Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.
The Department
Our One People Team ensures that Mercy Corps has the people, HR systems, and culture to support our managers and allow our team members to thrive. We comprise of teams of HR professionals at country, regional and global level who work together to foster engaged, equitable, inclusive, diverse, and high performing global teams. We do this through building systems and supporting managers to recruit and retain the diverse and high-performing talent we need to meet our goals, shaping this talent into our future leaders through equitable development opportunities, and by driving strategic partnerships at all levels within and outside of our organization. We work with others to steward our organizational culture through our systems, structure, and processes, to create safe, diverse and inclusive teams, and to ensure a positive employee experience for all our people.
Our presence in Europe represents approximately 180 team members based primarily in the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Ireland and Switzerland. Europe provides Head Office support to programming and development teams across our global locations. Our strategic priorities focus on enabling innovation and new ideas to be implemented using unrestricted revenue streams, becoming the โgo-toโ partner for European stakeholders delivering climate resilience programmes around the world in fragile locations, creating a healthy and happy workplace full of creativity, experience and positive energy for all those who work at Mercy Corps and delivering thriving country and regional programmes aligned to our global and country strategies, with efficient and clear support structures in place. Europe serves as a hub of global talent to support delivery of our strategic priorities.
The Position
This position is responsible for executing strategic senior HR business partnering support to teams working across Europe, overseeing people operations tasks and leading the resolution of escalated issues within the employee life-cycle process, ensuring a positive, equitable and consistent employment experience for team members. This position serves as a deputy to the Regional HR Director, and a partner to people managers, and team members ensuring the โpeople needโ of Mercy Corps team members align and are accounted for within the organisationโs strategic initiatives.
The Senior Regional HRBP collaborates with other One People team members as an ambassador of our priorities and culture, focus on well-being and duty of care, problem solver and proactive in finding collaborative, cross-functional ways to maximise the impact of Mercy Corpsโ People Team.
Essential Job Responsibilities
STRATEGY & PLANNING (10%)
- Partner with Regional HR Director to deliver strategic people priorities across Europe.
- Lead people initiatives across Europe, in collaboration with People team Centres of Excellence, to deliver outcomes for each initiative. Monitor and report on successful delivery.
- Contribute to co-creation of solutions with People team Centres of Excellence, regional leadership and team members.
- Lead deployment of All Voices surveys and development of action plans in conjunction with leadership.
- Anticipate and adapt to changing HR support needs within the organisation; be an active participant in change management.
- Support Regional HR Director in setting the goals and targets, plans and KPIs for the regional People Team.
HUMAN RESOURCES ADVISORY (40%)
- Drives the process to identify HR initiatives and solve people management issues in a manner that complements Mercy Corps culture and strategic priorities.
- Develops meaningful relationships with people managers facilitating joint problem solving and strategic planning, while demonstrating confidence in their role as a leader and advocating on People matters.
- Lead and manage employee relations issues for MCinE. Conduct effective, thorough, and objective investigations of all HR referred complaints raised through the Integrity Hotline, global People team across Europe. Takes appropriate corrective action addressing and resolving issues related to recommendations outlined in investigation reports.
- Review and evaluate themes identified during performance reviews leading to Performance Improvement Plans; collaborate with Centres of Excellence and people managers to develop excellence to more effectively manage performance. .
- Maintains in-depth knowledge of legal requirements and local labour laws related to day-to-day management of team members, reducing legal risks, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Partners with the legal department as needed/required.
- Work closely with leaders and team members to improve work relationships, build morale, and increase productivity and retention.
- Conduct exit interviews for people managers completing service with Mercy Corps; escalate issues as needed.
- Provide guidance and input on business unit restructuring, transfers, hiring and succession planning.
- Support the country handbook review process to ensure compliance with MC global guidelines and policies as well as local labour law requirements.
- Develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Europe as defined by Regional HRD and aligned with evolving business needs.
- Advise managers, leaders on compensation issues including but not limited to salary analysis, benchmarking, promotions, and salary increases to ensure fair and equitable application of compensation policy.
- Communicate effectively. Understand how to approach conversations differently, given audience and situation dynamics, to achieve desired results.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
PEOPLE OPERATIONS (40%)
- Oversee administration and operational tasks conducted by Europe People team, ensuring all requests and tasks are conducted accurately and in a timely manner, adhering to the Mercy Corps regulations and policies and to the local labor laws.
- In collaboration with Compliance prepare for and respond to HR Internal Audit recommendations.
- In collaboration with other COEs, identify areas of opportunity to strengthen operations and proactively offer recommendations to RHRD.
- Understand the intent and purpose of Mercy Corps policies and procedures. Be able to resolve escalated issues when existing tools do not provide a clear answer.
- Approve all offer letters, new hire paperwork, and changes to team member employment.
- Identify trends in commonly escalated issues and recommends/ implements solutions as appropriate.
- Escalate issues internally as necessary.
TEAM DEVELOPMENT (10%)
- Maintain knowledge on trends in global human resource management, particularly in the international humanitarian aid sector.
- Develop junior team members to support them in their roles and assist with their career development.
- Provide constructive feedback informally and formally to colleagues to support their ongoing development.
Supervisory Responsibility: None
Accountability
- Reports Directly To: Regional HR Director