The Deputy HR Director (Europe) is a critical leadership role partnering closely with the EMEA&Americas HR Director in a co-pilot (1+1) model.

This role acts as the primary local HR authority and business partner, ensuring that HR strategies are effectively translated into scalable, compliant, and commercially aligned practices across all European markets.

Unlike traditional HR leadership roles, this position sits at the intersection of business expansion, sales organization build-out, and cross-cultural integration. The successful candidate will play a key role in enabling rapid market entry, supporting sales team effectiveness, and building a high-performance culture aligned with both European expectations and Chinese corporate principles.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic HR Leadership & Business Partnership

● Partner with the HR Director as a co-leader of the European HR function, jointly driving HR strategy and execution

● Act as a trusted advisor to business leaders, especially sales leadership, on organization effectiveness, workforce productivity, and people-related risks

● Translate global and China HQ HR frameworks into practical, business-oriented solutions for European markets

● Drive HR initiatives that directly support sales growth, dealer network expansion, and market penetration

2. Multi-Country HR Governance & Compliance

● Ensure full compliance with employment laws across 20+ European jurisdictions

● Provide pragmatic, risk-balanced guidance (not overly theoretical) to support fast business decisions

● Monitor regulatory developments (EU directives, local labor law changes) and assess business impact

● Build and manage relationships with external legal counsel and HR vendors

3. Sales Organization Build & Talent Strategy

● Lead talent acquisition strategy with a strong focus on commercial roles (sales, aftersales, country managers, dealer support)

● Support rapid market entry hiring and scaling of local teams

● Partner with leadership on org design, headcount planning, and workforce productivity (e.g., sales efficiency, HC-to-revenue ratio)

4. Employee Relations & Social Dialogue

● Manage complex employee relations cases with sound judgment and commercial awareness

● Lead engagement with works councils and employee representative bodies in key markets

● Balance legal compliance, employee experience, and business needs in sensitive situations

5. Compensation, Benefits & Performance Enablement

● Oversee and implement competitive and compliant compensation structures across multiple countries

● Support performance-driven culture through incentive schemes aligned with sales KPIs

● Oversee payroll governance through external providers

6. HR Operations & Infrastructure

● Build and optimize scalable HR processes across the employee lifecycle

● Drive HRIS implementation and data-driven decision-making

● Ensure GDPR-compliant and efficient HR data management

7. Cross-Cultural Leadership & Integration

● Act as a bridge between Chinese headquarters and European teams

● Enable effective collaboration through cultural translation, not just communication

● Support Chinese expatriates and local teams in building mutual understanding and trust

● Help shape a high-performance, execution-focused culture adapted to the European environment

8. Leadership & Management Expectations

● Proven ability to lead, develop, and inspire HR teams across different countries and cultural contexts

● Experience managing both direct reports and indirect / matrix teams in a regional setup

● Strong capability to drive alignment and execution without full authority, influencing senior stakeholders across Europe

● Demonstrated ability to build structures, processes, and governance from scratch in a fast-scaling organization

● Confidence to represent HR at leadership level, including interactions with senior business leaders and headquarters

● Ability to make decisions in complex and ambiguous situations, while managing risk appropriately

Candidate Requirements

Essential

● Minimum 10 years of progressive HR experience, including multi-country European scope

● Proven experience in leading HR teams and building HR capabilities across multiple countries

● Demonstrated track record of acting as a strategic HR leader / senior HR business partner to commercial or sales-driven organizations

● Strong experience in organizational design, workforce planning, and scaling teams in a growth environment

● Solid expertise in European labor law and employee relations across multiple jurisdictions Experience working in cross-cultural environments, ideally with Asian or Chinese companies

● Strong business acumen, with the ability to balance commercial priorities, people strategy, and compliance

Preferred

● Experience in automotive, mobility, or fast-scaling tech companies

● Familiarity with dealer network / distribution models

● Knowledge of Netherlands and/or CEE labor frameworks (e.g., Hungary, Poland)

● Mandarin Chinese skills (advantage, not required)

Personal Attributes

● High cultural intelligence with the ability to navigate different management styles

● Pragmatic and solution-oriented, not purely policy-driven

● Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, execution-focused environment

● Strong stakeholder management skills, including senior leadership

● Resilient, adaptable, and able to handle ambiguity

● High level of ownership and accountability

What We Offer

Competitive senior-level compensation aligned with the European market

Performance-based bonus linked to business outcomes

Opportunity to build and shape the HR function in a high-growth European business

Direct exposure to global leadership and strategic decision-making

Flexible base location: Netherlands (preferred) or Hungary

International, dynamic, and entrepreneurial working environment

A Note on Working Culture

We operate with a results-driven and execution-focused Chinese corporate culture, characterized by speed, accountability, and strong alignment from headquarters to local teams.

At the same time, we are committed to building a locally respectful and compliant European organization. Success in this role requires the ability to bridge—not choose between—these two environments.