HR Operations Manager

HR Operations Manager

Whirlpool

Grimbergen, Belgium

This role in summary

The HR Operations Manager for Europe is a pivotal leadership role responsible for the seamless delivery of HR services across our diverse European footprint. This individual will lead a high-performing regional team dedicated to excellence in payroll, benefits administration, and the entire employee lifecycle – from the first day of onboarding to the final day of offboarding. The ideal candidate will balance technical expertise in EU and country-specific labor compliance with a passion for process optimization and people leadership.

Your responsibilities will include

Team Leadership & Strategy

• Lead, mentor, and develop a regional HR Operations team located across multiple European sites, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement;
• Define and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level agreements (SLAs) to ensure high-quality service delivery;
• Serve as the primary point of escalation for complex operational issues within the European region.

Vendor & Consultant Management

• Manage the relationship and contracts for third-party HR vendors (e.g., payroll, benefits, background checks) and external consultants, ensuring service delivery aligns with contractual SLAs and performance metrics;
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders (Procurement, Legal, Finance) for vendor contracting, monitoring, and resolving complex service incidents.

Payroll & Benefits Administration

• Oversee the end-to-end payroll process for multiple European countries, ensuring 100% accuracy and compliance with local statutory requirements;
• Partner with external payroll providers and local brokers to manage regional benefits programs, including health insurance, pension schemes, and fringe benefits;
• Conduct regular audits of payroll and benefits data to maintain data integrity and compliance with GDPR.

Employee Lifecycle Management

• Onboarding: Manage the administrative transition of new hires, including contract generation, background checks, and integration into HR systems;
• Maintenance: Oversee all employee data changes, leaves of absence, and contract amendments in alignment with local country legislation;
• Offboarding: Lead the exit process, ensuring all legal requirements, final payments, and equipment returns are handled professionally and timely.

Compliance & Process Improvement

• Stay abreast of changing labor laws and social security regulations across Europe to ensure all policies and contracts remain compliant;
• Standardize HR processes across the region where possible, while respecting critical local legal nuances;
• Support the implementation or optimization of HRIS tools and digital workflows to reduce manual administration.

Minimum requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field;
• 5+ years of HR experience, with at least 3 years in a regional or multi-country HR Operations leadership role within Europe;
• Deep functional knowledge of European payroll practices and benefits landscapes (e.g., UK, Germany, France, or Benelux);
• Proven experience managing remote or distributed teams across different cultures and time zones;
• Fluency in English; proficiency in at least one other European language (e.g., French, German, or Spanish) is highly desirable.

Preferred skills and experiences

• Master’s degree or MBA;
• Experience with global HRIS platforms (e.g., Workday, SAP SuccessFactors) and localized payroll engines;
• Strong project management skills, particularly in harmonizing HR processes post-merger or acquisition.