Senior HR Advisor

Eversheds Sutherland; Amsterdam; Hybrid; EUR 42,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days leave

Discretionary bonus

Company iPhone

NS Business Card for business travel

Gym membership discount

Modern Amsterdam workplace

Daily lunch provided

LinkedIn Learning access

Pro bono work

Job summary

We are Eversheds Sutherland, a global law firm. We are looking for an HR Advisor to join our People team in Amsterdam, supporting the Netherlands and Benelux regions.

You will provide proactive HR guidance across the full employee lifecycle, ensuring policy compliance and coaching managers to handle people issues. You will work closely with the HR Business Partner and colleagues, manage absence and employee relations, and help drive talent initiatives, recruitment events, and employer branding

Qualifications

• Significant experience in an HR advisory, HR generalist or Recruiter role, ideally from a law firm.
• Fluent in Dutch and English, with French language skills being highly desirable.
• In‑depth knowledge of absence management and social security legislation.
• Enjoys identifying opportunities to improve processes and ways of working.
• Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to delivering high‑quality, accurate work.
• Ability to effectively prioritise and manage a varied workload in a fast‑paced environment.
• A can‑do attitude and a proactive, solutions‑focussed approach to problem solving.
• Tech savvy; proficiency in HR systems and Microsoft Office applications, particularly Word and Excel.
• A degree in Human Resources Management or a related field would be beneficial.
• Familiarity with the higher education and graduate recruitment market in the Benelux is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Acting as a first point of contact for People‑related queries, helping employees and managers navigate policies, procedures and employee lifecycle processes.
• Ensuring HR policies, processes and practices are implemented and translated effectively into day‑to‑day operations.
• Partnering with line managers on employee relations matters, including performance management, absence management and fixed‑term contract endings, providing practical support and coaching to help them manage people issues confidently.
• Driving emerging talent initiatives across the Benelux region, managing the budget, strengthening relationships with universities and student associations, coordinating recruitment events and helping to build Eversheds Sutherland's employer brand in the market.
• Building and maintaining knowledge of HR best practice and developments within the legal sector, sharing relevant insights and recommendations with the business and People team.
• Continuously increasing understanding of the wider world of HR, sharing external perspectives and best practice with the business and HR colleagues.

Skills

HR advisory

HR generalist

Recruiting

Dutch language

English language

French language

Policy compliance

Stakeholder management

Education

HR degree (beneficial)

Bachelor's in HRM

Tools

HR systems

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Job description

We are Eversheds Sutherland, a global law firm, with more than 5,000 people across over 30 countries. We’re full-service with deep niche and sector experience. Whatever challenge, wherever in the world, we’re equipped and ready to meet it. We live our values, we’re purposeful and purpose-led. So although the world is fast-moving and rapidly changing, we see it as a place where everyone can thrive. We’re ambitious for our clients, our communities – and for you. Whether you’re starting out on your career or well established, whether you’re a lawyer or in business services. If you’re looking for what’s next, we are too.

Our team

We are looking for an HR Advisor to join our People team in Amsterdam. The local team consists of a People Administrator, a People Operations Manager and a HR Business Partner.

We are part of a broader international People function with centres of excellence in the UK. The team is responsible for delivering People operations across the Benelux region. While the role will initially focus on supporting the Netherlands business, the advisory scope is expected to expand over time to include the wider Benelux region.

The Benelux region comprises offices in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels and Luxembourg, and includes more than 140 professionals, including 34 Partners. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a growing and dynamic business, partnering with colleagues across multiple jurisdictions and contributing to the continued development of our people agenda.

Role And Key Responsibilities

The purpose of this role is to provide proactive, high‑quality HR advice and support across the full employee lifecycle. Working closely with the HR Business Partner and wider People function, you will play a key role in delivering an exceptional employee experience, ensuring compliance with policy and legislation, and supporting managers to effectively manage their people responsibilities.

• Acting as a first point of contact for People‑related queries, helping employees and managers navigate policies, procedures and employee lifecycle processes.
• Ensuring HR policies, processes and practices are implemented and translated effectively into day‑to‑day operations.
• Partnering with line managers on employee relations matters, including performance management, absence management and fixed‑term contract endings, providing practical support and coaching to help them manage people issues confidently.
• Driving emerging talent initiatives across the Benelux region, managing the budget, strengthening relationships with universities and student associations, coordinating recruitment events and helping to build Eversheds Sutherland's employer brand in the market.
• Building and maintaining knowledge of HR best practice and developments within the legal sector, sharing relevant insights and recommendations with the business and People team.
• Continuously increasing understanding of the wider world of HR, sharing external perspectives and best practice with the business and HR colleagues.

Skills And Experience

We are looking for someone who demonstrates the following:

• Significant experience in an HR advisory, HR generalist or Recruiter role, ideally from a law firm.
• Fluent in Dutch and English, with French language skills being highly desirable.
• In‑depth knowledge of absence management and social security legislation in the Netherlands.
• Enjoys identifying opportunities to improve processes and ways of working.
• Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to delivering high‑quality, accurate work.
• Ability to effectively prioritise and manage a varied workload in a fast‑paced environment.
• A can‑do attitude and a proactive, solutions‑focussed approach to problem solving.
• Tech savvy; proficiency in HR systems and Microsoft Office applications, particularly Word and Excel.
• A degree in Human Resources Management or a related field would be beneficial.
• Familiarity with the higher education and graduate recruitment market in the Benelux is advantageous.

What’s in it for you?

At Eversheds Sutherland, we offer a range of benefits and development opportunities to support you both professionally and personally.

• A competitive salary and benefits package, including 27 days’ annual leave, a discretionary bonus opportunity, company iPhone, NS Business Card for business travel and discounted gym membership.
• A modern workplace in Amsterdam's World Trade Centre, with daily lunch provided in the office and a friendly, inclusive culture.
• A collaborative working environment, with a minimum of 3 days per week in our Amsterdam office, supporting relationship‑building, development and teamwork.
• We support your professional and personal growth through training, mentoring and development opportunities, including access to LinkedIn Learning.
• We provide an opportunity to give back through our pro bono work and community engagement.

If you’re excited about this opportunity, we’d love to hear from you. We recognise that no candidate will meet every requirement, and we welcome applications from individuals who may not tick every box but bring the right mindset, enthusiasm and willingness to learn.

This role is offered initially on a 12‑month fixed‑term contract. Our intention is for the position to become a permanent role.

Diversity & Inclusion

At Eversheds Sutherland, "Inclusive" is a core business value. We bring together different skillsets, global mindsets and approaches. We foster diversity of thought and the freedom to put ideas into action. We have an inherent respect for the individual. We have a strong belief in collaboration and teamwork. Sharing ideas, asking questions, solving challenges and meeting our clients’ goals: together.

We want all our people to thrive at work and reach their full potential and we work hard to continue to build a diverse and inclusive culture, monitor and report on our progress and impact, and develop our approach. This is reflected in our policies, systems and processes, and in our work with diversity membership organisations.

Many of our people work flexibly in some way and we are open to considering how we can accommodate flexible working arrangements alongside role requirements. If this is important to you, please talk to us about it during the recruitment process.

We want you to perform at your best during our recruitment process. If there is any adjustment or support you need, please contact us so we can discuss how we can best assist you.

For you,

For your success.

And what's next.