(Confidential) HR Manager

Centre People Appointments; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 88,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Centre People Appointments is seeking a hands-on HR Manager for its Dutch-European organization in Amsterdam. The role focuses on HR policies and systems, performance management, salary frameworks, employment contracts and compliance, while also covering recruitment, learning and development, and corporate activities.

The ideal candidate has at least five years of broad HR experience in the Netherlands or another major European market, strong stakeholder management, and the confidence to work

Qualifications

• Five years of HR generalist or HR Manager experience in NL or another major European market
• Strong knowledge of HR policies, systems and compensation
• Experience negotiating with department heads and stakeholders
• Fluent English; additional European language beneficial

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute HR strategies aligned with business objectives and priorities
• Maintain and improve HR policies, work regulations, salary, appraisal, contracts and related documentation
• Manage compensation and benefits programmes to support market competitiveness and equity
• Handle recruitment from job description to employment agreement and onboarding
• Plan and coordinate training and team-building to improve performance and engagement
• Improve HR tools, systems and workflows using data to drive improvement
• Collaborate with management on headcount analysis, European labour law and ESG activities

Skills

HR policies

HR systems

Performance appraisal

Salary structures

Employment contracts

Onboarding

Recruitment

Stakeholder management

English (fluent)

Job description

A Japanese manufacturer in the Netherlands is currently recruiting a hands‑on HR Manager to support its diverse European organisation.

This broad generalist role will focus particularly on HR policies and systems, performance management, salary and compensation frameworks, employment contracts, termination processes and compliance, while also covering recruitment, learning and development, and wider corporate activities.

The ideal candidate should have at least five years of broad HR experience in the Netherlands or another major European market, strong stakeholder management skills, and the confidence to work independently with department heads in a multicultural environment.

(Ref: HN47561 - Please include this when making any enquiries.)

Main Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute HR strategies aligned with business objectives and corporate priorities
• Maintain and improve HR policies and systems including work regulations, grading, salary, bonus, appraisal, employment contracts and related documentation
• Manage compensation and benefits programmes to support market competitiveness and internal equity
• Manage recruitment activities from job description preparation through to employment agreement signature and support onboarding
• Plan and coordinate training and team‑building activities to improve individual performance, employee engagement and organisational effectiveness
• Optimise HR tools, systems and workflows using data and process analysis to drive continuous improvement
• Work closely with department management and support wider corporate tasks including headcount analysis, European labour law information gathering, risk management, BCP, sustainability and ESG documentation

Ideal Candidate:

• At least 5 years of hands‑on HR generalist or HR Manager experience
• Strong experience in HR policies and systems, ideally including performance appraisal, salary structures, compensation policies, employment contracts and termination-related matters
• HR experience in the Netherlands is preferable; relevant HR experience in another major European market will also be considered
• Strong understanding of HR compliance and the ability to work appropriately within European employment frameworks
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the confidence to engage and negotiate with department heads and challenging stakeholders
• Experience working successfully in an international and culturally diverse environment
• Business level of fluency in English; advanced proficiency in another European language would be advantageous

Conditions:

• TYPE: Full-time role, initially 1 year contract (potential to become permanent)
• WORKING HOURS: 37.5 hours (Monday to Friday)
• SALARY: Around €90,000 per annum including holiday allowance depending on experience + variable bonus and additional benefits
• START: Preferably from 1 October onwards
• LOCATION: Amsterdam area (The company name and exact location will be disclosed during the meeting)

If your application is successful, you will be contacted within two business days. We regret that due to the high volume of applications we receive we cannot provide feedback on individual CVs.