HR Director & Business Partner

France

Reports to: HR Group Director & Business Partner

Job Overview:

Cadence is seeking an experienced and people-focused Head of Human Resources to lead HR across France, Italy, Spain, and Morocco. This role plays a critical part in aligning people strategy with business objectives in a fast-growing, international, high-tech environment.

With more than 500 employees across the region and a significant proportion having joined through recent acquisitions, this role has a strong focus on post-acquisition integration, organisational alignment, and change leadership.

This is an opportunity to shape the people agenda for a growing and evolving region, working closely with both local and global leadership. You will have the scope, influence, and support to make a lasting impact on culture, capability, and organisational effectiveness.

Job Responsibilities:

• Hold overall accountability for HR across France, Italy, Spain, and Morocco, covering over 500 employees across multiple legal entities.

• Lead and support a regional HR team of six professionals spanning recruitment, learning, HR systems, and employee relations.

• Act as HR Business Partner to a significant part of the business, supporting leaders on people strategy and organisational effectiveness.

• Partner with regional leadership and global HR to design and implement HR policies, practices, and programmes aligned with Cadence's strategic goals.

• Advise and coach managers on performance management, employee development, retention, succession planning, and career progression.

• Lead employee relations activities, including engagement with formal employee representation bodies, ensuring compliance, consistency, and constructive dialogue.

• Develop, adapt, and document local HR policies, ensuring alignment with global standards and local legal requirements.

• Collaborate with global compensation and benefits teams to assess market trends and support competitive, compliant reward practices.

• Partner closely with Finance on salary reviews, benefits administration, pensions, and other pay-related processes.

• Ensure full compliance with local labour laws and employment regulations across all countries in scope.

• Play a key role in M&A activity, with particular emphasis on post-acquisition integration and cultural alignment.

Job Qualifications:

• At least 15 years of progressive HR leadership experience, including senior HR roles with international remit, ideally within a global high-tech or complex matrix organisation.

• Proven experience managing employee relations in environments with formal representation structures.

• Strong knowledge of labour law, compensation, pensions, and employment practices within relevant European labour markets.

• Demonstrated ability to partner with senior leaders, influence decision-making, and translate business strategy into people outcomes.

• Experience leading and developing HR teams through periods of growth and change.

• Fluency in English and French, with excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Willingness and ability to work in a hybrid model and travel internationally as required.

Additional Skills/Preferences:

• Experience supporting mergers, acquisitions, and post-acquisition integration.

• Master's degree in Human Resources or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

• Strong consulting and coaching capability, with a collaborative and pragmatic approach.

Check what we can offer you:

• Competitive salary

• 25 days holiday per year

• Private Medical and Dental plans, Income Protection and Life Insurance

• Group Personal Pension Plan

• 5 days paid time to volunteer to give back to our communities

• Employee Stock Purchase Plan

• The opportunity to work for a Great Place to Work© & Fortune 100 organization

Cadence is committed to equal employment opportunity and employment equity throughout all levels of the organization. We strive to attract a qualified and diverse candidate pool and encourage diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

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