delivered to plan with engagement maintained, succession plans for critical roles are in place, and retention within scope is stable or improving.

WhatYou’llNeedToSucceed

• Degree in Human Resources, Business, Law, Psychology or a related discipline; CIPD Level 7 or equivalent preferred.
• Minimum eight years’ progressive HR experience, including several years partneringsenior leaders in a multinational, matrixed organisation.
• Deep, hands-on UK employment law and employee relations expertise, including theAcas Code of Practice and current awareness of the Employment Rights Act 2025 “reforms. This is the most important requirement of the role.
• Employee relations experience in Ireland and Sweden, or the proven ability to build it quickly with local advisers; familiarity with Irish WRC practice and the Swedishco- determination environment is an advantage.
• Experience supporting corporate or enabling functions preferred; industrial or
  manufacturing sector experience an advantage. Proven track record of guiding leadersand employees through organisational change and transition.
• Strong business acumen and confident use of HR data; excellent influencing, coachingand communication skills, with sound judgement, discretion and the credibility tochallenge constructively at senior level.
• Basic AI skills with willingness to develop as the advanced AI user
• Fluent English; additional European languages an advantage.

Why Join Watlow's Team

• Join a collaborative European HR community, working closely with colleagues across the UK, Ireland, Sweden and beyond, while staying aligned with Watlow's global HR organization - a role that offers both the variety of multi-country exposure and the support of a regional network.
• We offer comprehensive benefits package including private healthcare, life assurance, income protection, a matched pension scheme and dedicated mental health and wellbeing support.
• Working Pattern:Monday to Friday, 7.5 hours/day, 4 days from the office, 1 day of home office per week
• Contract Type:Permanent, full-time position