Deputy HR Director (French Labour Law)

Deputy HR Director France – Senior Manager (Interim)

People Leadership | Business Transformation | Industrial Relations | Social Strategy

Key Details

Position: Deputy HR Director France – Senior Manager
Duration: Up to 12 months at 80% capacity, or 9 months full-time
Start date: To be confirmed
Location: Paris, with occasional travel to London and Brussels
Engagement: Freelance or interim management
Reporting to: Deputy CPO / HR Director France
Direct reports: None; functional leadership of the HR team on projects
Languages: Fluent French and English (mandatory); Dutch advantageous

Role Overview

An established international organisation is seeking an experienced Deputy HR Director France to support its HR leadership team through a significant period of business transformation.

The organisation operates across France, Belgium, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, with a complex operational and regulatory environment.

The French business employs approximately 650 people across two legal entities, each with its own works council (CSE) and company agreements. The workforce includes operational employees, office-based staff and seconded employees.

The successful candidate will support the HR Director France in delivering the French HR strategy, leading the people and industrial relations aspects of business transformation, and advising on wider Group social strategy.

The assignment will initially focus on HR support for transformation projects across Operations, Stations and corporate functions. Subject to an organisational restructure, the role may subsequently take responsibility for leading Industrial Relations in France.

Key Responsibilities

1. Deputy to the HR Director France

• Support the definition and delivery of the HR strategy, priorities and action plans.

• Represent the HR Director with operational management, employee representatives and internal stakeholders.

• Deputise for the HR Director when required.

• Monitor the French HR budget and associated financial performance.

2. Business Transformation and Projects

• Assess the HR, social and legal impacts of business transformation projects.

• Support reorganisations, operational changes and cross-functional transformation initiatives.

• Lead information and consultation processes with employee representative bodies and CSEs.

• Develop change management, social communication and employee engagement strategies.

• Contribute to international transformation projects involving France.

• Support HR transformation, including process simplification, digital HR and employee experience improvements.

3. HR Governance and Performance

• Ensure HR policies and processes are compliant and consistently implemented.

• Support payroll process audits and HR governance.

• Contribute to pay, talent, performance, skills development and succession strategies.

• Define and monitor HR and social indicators, providing analysis to support management decisions.

• Support HR budgeting and monitoring of social costs.

4. Group Social Strategy

• Work with HR leaders across France, the UK and Belgium to develop a consistent social strategy.

• Promote constructive and compliant employee relations at local and Group level.

• Anticipate and manage social risks arising from transformation and restructuring.

• Coordinate approaches to collective issues and negotiations.

• Share best practice and report on social climate, risks and negotiations to senior leadership.

5. Industrial Relations France

• Develop and deliver the French industrial relations strategy alongside HR leadership.

• Manage relationships with employee representative bodies.

• Oversee social risks, regulatory developments and mandatory annual negotiations (NAO).

• Potentially assume responsibility for the Head of Industrial Relations France function during the second stage of the assignment.

Candidate Profile

Essential Experience

• At least 10 years' HR experience, including senior leadership as an HR Director, Deputy HR Director or Head of Industrial Relations.

• Significant experience in French industrial relations and collective bargaining.

• Proven experience chairing a CSE.

• Strong knowledge of French employment law, collective relations, employment litigation and social risk management.

• Demonstrable experience supporting organisational transformation and restructuring, including employee representative consultation.

• Experience working in complex, multi-site or international organisations.

• Credibility with senior executives and employee representatives, with strong influencing and negotiation skills.

• Excellent written and presentation skills, alongside financial analysis and project management capabilities.

• Master's degree in employment law, HR management, work psychology or industrial relations.

• Fluent French and English.

Desirable Experience

• Rail, transport or another highly unionised operational environment.

• Experience working across multiple legal entities and company agreements.

• Post-merger integration experience.

• Social strategy exposure across the UK and Belgium.

• Additional training in management, social negotiation or governance.

• Dutch language skills.

Application Requirements

Please provide:

• An up-to-date CV highlighting French industrial relations, CSE leadership, collective bargaining and transformation experience.

• Availability and earliest possible start date.

• Preferred commitment: 80% for up to 12 months or full-time for 9 months.

• Proposed engagement model: freelance or interim management.