Head of People Function

APM Terminals Gothenburg; Göteborgs kommun; On-site; SEK 1,400,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Job summary

APM Terminals Gothenburg invites a seasoned leader to head the People Function, partnering with the Managing Director and the leadership team to drive people priorities across the business.

The role focuses on labour relations, employee relations, and employment law, balancing business needs with union considerations while delivering a strong employee experience in a complex, blue‑collar, operational environment.

Qualifications

• Extensive leadership experience from unionized, labour-intensive environments.
• Deep understanding of Swedish labour law, collective agreements, and trade union collaboration.
• Experience partnering with senior leaders in complex stakeholder environments.
• Proven ability to drive people strategy in an operational, matrix setting.

Responsibilities

• Lead the People Function in Gothenburg and advise the Managing Director and leadership team.
• Drive strategic labour relations activities, including collaboration with trade unions and employee representatives.
• Lead and support collective bargaining negotiations and labour-related discussions.
• Own and improve People Function processes across the employee lifecycle.
• Support culture, engagement, and employee experience initiatives across the terminal.
• Ensure compliance with Swedish labour law, collective agreements, and internal policies.
• Represent the People Function in local, regional, and global forums and initiatives.

Skills

Labour relations

Employee relations

Employment law

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Job description

At APM Terminals, a global leader in port and terminal operations, we enable global trade and drive sustainable growth. What drives us forward is a commitment to continuous improvement. We observe how work is performed, identify what creates value, and remove what prevents us from operating at our best. We continuously seek smarter, simpler, and safer ways of working. If you thrive in an environment where people value learning and strive to improve daily operations, we invite you to become part of our journey.

Head of People Function, Gothenburg

As the Head of People Function in Gothenburg, you will play a key role in supporting the terminal's Managing Director and leadership team while driving people-related priorities across the business.

This is not primarily a traditional HR Business Partner role. Instead, it is a senior leadership position requiring deep expertise in labour relations, employee relations, and employment law, combined with strong business acumen and the ability to operate effectively at all levels of the organization.

You will lead the local People Function and ensure the continued development of labour excellence, constructive union collaboration, and a strong employee experience. The role requires a pragmatic and hands-on leader who understands the reality of terminal operations and can balance business, employee, and union perspectives in a complex stakeholder environment.

What We Offer

At APM Terminals, we foster a dynamic culture of learning and development that enables our employees to succeed. Our focus on continuous improvement means every employee has the opportunity to develop their skills and career by continuously improving how we work. You will become part of a diverse, international workplace where your operational insights directly influence how we develop our business.

• Work within a global organization while supporting a local operation with significant business impact.
• Collaborate closely with the terminal leadership team on strategic people and labour-related matters.
• Contribute to continuous improvement and labour excellence initiatives that strengthen operational performance.
• Be part of a collaborative environment focused on learning, development, and long-term capability building.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the People Function in Gothenburg and serve as a trusted advisor to the Managing Director and leadership team.
• Drive strategic labour relations activities, including collaboration with trade unions, employee representatives, and other key stakeholders.
• Lead and support collective bargaining negotiations, employee relations matters, and labour-related discussions.
• Own and continuously improve People Function processes across the entire employee lifecycle.
• Support culture, engagement, and employee experience initiatives across the terminal.
• Ensure compliance with Swedish labour law, collective agreements, and internal policies.
• Represent the People Function in local, regional, and global forums and contribute to broader people-related priorities and projects.

Who We Are Looking For

• A continuous improvement mindset. We are looking for someone who is curious about how work is performed and motivated by creating meaningful and sustainable improvements over time.
• A leadership approach that puts the customer first, leads with respect for people, delivers results with integrity, and drives continuous improvement by solving problems at the root cause, developing people, and raising standards every day.
• Extensive leadership experience from unionized, labour-intensive, and blue-collar environments.
• Deep understanding of Swedish labour law, employee relations, collective agreements, and trade union collaboration.
• Experience working in matrix organizations and larger global companies.
• A proven ability to partner with senior leaders and influence decisions in complex stakeholder environments.
• Strong experience in talent management, succession planning, and people development.
• The ability to move comfortably between operational discussions on the shop floor and strategic leadership conversations.
• A mature leadership style with the confidence to challenge constructively while empowering others to take ownership.
• Excellent relationship-building skills and the ability to balance the interests of employees, unions, leadership teams, and the wider business.
• You communicate fluently in both Swedish and English.

Application, Recruitment Process and Security Screening

If this opportunity excites you and you believe you can make a meaningful impact, we encourage you to apply even if your experience does not fully match every requirement. Please note that applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, and the recruitment process may close before the final application deadline.

APM Terminals is part of Sweden's critical infrastructure and plays an important role in the country's preparedness and resilience framework. As a result, background screening as well as alcohol and drug testing will be conducted before any employment offer is made.

For positions classified as security-sensitive, a security clearance process will also be required in accordance with the Swedish Protective Security Act. Employees with permanent employment may additionally be assigned a wartime placement as part of the company's responsibilities within Sweden's total defence system and national preparedness efforts.